Boy Scouts: Tenderfoot Squad; or, Camping at Raccoon Lodge

by Burt L. Standish

  CHAPTER XI

  WHEN THE STORM BROKE

  WHEN Jem Shock discovered that he and his wife and boy were not alone inthe cabin his manner instantly changed. Elmer saw the heavy brow knit,as though in sudden suspicion. He remembered that this man distrustedall his fellows, and that he had even defied the majesty of the law withregard to shooting wild game out of season, as well as catching fish bymethods called illegal.

  His manner of life would make him scan with suspicious eyes any strangerwho came to his isolated cabin home, and who might just as well as notbe some clever game warden, bent on securing evidence that would convicthim.

  "This is Elmer, and he is the good friend who promised to see that I gota chance to play my violin the proper way," said Conrad, with a dignitythat would well have become a grown man.

  As he spoke, he took the young scout-master by the hand and led him apace or two forward. Elmer tried to be most cordial. He wanted to winthe good will of this man, for many reasons. First, there was Conrad,and his possible brilliant future, if his amazing genius could be placedunder the fostering care of a master. Then there was Elmer's belief thatJem had been badly treated by the whims of Fortune, and possibly thegreed of some man; he needed a friend if ever any one did.

  So Elmer held out his hand as he advanced. He also smiled warmly, as ifto chase away that look of distrust he could see gathering on Jem'sstrong face.

  "We have met before, Jem, on the road, while our party was on the way uphere," he went on to say in as cordial a tone as he could muster. "Youremember I said then I hoped to see something more of you, and invitedyou to stop in and have a cup of coffee with us, in case you happened tobe passing our camp. And now that I have made the acquaintance of Conradand your good wife, I hope we can be friends, Jem."

  The man still continued to frown. Under his heavy eyebrows he waslooking keenly at the speaker. Elmer's manner was surely enough todisarm suspicion; and doubtless he would have quite won the man overthen and there only for one thing. This was the presence of a boy in theparty bearing that unfortunate name of Snodgrass; and which seemed torepresent everything that was evil, in the estimation of the poacher.

  So Jem did not make the first move to take the extended hand. If he hadsuspected the other to be ready to suddenly snap a pair of handcuffs onhis wrists, he could not have held more aloof.

  "I'm not making friends with anybody these days," he managed to mutter,"leastways when they are so thick with the son of the man who sold meout and left me high and dry on the bank."

  "But the rest of us never heard of you before, Jem; and even Rufus saysit must be some terrible mistake, because his father would never do sucha mean trick, even if he is a real-estate operator. But, Jem, I want tobe friends with you just because of Conrad here. It would be a burningshame if he didn't get his chance to prove that his grandfather's talentis running in his blood. I am sure that I'll be able to interest somereally good people, all of them lovers of the best music, in Conrad; andthat arrangements can be made to put him under the charge of a leadingteacher, who will see that he has a chance to thrill the world, when hegrows older."

  The man's face lighted up for just a brief interval. Perhaps he haddreamed of some day seeing Conrad the centre of a madly applaudingthrong of well-dressed people, who would be ready to crown the lad asthe greatest genius of the decade. Then the old doubts returned again,and he scowled darkly.

  "We may be poor," he said bitterly, "which isn't my fault, but mymisfortune; yet we're not paupers; and even to see my boy snatch theprize he deserves I wouldn't beg money from any living man or woman.I'll die before I accept _charity_. If I had my just dues there would beplenty of money to fix Conrad out; as it is he must wait, and take hischance."

  "But, Jem, this wouldn't be charity," Elmer insisted, earnestly. "Itcould be done on strictly business principles, a bargain being made inblack and white, so that a record of the expense might be kept; andafter Conrad began to earn big money, he could gradually return the loanto those kind friends who had been so deeply interested in his fortunes.Don't shut him out from his only chance, Jem, just because one man mayhave injured you. There are other kinds of people in this world,kind-hearted people who are always looking for an opportunity to helpstruggling genius. Oh! please don't decide in a hurry. Think it over,talk it over with your wife here before you turn the offer down; becauseit is given in good faith, Jem."

