The Boy Patrol on Guard

by Edward Sylvester Ellis

  CHAPTER XXI--How It Happened

  Jack Crandall, Arthur Mitchell and Gerald Hume were members of the StagPatrol, and the age of each was slightly more than fourteen years. Jackwas tall, muscular and had an inclination to stoop, due probably to hisrapid growth. He was somewhat reserved by nature, but his gooddisposition made him one of the most popular of the Boy Scouts. Whatdistinguished him among his comrades was his fondness for bird lore. Hehad been dubbed the official ornithologist and his note books, which hehad filled with "pointers" picked up on his excursions in the woods athome, were of the most interesting nature. Sometimes by invitation ofScout Master Hall, he read from them in the evening when the companygathered around the camp fire for reports and gossip. He not onlyinvestigated, but studied text books on the subject. No intelligent ladcan follow such a course without becoming well informed in any branch ofknowledge. It gave him pleasure to answer questions, of which many wereasked, and it was universally agreed that he was one of the mostvaluable members of the troop that was spending the month of August inthe woods of southern Maine.

  All that I have to tell about Jack was to his credit. He had no brothersand but one sister, two years younger than himself. His mother was awidow in straitened circumstances, who would have had a hard time to geton, but for the cheerful help of Jack, who loved her and Maggie with adevotion that could not be surpassed. One fact will tell more than couldbe given in a dozen paragraphs. He wrote a letter to his mother, with amessage inclosed to his sister, on every day he was absent from home.Since the wagon with supplies labored through the forest only twice aweek, the dear ones had the pleasure of receiving two or three of hischeery missives by the same mail, after waiting several days for them. Ineed not say that those at home were equally faithful.

  Now on the afternoon following the visit of little "Sunbeam" to thebungalow on the shore of Gosling Lake, more than half the boys, as youmay remember, divided into small parties and set off on a ramble throughthe wilderness. The three whom I have named took a southern course whichled them into a lonely section and expected to be absent all theafternoon. Five minutes after starting they were out of sight of theirfriends.

  You would not be interested in a detailed account of what was doneduring most of the afternoon. Later on I may have something to tell youof the birds found in that part of our country.

  No boy or man pays much attention to the passage of the hours whenabsorbed in a pleasant task. The three youths were surprised when theapproaching twilight warned them that the long summer day was drawing toa close.

  "Gee!" exclaimed Gerald Hume; "it's time we hiked for home."

  Jack was the only one who carried a watch. It was a cheap pattern but agood one. He drew it out and looked at it.

  "It is ten minutes to seven. To-day is Monday, the fifth of August, andthe sun sets in sixteen minutes past seven. It will be dark when we getto headquarters."

  "How far do you think it is?"

  "We have followed such an aimless course that it is hard to tell, but itmust be a mile at least; what do you think, Arthur?"

  "I should say it is a good deal more than that, but what's the odds?We're not likely to meet any Indians or to run afoul any wild beasts."

  "We must keep to the right course, however," said Gerald, "or we shallhave to camp out."

  "It won't hurt us if we do, even when we have made no preparations,"replied Jack, who added:

  "We went south from the lake, but the points of the compass are alltwisted."

  "It would do us no good if they weren't, for we haven't an instrumentwith us."

  "Yes; we have," remarked Jack, who still held his watch in hand. "Haveyou forgotten that a watch is a good compass when the sun is shining?"

  "Mr. Hall showed us while we were on our way here," laughed Arthur, "butI have forgotten what he said."

  "So have I," added Gerald.

  "Luckily, I have had to test it before, and after seeing me use thatmeans I know you will remember it."

  Jack pointed the hour hand to the sun already low in the horizon andexplained:

  "If it were forenoon, half way between the hour hand and noon is duesouth. But it is afternoon and I must reckon half way backward.Notice,--I point the hour hand at a fraction before seven. Now dividethe distance between that point and the figure 12 into halves and takethe midway point: there you are--that indicates south."

  "Suppose the sun wasn't shining, Jack?"

  "If the clouds were too dense to allow you to locate the sun, your watchwould be useless as a compass, but that isn't often the case. You shouldstand in the open where no shadow falls upon you, and hold your knifepoint upright on your watch dial. Almost always you can see a dim shadowwhich shows where the sun is."

  "But," inquired Arthur with a laugh; "now that we know the points of thecompass what good will it do us?"

  Gerald took it upon himself to answer:

  "If we went south from the lake all we have to do is to go north to getback to it."

