Read Ebook: The Boy Scouts for City Improvement by Shaler Robert

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Ebook has 480 lines and 30704 words, and 10 pages

From the boys around the corner a series of loud jeers broke forth. They even began to throw stones and such things toward the two scouts, as though resenting this interference with their "fun."

Billy, although a scout, could get angry at times, and he was apt to forget some of the rules to which he had agreed to conform at the time he joined the patrol.

"For two cents," he said angrily, when a stone bounded up and struck him on the shin, "I'd be willing to go back there and offer to lick the coward who threw that rock."

"I don't believe that would mend matters any," Hugh remarked, as he picked up the rusty old tin pan and tossed it carefully into one of the scrap cans that happened to stand close by. "There are three of them there besides Lige, and we'd only get into a fuss that might reflect on the scouts. We're in uniform, remember. Let it pass; you can afford to. The dog thanks you anyhow; just see him frisk about as though he might be trying to jump out of his skin with gratitude for a kind act and a pleasant word. It would be hard to chase him away from you now, Billy. What'll you call him--Bruno, as your other dog was named?"

"Well, that would hardly do for such a shrimp. Frisk sounds better to me. Hey, how do you like that for a name, eh, Frisk?" And he snapped his fingers at the little animal that was leaping at his side and barking joyously, something perhaps that he had seldom dared to do for fear of attracting attention and having a brick shied at him for his temerity.

"Looks to me as if any name would answer with him, if only there was a square meal tagged on at the end of it," laughed Hugh. "His sides seem to be caving in. I guess he hasn't found very fat pickings lately in skirmishing around town, though you'd think differently from the trash that's lying everywhere."

"Here's our butcher's place, so wait for me a minute while I beg some scraps of meat for my new dog. I'd like to let him know he's met a real friend at last. Look at his eyes, will you, Hugh? Did you ever see such an appealing pair in any common dog? I'm glad I ran across Frisk, for I'm going to like him first rate."

"The affection is mutual, then," said Hugh, as Billy darted past the screen door of the butcher shop, and the cur, as though divining what was in the wind, sniffed at the barrier, whimpered, and wagged his tail expectantly while waiting for his new master to appear again.

When Billy came forth he had a paper in his hand, from which he took some scraps of meat and held them for the dog to jump after. It was comical to see the antics of the little animal. He tried to wag his tail so furiously between leaps that it almost seemed as though he must shake it off.

"Did you notice how most of the men who watched the circus when that tin pan was rattling and the dog yelping like a crazy thing, only laughed as if they thought it a good joke?" Hugh asked, as they walked along the street heading for the home of Billy.

"Yes, and I guess that's about the way it used to be when they were boys," replied the other reflectively. "They didn't have the scouts in those days to show boys how to have oceans of good times without being mean and cruel. Times have changed some, I reckon, Hugh, since our fathers were young. That's what my dad declares when he hears of something we've been and done. And say, I rather think he believes boys have got a better chance to do things to-day than they used to."

"But did you see a single woman or girl laughing?" continued Hugh. "Every one I noticed seemed to be shocked and pained, and I heard several crying 'Shame,'--just as though that would make any difference with such boys as Lige Corbley and his gang!"

"Well, now that you mention it, I did notice Susie Collins and Mazie Tucker talking to that bunch of sneaks near the corner, and I guess they must have been telling 'em what a low opinion they had of boys that could treat a poor dog as they were doing. Girls aren't ever up to the same tricks as boys, and they don't like the same things. They don't see any fun in going fishing or hunting. And I reckon it's as it should be, because we don't like lots of things they dote on. The men thought it was a good joke. Not a single one but the minister called out, 'Shame,' did they, Hugh?"

"Not that you could notice," Hugh answered. "And if you stop to think about it, Billy, perhaps we would have laughed, too, if this had happened before we joined the scouts. Things look different to a boy after he has had his eyes opened, in a good many ways."

"Now that's where you hit me hard, Hugh," admitted the other, reddening. "I can look back to more than one time when I helped tie a tin can to a dog's tail and then started him scooting through the streets like a comet by shying stones after him. But never again, and you hear me say it! After looking into the eyes of little Frisk here, I feel ashamed to remember some things I've been guilty of doing in the past. I only hope that bunch of boys will come to their senses some fine day, too. They don't know what they're missing, that's all."

