The Boy Scouts in A Trapper's Camp

by Thornton W. Burgess

  CHAPTER II

  PAT SEES WHITE MAGIC

  Mindful of the lasting effect of first impressions Hal had contrived togive Pat no opportunity to get more than a fleeting glimpse of crowdedstreets and glaring lights. He had met Pat at the train, which had notarrived until the early winter evening had set in, hurried him to a bigtouring car with curtains drawn and then whirled him away to thepalatial Harrison home on Riverside Drive without giving him a chance tosense more than a glare of lights and that confusion of sounds whichconstitutes the voice of a great city. The same car had brought them toWalter's modest home. While they had been making their brief call therethe chauffeur, under Hal's orders, had put back the top of the machine,so that as they descended the steps Pat did not recognize the car atall. In fact, until that day Pat had never so much as seen a motor car,a buck-board being the most stylish equipage of which Upper Chain couldboast.

  "Arrah, 'tis black magic!" exclaimed Pat as he settled himselfcomfortably between Hal and Walter in the tonneau, convinced at lastthat he was really in the same car which had brought him there.

  "And we're going to show you some white magic," cried Hal, as he leanedforward to give orders to the chauffeur.

  A quick run through side streets, comparatively deserted at this hour,brought them to Broadway at the junction with Sixth Avenue. Turningnorth the dazzling splendor of the "Great White Way" burst upon thestartled eyes of the young woodsman. His companions heard him catch hisbreath with a little gasp. Then he closed his eyes for the space of afew seconds, opening them slowly as if he suspected them of playing himtricks. An instant later he seized a leg of each of his companions justabove the knee with a grip that brought both half-way to their feet witha little yell of surprised protest.

  "'Tis true, then, and no drame," said he as he settled back with alittle sigh of relief. "Sure and had I pinched mesilf I would not havebelieved me own sinse av feeling. White magic, did yez call ut? Sure'tis the city av enchantment."

  It was a rare bit of thoughtfulness on Hal's part to give Pat such anintroduction to America's greatest city. Whatever the disillusionment inthe garish light of day he would always think of New York as he saw itfor the first time--a fairy city of twinkling lights, the street crowdedwith pleasure seekers, the great buildings towering into the sky withall harsh and rigid lines softened by the protecting shadows, and aboveall the moving pictures in many colored lights of the advertising signs.These were indeed a revelation to the young woodsman, and he was soonoblivious to all else. The usual ready tongue was silent. Only once didhe speak after the first outbreak and this was when the car was stalledfor a few minutes where he had a full view of the famous chariot racefrom Ben Hur. As he saw that wonderful picture leap out of the darknessbetween two flaming torches, the driver leaning from his chariot andshaking the lines above the four galloping horses, Pat leaned forwardwith tense, eager face. Then the picture disappeared and he dropped backwith a little sigh.

  "I knew ut was not true," he murmured half to himself, staring at theblank space between the lighted pillars. A second later the pictureagain flashed out of the darkness and the young Irishman relapsed into asilence that was not broken until, having gone up one side and down theother of the Great White Way, Hal proposed they spend the remainder ofthe evening at a theater. But this Pat vetoed and he did it so tactfullyas to remove all possible sense of disappointment which Hal might havefelt.

  "Ye may fill a cup no more than full," said he, "and one drap more wouldbe making the cup av me joy run over. 'Tis poor shcoutcraft to bewasteful even av pleasure, and by the same token the Scout thot tries tosee everything at wance remimbers nothing. I have seen the white magic,and thot be enough for wan noight. Tis just the two faces av yez I wouldbe seein' now, and hearing the voices av yez to remoind me thot I bestill Pat Malone av the North Woods."

  "We'll go back to my house and spend the rest of the time in my den withthe pictures and other things to help make us think we are back in thewoods," declared Walter. "I'm crazy to know about this scheme youfellows have cooked up for the vacation, and all the news from thewoods. What do you say?"

  "Suits me to a dot," replied Hal promptly. "I'd rather have a good oldgabfest than see the best show in the city, and if Pat feels that waytoo it's all settled."

  Fifteen minutes later the three boys were lounging comfortably inUpton's den and Pat was undergoing a regular bombardment of questions.

  "How's Doctor Merriam?" demanded Walter.

  "The Big Chief is just as fine and a little finer than ever," repliedPat, dropping his brogue. "He's one grand man. There's none granderblesses the earth with the touch of his feet. I've been living with himat Woodcraft ever since you fellows left, except for a week or two at atime on the trap line, and if ever I amount to anything it will bebecause of Doctor Merriam. 'Tis he that has taken the Irish from mytongue, though not from the heart of me. Shure I be as good an Irishmanas iver, and the Saints defind me if I iver be anything else," he added,with a twinkle at this lapse into his mother tongue.