  "Yes, '_if_' we did that, but we have paid no attention to our courseand may be east or west of the bungalow."

  Jack interposed with the good sense which rarely forsook him:

  "While it is impossible that we should have held a direct southern line,I believe we nearly did so and by going north we shall not stray farfrom the right path. At any rate, we have only to try it. If we get lostwe can yell for help."

  Jack took the lead, but had not gone a hundred yards when he stoppedwith an exclamation:

  "Look at that!"

  He pointed to the upper branches of a tall pine, betraying an excitementthat was new to him. His companions followed the direction of theextended finger.

  "I don't see anything but a lot of branches," replied Gerald, after abrief scrutiny.

  "Nor do I," added Arthur.

  "Are you blind? On that limb that puts out to the right is a bird'snest."

  "Well, what of it? This isn't nesting time; there are no birds therenow," said Arthur after he had located the dark bunch of twigs andgrass, well out on a long slender branch.

  "I must have a look at the nest; it is a different pattern from any Ihave seen since coming to Maine."

  "Well, take your look and we'll pass on."

  "That won't do; I must have a peep inside."

  And to the astonishment of his companions, Jack flung aside the staff hehad been carrying and began climbing the long, smooth trunk. To Geraldand Arthur nothing could have been more foolish, but they understoodtheir friend too well to object.

  "Did you ever see any one like him?" asked the former disgustedly.

  All the two could do was to watch their chum as he shinned up the treewith the nimbleness of a sailor climbing a ship's mast without help ofrope or stay.

  Jack had an ascent of fully twenty-five feet before he reached the firstlimb. The object which drew him upward like a magnet attracting a bit ofiron was several feet higher, but the young athlete did not hesitate. Itwas still so light that he could be plainly seen as he began making hisway along the frail support, which bent under his weight.

  "I hope Jack knows enough not to run too much risk," remarked Geraldwith a thrill of misgiving; "pine wood has a way of breaking when youdon't expect it."

  "He has had enough experience to remember that."

  "But he is so set on examining that old nest that he's likely toforget--_Gracious_!"

  Both gasped, for while the words were in Gerald's mouth, the limb alongwhich Jack Crandall was making his way snapped off like a pipe stem. Hewas seen to throw out his arms in an instinctive effort to save himself,but there was nothing he could seize and he shot downward, withouthaving time to straighten his body. He fell sideways, striking theground with a violent thump which caused his hat to fly off and forced acry of pain from him. Although stunned by the shock, he instantly triedto rise, only to fall back with a groan.

  Gerald and Arthur ran forward and bent over him.

  "Are you much hurt, Jack?" they asked.

&n
bsp; "I'm afraid so; look out; don't try to lift me."

  With a gasp of pitying fright, both boys saw that Jack's right limbbelow the knee was bent midway at a sharp angle. There could be nomistaking what _that_ meant.

  "Your leg is broken!" exclaimed Gerald.

  "Thank God it isn't my neck!" replied the brave sufferer.

  That was sound Christian philosophy. How true it is that there are fewafflictions in this life that couldn't be worse.

  Jack with help rose on one elbow and looked at his leg. Its appearanceshowed that both the tibia and the fibula had been snapped apart, forthe foot lay limp at an angle from the upper portion that it never couldhave assumed if sound.

  Arthur dropped down by him in a twinkling and took off the legging. Theskin had not been broken, but the sight of the jagged points pressingagainst it caused a momentary faintness on the part of the two, fromwhich they quickly rallied.

  "Don't be scared, boys," said Jack; "it hurts like all creation and Idon't think I shall climb many more trees for a few weeks to come."

  "Well, Gerald, let's get down to business," said Arthur briskly.

  "Yes," remarked Jack with a smile, "you've got a big baby on your hands;and if we don't find our way back to camp it won't prove the jolliestnight of my life."

  "You can give us help."

  "How?"

  "Hold us to a straight course."

  "That is, you wish me to boss the job; I'll try to do my duty."

  This is what the two Boy Scouts now did, as deftly and surely as if theyhad rehearsed the act, though it was the first time they had undertakensuch a duty:

  Gerald and Arthur took off their coats, turned the sleeves inside outand placed them on the ground with their lower sides touching eachother. Gerald first compared the staff he had been carrying with Jack'swhich lay near, and finding the latter the stronger passed it throughthe sleeves on one side and flung away his own staff, while Arthurshoved his through the sleeves of his own coat. The two garments werethen buttoned with the button side down and the stretcher was ready.