  Mrs. Shock listened, and her eyes grew moist. She apparently did notthink it wise to interfere while a stranger was present, but Elmerbelieved her influence was bound to be thrown in favor of theproposition. Therefore he did not quite despair, though the poachercontinued to shake his head, and keep his teeth firmly clenched, afterthe manner of a stubborn man who has made up his mind, and against whomall power cannot prevail.

  You see, Elmer, young though he may have been, was somewhat of aphilosopher. He knew that gentle influence may sometimes accomplish muchmore than the most sturdy strength. He had never forgotten the moral ofthat old story about the traveler who was trudging along a country road,when the two rival elements, the Sun and the Wind, entered into a heatedargument as to which might be the more powerful, and determined to testtheir assertions upon the devoted head of the pilgrim. So the wind blewharder and harder, but only had the effect of making the traveler drawhis cloak tighter about him. Then the sun has his turn, and began towarm up to his task, until the almost baked man was glad to throw offhis cloak, which result gave the victory to the heavenly orb.

  And so perhaps the gentle but persuasive influence of Conrad's mothermight in the end prevail against the wild gusts of the man's anger.Elmer at least would continue to hug that hope to his heart.

  He saw that his continued presence would do no further good. It wereperhaps better that he took himself off, and allowed the seed he hadsown to germinate. Time can often work wonders, and the look Mrs. Shockgave him somehow further aroused his confidence that all might yet bewell.

  So he said he would be going, and the last he saw of them Conrad waswaving his hand in farewell, while his mother nodded her headsignificantly. As for Jem, he continued to stand there looking glum, asthough a riot of thoughts might be holding high carnival in his brain,the old suspicion and hatred for mankind engaged in a desperate conflictwith newly awakened hopes.

  Elmer made his way back to camp, and arrived long before noon came, sothat he had plenty of time to rest and think over the situation. Hewondered whether he had succeeded in making any progress by hismorning's expedition. He had met Jem, for one thing, and told him howmuch he was interested in Conrad's playing. Yes, Elmer concluded thatthe game he meant to play had been advanced more or less since thecoming of another day.

  The surveyors came trooping into camp along about noon, heated andtired. Rufus was apparently getting quite enough of that hard work, forthe time being. Besides, he admitted that he had gone sufficiently farby then to make sure that the previous survey had been a failure, andthat the job would have to be done over again in order to get the rightlines.

  Elmer was not sorry to hear him say that, and for several reasons. Firstof all, he wanted the tenderfeet to have further opportunities forpicking up more or less useful knowledge of woodcraft, while in camp;and this could not be done if most of their time was spent in usingthose instruments, and worrying about backing new lines through thethickets and swamps that beset their course.

  Then again Elmer did not like the looks of the weather. It was beginningto act suspiciously, as though a big storm might be brewing. The sunstill shone up there in the sky, and both Rufus and Alec only thought itinsufferably hot; but to one more experienced in such things, there wasa deeper meaning in the heavy atmosphere, the strange silence on thepart of birds and smaller animals, and the peculiar bank of clouds thatlay low along the distant southwestern horizon.

  Lil Artha sensed danger, too, for he spoke of it as they were eatinglunch.

  "Perhaps, Elmer," was the way he put it, "we'd be sensible if we took anextra reef or two in our
sail this afternoon, while we have the chance.An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure, I always didbelieve; and scouts are taught that it's wise in time of peace toprepare for war."

  "Hey! what's all this talk mean?" demanded the bewildered Rufus. "Tohear you, Lil Artha, a fellow would think we had something terriblehanging over our heads. It must be you're prognosticating a _storm_, butI don't see what makes you think that, when the sun never shonebrighter. Do the birds carry the secret, and have you fellows found away to understand their lingo?"

  "Well, in a way that's correct, too, Rufus," chuckled the lanky scout."When you get on familiar terms with everything that lives in the woods,you can tell a heap. It does seem that insects, birds and animals aregiven instinct in place of reasoning powers. So the squirrel knows whenit promises to be a severe winter, and he lays in an extra big store ofnuts. And in the same way something warns these little creatures when astorm is coming, although human beings see no sign. Well, from thechange that's taken place all around us we scouts can give a good guessthat these same birds and insects are making ready for trouble; and it'sbound to come from that quarter yonder, where you can see a bank of darkclouds hugging the horizon."