  "You're a wonder, Pat!" broke in Walter. "I wouldn't have believed thateven Doctor Merriam could have taken that burr off your tongue. What didhe do it with--a file? Gives me a funny feeling, as if you were not youat all, every time I hear you speak without it. Feel sort of--well, youknow--like an old friend had disappeared. And--and--I don't think Iquite like it."

  Pat's face suddenly sobered and rising to his feet he strode over towhere Upton sat tilted back in his chair, his feet on the desk, andswung a big fist, hard as nails, perilously close to Upton's nose. "Takeut back, ye little spalpeen," he commanded. "Take ut back and tell me yeloike me betther for what I am than for what I was!"

  Walter ducked in mock fear. The sudden move threw him off balance, andwith a crash he and the chair went over backward. One of Pat's bighands clutched him by the collar and lifted him to his feet. Anexaggerated sigh from the young giant followed. "I don't know but thatye be roight afther all," he said mournfully. "The first toime we met yegave me the best thrashing av me loife and I loved ye for ut. Now I havebut to shake me fist to put ye down for the count. Shure 'tis not I thatwas, and yet if I be not I that was, who be I that I be?" The humorousblue eyes grew tense and earnest. There was a new note in the deepvibrant voice as he continued.

  "I am still Pat Malone, and proud of it. If I am not the old Pat I amproud of that too. And what I am to-day is due to Walt Upton, DoctorMerriam and the Boy Scouts of America. It was Walt who first blazed thetrail for me. It is Doctor Merriam who is teaching me how to follow it,and it is the principles of the Boy Scouts which have brought outwhatever of good there is in me. I tell you, fellows, if there is anyone thing that I am proud of it is that I am a Scout."

  "Same here," interrupted Hal. "Scouting hasn't done any more for youthan it has for me."

  "You fellows are surprised because I can speak the King's Englishwithout wholly murdering it, as I used to, and as I have a sneaking ideayou liked to hear me," continued Pat. "Let me tell you it has cost mesomething. I've talked to the trees all day long when I've been alone onthe trap line--just practicing, and even now it's easier to slip intothe old way than to stick to the new. Don't for a minute think that I amashamed of the old. I love it, and I always will. But I've begun tounderstand what education means, and this is the first step. It isn'teasy. Don't think it. I have to keep guard on this slippery tongue everyminute. I believe it's harder than it would be to learn a foreignlanguage. It's up to you fellows to help me while I am here. I've usedthe old brogue to-night because I knew you liked to hear it, but I'm notgoing to any more unless it slips out when I am excited or my feelingsget the best of me. Now this is enough about myself. What are the plansfor the rest of my stay here?"

  "Hold on," protested Upton. "You haven't told us a thing about thewoods or what luck you've had trapping, or what has become of AlecSmith, or what we are going to do if we go up there, or who your partneris. Now fire away and we'll make plans afterward. What are the woodslike now?"

  "Two fe
et of snow and ten below zero when I left, and the beauty of themis not for the tongue to tell, but for eyes to see. It's even whitermagic than you have shown me this night, and I am not going to spoil itby trying to tell what it is like," replied Pat.

  "And the trapping?"

  "Fair to good."

  "Who's your partner? You haven't said a word about him."

  "An old woodsman and trapper I scraped acquaintance with. He's a littlerough, but when you get to know him I think you'll like him." There wasa twinkle in Pat's eyes which neither Hal nor Walter caught.

  "Now tell us about Alec Smith, and we'll let you off. How is that brokenleg, and what is he doing? Say, he must have felt good when BlackCharley confessed to having knifed The Mick! Looked pretty bad for Alecfor a while, didn't it? Is he living up to all those good resolutions hemade?"

  "You bet he is!" Pat answered the last question first. "After Big Jimand I got him out to Woodcraft Camp he stayed there doing odd jobsaround the camp until that leg was strong enough for him to go into alumber camp as cook. He was there a month and then quit for the trapline. The last I heard of him he was somewhere up in the Smugglers'Hollow country, and I guess probably he's there yet. You remember he hadsome traps cached up there. Leg's as good as it ever was, and he swears,and believes it too, that Walt here is the greatest little doctor thatever came into the woods. He'll talk any one who will listen deaf, dumband blind on the Boy Scouts, and I believe he'd cut his right hand offany time for Doctor Merriam. Alec's all right."

  "And Big Jim! What's Jim doing and how is he?"

  "He's the same old Jim. He's the boss of the Atwater lumber camp thiswinter, with two crews under him and out to make a record cut. If theweather holds good he'll come pretty near to doing it. Jim's the bestlogging boss, as well as the best guide, in the North Woods. Now whatare you fellows going to do with me in Noo Yor-r-k?"