  Jack, who was striving to repress all signs of the anguish he suffered,was then deposited gently on the support, one of his friends between andat either end of the two handles. As they stepped off, they adopted aprecaution which is worth remembering, should you ever be called upon toact the good Samaritan in similar circumstances. Gerald first reachedout with his right foot, observing which Arthur at the same momentadvanced his left. They were careful thus to keep out of step, therebysaving the patient from the jouncing that otherwise would have beenadded to his distress.

  The carriers could not know whether Jack was suffering much or little ornot at all, for he was by far the most cheerful of the three. Theymanaged to roll a part of the garments so as to stuff them under hishead and thereby partly raise it. This gave him a view of the woodsdirectly in front, of which knowledge he made good use.

  "Gee!" he called to Gerald who was acting as the leader; "bear a littlemore to the right."

  The lad obeyed and a few minutes later Jack called:

  "Haw! not so much--Gee a little--that's it; keep it up."

  "I think it would be well if I cut a gad for you," suggested Arthur fromthe rear; "you can whack him on the side you wish him to turn."

  "It would be a good idea," replied Jack, "but I'll give him a chance tosave himself by doing what I order him to do. If he refuses, it will beat his peril."

  "I'll do my best," Gerald meekly called back.

  All three showed a sturdy readiness that did them credit. It cannot bedoubted that Jack Crandall was suffering keenly, but he would havecollapsed before letting his companions know it, while they on theirpart gave no hint of the discouraging prospect before them. Each youthhad to carry a dead weight of sixty pounds or more. That of itself wasof small moment, for they could rest whenever they chose, but night wasat hand and they were not only a good way from camp but could not tellwhen they would reach it. As has already been said, there was nothing tofrighten them in the prospect of spending the night in the woods, duringdog days, even if the climate in southern Maine is cool, at least afterthe sun goes down.

  But their anxiety was for their chum with the broken leg. That ought toreceive surgical attention with the least possible delay. Fortunately askilful physician was within call from the clubhouse, but when could thelatter be reached, and what would happen to Jack if they should gohopelessly astray?

  It was this fear which caused the bearers distress. They would havediscussed the important question, but could not well talk over the headof the sufferer, so they held their peace and strode on.

  "You mustn't tire yourselves out," protested Jack from his couch; "youhave traveled far enough for a good rest."

  "What do you say, Art?" asked Gerald.

  "This is just fun; it beats baseball."

  "And will beat you if you try to keep it up. I insist that you stopawhile; don't drop me like a hot potato though, but gently as it were."

  The support was slowly lowered and the bearers mopped their foreheads.

  "How are you feeling, Jack?" asked Gerald.

  "I could feel a good deal worse and also somewhat better."

  "You bear it like a hero; now I hope that we shall not miss thebungalow, for it won't be any fun for you to stay out doors tillmorning."

  "We're not going to miss the house," replied Jack so decisively that hisfriends looked questioningly at him.

  "What makes you positive of that point?"

  "We hit the right course; don't you recognize signs about you?"

  "No, and I don't believe you do."

  "Do you remember that big white oak with the gnarled limb that put out ashort distance from the base of the trunk?"

  "You mean the knot that you said would bring a good price from any oneof the ship builders at Bath?" asked Gerald in turn.

  "Yes."

  "It is not too dark for you to see a little way. Just to the left is asimilar white oak; do you notice it?"

  The two scrutinized the huge tree and Arthur exclaimed:

  "It looks exactly like it."

  "Of course, for it is the same one."

  When the tree was examined more closely further doubt was removed.

  "What a piece of good fortune! Why, we saw that only a few minutes afterleaving home."

  "Of course; we are within a hundred yards of headquarters."

  "Thank Providence; we dared not hope it. Jack, you know more aboutwoodcraft than we do."

  "Which isn't saying much," replied Jack, catching the cheerful spiritsof his friends, who now picked him up as tenderly as before, and did notpause until they emerged from the woods and made their way to the porch,where they set down their burden and Gerald hurried to make known themishap. By that time night had fully come and all the boys were insideenjoying the society of Sunbeam, as she sat and chatted on the knee ofMike Murphy. Pausing in the door, Arthur beckoned to Scout Master Hall,who excused himself and hastened outside. There when told the truth, hebent over Jack, took his hand and expressed his sympathy.

  "We must get word to Dr. Spellman at once," said the leader; "I willborrow Gordon Calhoun's revolver and signal to him. Meanwhile, take Jackinside."