  "But, Lil Artha," protested Alec, strenuously, "I noticed yon bank o'clouds mair nor two hours back, and I gie ye my word it hasn't moved awee bit in a' that time."

  "Oh! that's often the way a storm comes along," the other assured him,in a positive fashion, as though he had no doubt concerning the accuracyof his prediction. "Clouds will lie low for half a day, and thensuddenly with a shift of the wind spread out over the whole heavens likemagic. I promise you that before two hours have gone by you'll bestopping your ears with your fingers so's to shut out the crash ofthunder."

  Of course, as both Elmer and George seemed to agree with what Lil Arthasaid--and it was really wonderful to have "Doubting George" let anopportunity to object pass him by, the greenhorns had to believe whatthey heard.

  When lunch had been disposed of, Elmer gave orders that set the wholefive working to improve the security of the camp. Extra pegs were drivendeep down so as to hold the tent more firmly; and some bits of strongrope were also brought into play with this same end in view.

  Rufus could not restrain his amusement, and finally burst out with:

  "Well, from the way you're carrying on, fellows, it must be you expect aregular old hurricane to break loose in this region. I guess it wouldtake a whole lot of wind to tear that tent loose from its moorings now.Besides, we're sheltered somewhat by those trees over yonder."

  "Wait and see, that's all," warned Lil Artha, not one whit abashed."You've never been caught in a big storm, and so you can't know how thewind tears at a tent as if it had a special spite against the canvas.I've seen more'n one tent carried away like a big balloon, and lodgedfar up in a tree. This is only following out the scout rule ofpreparedness. It's better to err on the side of safety, Rufus; justremember that as you pass along the road. It's no sign of timidity toget ready for trouble; the wisest of business men always insure theirproperty, and when the storm comes they weather it, where the morereckless go to the wall."

  "That's sound logic, Lil Artha," commented Elmer, smiling to hear theother give such splendid advice; for, as a rule, the lengthy scout was abit inclined toward that same recklessness himself.

  In many other ways did they prepare for the coming storm, particularlyin seeing that a small stock of wood was placed so that it might be keptdry; since they might be glad of a fire later on. Their stock ofprovisions, too, had to be provided for; and Rufus also covered the oldcar with a tarpaulin which he had fetched along for that purpose.

  During the last half hour of work even the most skeptical found himselfforced to admit that there was no longer any doubt about the approach ofbad weather. As the dark bank of clouds advanced up the heavens thebirds again made their appearance, and flew wildly about, utteringwarning cries that impressed Rufus visibly.

  Then they began to hear distant muttering of heavy thunder that was sooncausing a distinctly felt vibration of the earth under their feet. Thewind had entirely ceased, and there seemed to be an ominous calm uponNature. Rufus and Alec had an apprehensive expression on their faces asthey waited for further developments.

  "Don't you think it might be safer over among the trees than here,Elmer?" asked Rufus at one time, after the thunder had temporarily diedaway.

  "Not on your life!" burst out Lil Artha, taking it on himself to answer."If the gale gets half as severe as I expect, you'll hear trees crashingdown like toothpicks. It'd be all your life was worth to be caught inthe woods then. An experienced hand might manage to escape, but oftenthe best of them get caught under a falling tree and killed outright.That's one reason why we built our camp away from all trees but thisdwarf one that isn't apt to go down, and serves as a sort of wind-break,you see. But listen, everybody!"

  A distant but terrifying sound stole to their ears. The lack of amovement in the atmosphere had prevented them from catching it sooner.

  "Is that the storm coming?" asked Rufus, trying to keep his voicesteady, though there was a distinct quaver to it, despite his efforts.

  "Yes, that's the wind, and back of it is the first burst of rain,"advised Elmer. "It will be on us in a jiffy now, so we'd better getinside, and lace the opening up. We faced the tent to the northpurposely, you see, because we knew that any storm at this time of yearwas likely to jump out of the southwest."

  Hardly had they made the flap secure when the gale broke upon them.