  "That's mostly up to Hal, I'm afraid," replied Upton ruefully. "You seeI have to go to school next week. To-morrow is Saturday, and a holidayof course, so I've got that free. No, I haven't either, come to think! Ipromised to take my patrol out for a hike to-morrow afternoon, and Idon't quite see how I can avoid it now because there is no way ofgetting word to the fellows unless----" He paused and scowledthoughtfully. "I have it!" he exclaimed. "Scout McNulty has a 'phone inhis house, and I'll send him around to notify the others to-morrowmorning that the hike is off."

  He jumped to his feet to go to the 'phone, but Pat stopped him. "What'sthe matter with us going on that hike?" he demanded.

  Instantly Walter's face lighted with pleasure. "Will you? Are you sureyou want to?" he cried. "The boys have heard so much about you that theywill be tickled silly to have a real, live, sure enough guide from thewoods with them. We were planning to go out to Bronx Park and try alittle winter woodcraft and----"

  "That settles it. If it's Bronx Park I'm right with you, my son, unlessHal has something else planned," interrupted Pat. "In that case, why, Ibe in the hands av me frind, of course."

  "Suits me," declared Hal promptly. "We'll take Pat down-town in themorning and show him the sights and take him into Scout headquarters.Then we'll go out to the park and show him that your Blue Tortoises arenot so slow as he may think from the name. We'll frame up something elsefor the evening. That's a bully scheme. I'll bet that Pat will bejealous of that patrol of yours, Walt, before we get through. Just youput 'em on their mettle and give him something to tell that patrol ofhis at Upper Chain about. I suppose you're still leader of the BullMoose, Pat?"

  Pat shook his head. "Yes and no," said he. "You see I've been away somuch that I had to resign. A patrol to be what it should be needs aleader on the job every minute, and so one of the boys at the sawmill isleader now, and he's a good one, too. He's a Scout of the first classand is working for merit badges now. He's got five already--personalhealth, physical development, taxidermy, signaling and stalking--and haswon a medal for saving life. When I happen to be at home I just givethem my valuable advice." Pat grinned.

  "Oh, we've got some little patrol up there in the woods, and I'm justwaiting to be shown what your city Scouts have got on us," he concluded.

  "That takes care of to-morrow, then," said Hal. "We'll plan doings nextweek so that Walt can be with us out of school hours. Then Friday nightwe'll head for the good old woods. My, but that does sound good to me!Ten days up among the big trees, where there's snow enough to make afootprint without having to photograph it in order to prove it isn't afake; where the foxes and the other critters with nice fur coats aresitting 'round waiting to put their little footsies in our traps; where

  "The Red Gods dwell Neath a mystic spell; The red flame glows, And the red blood flows, And a man's a man For a little span."

  A sofa pillow full in the face cut short this poetic outbreak, followedby an inquiry from Pat as to Hal's experience on snow-shoes.

  "Never had 'em on in my life, but I'm crazy to," replied that exuberantyouth. "Bought a pair yesterday purpose for the trip. Don't look to meas if it can be much of a trick to walk on 'em."

  "Did you buy any liniment to go with them?" asked Pat.

  Hal looked puzzled. "Liniment? What for?" he demanded.

  "Oh, just to be prepared. You know a good Scout always is prepared,"replied Pat evasively, at the same time tipping Walter a wink.

  "Meaning what?" persisted Hal.

  "It's a long, long way to Tipperary, especially on snow-shoes," wasPat's enigmatic reply. "I'd lay in a good supply of that liniment if Iwere you."

  Hal made a wry face at Pat. "Quit your kidding," said he. "We'll take agallon of liniment if you say so. Now tell us what else we'll need. Dowe take guns?"

  Pat shook his head. Then seeing a look of disappointment in both faceshe hastened to say that the closed season was now on for all gameexcepting rabbits and hares, and if they wanted to hunt these they mighttake their 22 caliber rifles. In fact he wasn't sure but this would be agood idea, as bunnies were plentiful and hunting them on snow-shoesmight afford some excellent sport.

  "What about fish? Will there be a chance to do some fishing through theice?" asked Hal.

  Pat smiled at Hal's eagerness. "There are just as big pickerel under theice as ever swam," he averred, "and if you are willing to do some realwork and chop out holes I think I can promise you some whales withoutthe trouble of swimming for them."

  There was a general laugh at this thrust at Hal, whose adventure with abig pickerel, during which he and Plympton had been capsized from araft, was one of the never-to-be-forgotten incidents of the search forLost Trail.

  "But you haven't told us yet just where we are going, where your campis, you know," Walter broke in.

  Just then the honk, honk of an automobile sounded from the front of thehouse.

  "There's the car!" cried Hal. "We'll have to be getting a move on, orPat will lose his beauty sleep and be in no shape for to-morrow. We'llbe round at 9:30 sharp in the morning, Walter. I don't want to get Patup too early."

  "Early!" Pat fairly snorted. "Arrah now! Do yez play all night and slapeall day in Noo Yor-r-k?" he demanded.