  "Hadn't you better wait, so as not to scare the little girl?" was thethoughtful question of the patient.

  "There is nothing to scare her; carry him in, boys."

  Jack was carefully taken through the opened door and deposited on thenearest bunk. A few moments were all that was necessary to explain themishap to the party. Sunbeam or Stubby or Ruth, as you prefer, was fullof tender sympathy, but the full extent of the lad's injuries was keptfrom her, and a few minutes later she was laid in her couch, as has beenrelated, and almost immediately she closed her eyes.

  Mike asked for the revolver, and walking to the edge of the lake pointedit upward and discharged three more chambers. He went back into thehouse where he cheered Jack by his waggery for some time. Then hereloaded the weapon and again moved to the water's edge, with th
eintention of calling the physician a third time. Before doing so, helistened. Through the stillness he heard the dip of a paddle and knewthe doctor was hurrying to the clubhouse, eager to do what he could forwhoever needed his help.

  Alvin and Chester followed Mike and stood by his side. There was no moonas yet in the sky, but the stars gleamed brilliantly and they could seefor a considerable distance over the placid surface of the beautifulsheet of water. The sound of the paddle grew more distinct, and by andby a swiftly approaching canoe took form in the obscurity.

  Not until the voice of the wife broke upon the quiet did it occur to anyone of the boys that the physician was likely to associate the call withhis own child. And yet what was more natural than that he should do so?

  "Is anything the matter with Ruth?" asked the mother, the instant shecaught the dim outlines of the boys.

  "Nothing at all," replied Alvin; "she is in her bed and asleep."

  "Thank heaven!" was the grateful exclamation as the woman sank back andclasped her hands. Her husband had held the paddle suspended until heheard the reply. Now he dipped the implement deep and with a couple ofvigorous strokes sent the craft with a bump against the beach.

  "What's the trouble, Alvin?" he asked while helping his wife out anddrawing the canoe a little way up the bank.

  "One of the boys fell out of a tree this afternoon and broke his leg."

  "I am sorry to hear that; I shan't need my instruments," he remarked inthe cool business tone of the professional man; "lead the way, boys."

  Scout Master Hall and several of the boys had come out on the porch andall welcomed the physician and his wife.

  "Business first and pleasure afterward," remarked the medical man as hestepped across the threshold and went to the bunk in which Jack Crandallhad been lifted. The blazing wood in the fireplace and the bright lampoverhead filled the room with light as bright as day. Jack looked up andsmiled, with an apology for the trouble he was causing the doctor, whowithout replying to his words, made a quick but thorough examination ofthe hurt.

  "Beautiful! beautiful!" he exclaimed; "it is one of the most beautifulfractures I ever saw."

  It sounded odd, but it was professional.

  CHAPTER XXII--Sunshine

  Amid the tense stillness, with the group of sympathetic spectatorsmotionless and attentive, the surgeon performed his duty with thedeftness and skill of long experience. Jack compressed his lips, whenhis attendant said with cheerful gentleness:

  "Brace yourself; it will be over in a minute."

  The adjustment of the fractured bones caused shooting pangs of pain, butthe patient did not flinch.

  "Good for you!" said the doctor; "you are a hero; the worst is over."

  Then followed the application of splints and bandages and the littleniceties of a scientific operation. The doctor, making sure everythingwas right, drew down the coverlet over the shapeless leg and sat back inhis chair, and then Mike Murphy spoke with the gravity of an owl:

  "Docther, ye were just saying that one broken leg looks beautiful; thentwo broken legs would look twice as purty; so why not bust t'other leg,so Jack will have a pair of 'em?"

  The astounding question broke the spell that had weighed down all. Dr.Spellman laughed, Scout Master Hall chuckled, and every Boy Scoutgrinned appreciatively, excepting of course the youth who had asked theamazing question. His freckled countenance could not have looked graverhad the occasion been a funeral.

  "I'm afeard me wisdom is throwed away, as Tim Flanagan said whin hesuggisted to his taycher that he tie tails to the boys the better toyank 'em back whin they tried to jump out the windys."

  Even Jack Crandall's white face lighted up at the whimsicalities of theirrepressible wag. Dr. Spellman said:

  "I think I shall appoint you nurse, Mike; you will do Jack more goodthan I can by any further services."

  "It will give me plisure, docther,--more I reckon than it will Jack."

  The physician issued his final directions. Having set the leg, allsubsequent work must be done by nature, which was sure to do it well.The bones would speedily knit and though the patient would have tosuffer more or less pain during the process, the progress would besteady. All the lad had to do was "suffer and be strong," which as hasbeen said is only a poetical variation of the homely injunction "grinand bear it."

  "How long shall I have to lie here?" asked Jack.

  "If all goes well--and there is no reason why it should not--you will bepromenading along Gosling Lake on crutches in three weeks. After thatyour recovery will be rapid."

  "You would not advise our sending him home?" asked Scout Master Hall,who could have answered the question himself.

  "Nothing could be more ill-advised. It would torture him, even if hewere carried on a litter over the rough road to the highway and thenceto Boothbay Harbor, with the long railway or steamboat journey home.There is no better place in the world for him than right here in thispure air, surrounded by friends ready to do all they can for his comfortand to administer to his every want. I shall drop in to-morrow and keeptrack of my Jack."

  The doctor shook hands with the lad, who thanked him for his kindness.Then husband and wife passed to the couch where their little one wassleeping. She lay on one dimpled arm, her gentle breath issuing from therosy lips without the slightest sound. Each parent leaned over andtouched his and her lips to the pink cheek. Ruth opened her eyes,recognized them and, childlike, threw her arms around the neck of hermother and asked to be taken home.

  "I don't see how I consented to part with you for one night," repliedthe parent; "you shall go with us." So her clothing was donned, and,lifting the little one in his arms, the father bade his friends goodnight and carried her down to the waiting canoe.

  The Boy Scouts gave a fine exhibition of the spirit which dominates thatadmirable organization. There was not one of them who was not eager todo everything in his power for the comfort of the member who hadsuffered his mishap. Scout Master Hall arranged that two of them shouldbe on watch all the time, he insisting upon taking his turn, and that heshould be called, if asleep, should there seem to be a necessity for it.They were to watch during periods of two hours each, thus making sure oftheir wakefulness. This was to be the rule night and day. The little,round alarm clock that the Scout Master had brought with him sat on themantel over the fireplace, where the hands and figures showed in theyellow illumination of lamp and hearth fire.

  Mike and Alvin assumed guard from nine to eleven, when they were to besucceeded by Chester and Gerald for the same period, and so on. In thebigness of his heart, Mike proposed that when the hour hand had creptclose to the characters "XI," they should stop the clock and continue onduty till daylight. While Alvin was quite willing, he decided it wasbetter to obey in spirit and letter the instructions of their leader.

  On the morrow, Jack's face was flushed and he showed signs of a fever,but the doctor, when he arrived early in the day, assured his friendsthat that was to be expected and was not alarming. The leg was examinedand pronounced in the best condition possible. The skilled cooks, ofwhom there were several in the troop, prepared the dishes prescribed bythe doctor and filled the room with hope and cheerfulness.

  "The conditions could not be more favorable," said the medical man; "theweather is perfect, the air full of ozone, the water as pure as that atPoland Springs or even Squirrel Island, which goes Poland one degreebetter, and the companionship of the boys helps to make the situationideal for a convalescing patient. Do you think of sending for hisfriends?"

  "Far from it; Jack has a sister and widowed mother; he would not alarmthem for the world; they will never know what has befallen him until hereturns home."

  It may as well be said that this took place. Jack wrote to his lovedones every day and never were his letters more cheerful. He told them ofthe fragrant leafy woods, the song birds, the crystalline lake, theinvigorating air, his keen appetite and nutritious food, and above allthe genial companionship of the Boy Scouts.

&nb
sp; "It strikes me, mother," he wrote, "that for twenty youngsters to bethrown together as intimately as we have been, without a hasty wordbeing spoken by a single one, and with all trying for a chance to do agood turn,--it strikes me, I say, that that's pretty good:--what do_you_ think?"

  Mother agreed with her son.

  All physicians will tell you that the best medicine for the sick room ischeerfulness. Moral sunshine has far more to do with ultimate recoverythan all the medicaments that were ever compounded. Jack Crandall wasnever without optimistic companions. When he opened his eyes in themiddle of the night, two of them sat almost within arm's reach, ready toanticipate his slightest wish. Earlier in the evening, before the hourfor retiring, the room was full of happy youngsters, who under thevigilant eye of Scout Master Hall never overdid things. All were inoverflowing spirits, and Jack could not help imbibing the benign tonic.

  As may be supposed, the particular star at these times was Mike Murphy.Never did he so abound with waggishness, humor and wit. When calledupon, he sang songs always of a bright or humorous turn. He did notutilize hymns except on Sunday afternoons or evenings, and then he madesure they were not lugubrious but overflowing with Christian hope.

  Not even Alvin and Chester, who thought they knew him well, suspectedthe limitless extent of their chum's imagination. Some of the yarns hespun fairly took away his listener's breath, while his whimsies in theirway were irresistible. The solemn gravity with which his most humorousfancies were uttered added to their effect. Thus one evening as theScouts were gathered in the room where Jack Crandall lay, he said:

  "Since the docther robbed us of our Sunbeam, I've made it me dooty todrop in at his home nearly ivery day to make sure her father and mitherare treating her right."

  "Did you find they are doing so?" gravely asked Scout Master Hall.

  "I 'spose they're doing as well as could be ixpicted. I tried to imprissupon them that it was their dooty niver to refuse Sunbeam anything,--nomatter what she asked. I've been trying to do the same wid dad and memither as to mesilf, but haven't been able to bring them to my way ofthinking. I paddled over this morning and had a talk wid the doctherabout Jack's game leg."

  "And what did he say?" inquired the subject of the query.

  Mike sighed as if loath to reply.

  "I asked him whither it didn't sometimes happen whin a felly had his legbroke and it was mended that it was longer or shorter than t'other, towhich he replied, yis. I then said if the same was found to be the casewid Jack, he oughter saw off the longer leg so as to make itself avenwith t'other and Jack wouldn't hev to limp."

  "How did the idea strike him?" asked the grinning boy on his couch.

  "He was much imprissed, as Larry Coogan said whin a keg of nails droppedfrom the roof onto his head. I offered to taich Jack the words of a songI heerd some time ago, which, he is to sing while the wrong leg is beingmade right."

  "What is that?"

  "'Just Tell 'Em that you Saw Me.'"

  All laughed except the perpetrator of the jest who added:

  "Anither thing is that the crutches which ye use, Jack, is to hev acontrivance fixed to the same so that ye can climb trees to peep intobirds' nists, without using yer legs at all."

  "I never heard of such a thing," remarked Jack.

  "Of course not; it's an idea of me own."

  This time will serve as well as any for a statement which it gives mepleasure to make. It was told me in confidence by Dr. Spellman, with theunderstanding that in no circumstances was I to repeat it. You willaccept it as confidential and make sure that it goes no farther.

  The credit of the incident belongs to Alvin Landon. A few days after theaccident to Jack Crandall, Alvin told Scout Master Hall that he thoughtit would be a good thing for the other Boy Scouts to unite and buy apair of crutches and present them to Jack, as soon as the doctor gavehim permission to use them.

  "Capital!" exclaimed the Scout Master; "I am glad it occurred to you;take charge of the matter, Alvin, and let me lead off with mycontribution."

  "I shall arrange to have Dr. Spellman buy the crutches, he knows thesize needed, what the quality should be and where to get them. With yourpermission, I'll attend to the matter."

  The next day Alvin told the leader that the doctor was much pleased andwould send to Boston at once for the aids, so they should be ready whenneeded. One dollar apiece from the Boy Scouts was all that was requiredand it was best that the contribution should be the same in each case.This amount was cheerfully provided, each lad insisting that he shouldbe allowed to give more if the amount ran short. Alvin promised hisfriends to call upon them if necessary.

  Now the secret which Dr. Spelhnan told me is this: The dollar apiece didnot pay one-half the cost of the implements, for they were made ofmaple--the best material--and were silver mounted, with a suitableinscription engraved in the metal. The extra cost was paid by Alvin, whoperhaps after all did not deserve special praise, inasmuch as he was theson of a millionaire who was as pleased as he to do such charitableacts, especially where a Boy Scout was concerned. All the same, as youlearned long ago, Alvin was one of the kindest hearted of youths.

  On Thursday, the 22d of August, Jack Crandall, happy and grateful,walked across the floor and out of doors on his new crutches.

  Here it is well that I lay down my pen, or rather stop the clicking ofmy typewriter. Sunshine bathed wood and lake and enfolded the clubhousewhich the Boy Scouts made their headquarters during those memorablesummer days in Southern Maine.

  None dreamed of the cloud that was already gathering over that joyouscamp, and which was to bring an experience to all that they willremember as long as they live. That experience and its strange series ofadventures will be fully told in "_The Boy Patrol Around the CouncilFire_," the concluding volume of the "Boy Patrol Series."