Hugh looked thoughtful.

"I only wish we could think up some way to get Lige interested in scout business, but he makes all manner of fun of us now and never lets a chance slip past to shout after a boy he sees dressed in khaki. There have been three fights already on that account, and I've had to warn all the fellows to keep on their guard so as to give him as little cause for blustering as possible. Of course when they're actually set on and attacked, they've got to defend themselves. If this thing keeps up much longer, Lieutenant Denmead promised to see the mayor himself and enter a formal complaint, telling him that it has to be stopped if it takes all the police force in town to tame the Corbley gang."

They were now at Billy's home.

"Wonder if I ought to tie Frisk to the kennel?" the yellow dog's new master was saying as Hugh started away.

"No use," laughed the other. "Why, you couldn't drive that dog away from here after you've put the rest of that meat by his kennel. He'll make himself at home and stay around for keeps. Look at him jumping, Billy! I really believe he knows what we're talking about. See him go into the kennel, sniffing around as if he just understood it was going to belong to him, big as it is! He's a fixture here from now on, let me tell you. So-long, Billy. See you at the meeting to-night, sure?"

"I should say yes, Hugh," came the quick reply. "I just seem to feel that there are going to be big things happening in this little city of ours before many days, and that the scouts are going to have a hand in the pie. I'll call up a lot of the boys on the 'phone and tell them to be on deck, because you've got a scheme to offer that's bound to make the old town sit up and take notice. That'll get them wild to hear what it is, and we'll have a full house."

"And I'm going to think it all over and then see what some of the ladies have to say about our taking the job on our hands; but I'll be able to tell you more about it to-night, so good-bye till then." And Hugh went off with his customary snappy stride.

"Hello, there, Hugh! Where away in such a rush?"

It was some two hours later, when the assistant scout master, mounted on his bicycle and spinning along the road, heard a voice hail him after this manner. As he slowed up, another boy, a bright-faced, wide-awake fellow of about his own age, came speeding out of a side road and drew alongside.

This was no other than Alec Sands, who had for a long time past been Hugh's most zealous rival and the cause of many tempestuous scenes in the troop. All this was changed now, and the boys seemed to have become very good friends. As to how this came about, certain incidents recorded in previous stories of the series would doubtless explain to the reader.

"Why, I'm bound on an errand out to Farmer Doolittle's place," said Hugh; "and if you haven't anything better to take up your time, I'll invite you to go along, Alec. I've hit on a scheme that I'm expecting to propose to the boys at the meeting to-night, and I'd like to have your opinion about it."

"I'll be only too glad to give you that, if it's worth anything," replied Alec; "but before you say a single word, I want to tell you that I'm in favor of anything you hatch up. I never knew a fellow who could plan like you do, Hugh. If I have to play second fiddle to anybody, I'm glad it's you. Now hit up the pace and tell me what you've got on deck."

Accordingly, Hugh explained in as few words as possible. As we are already well acquainted with the whole proposition, it will be quite unnecessary for us to go into details again. Hugh started with the talk that he and Billy had had while resting in the welcome shade of the big oak, and then described the wild commotion that accompanied the appearance of the wretched cur with that unwieldy tin pan fastened to its poor tail.

"I'm glad Billy adopted the little kiyi," declared Alec, as the story was concluded; "but about this scheme for cleaning up the town, I'm wondering whether it can be done."

"Why not?" demanded Hugh, anxious to ascertain whether the same difficulties would occur to Alec that he had mentioned to the other comrade.

"Oh! well, lots of things would bother us like as not," answered Alec. "First place, perhaps the mayor and the city council mightn't exactly like to see it done. It would sort of put them to shame, you know, because their consciences must convince them that they haven't been faithful to their duties."

"Sounds good to me the more you tell about it, Hugh; and no matter what sort of trouble we meet, you can count on my standing back of you to the end. If the scouts can't clean up the town and help make it look like a place people will be proud to claim as home, then it's a hopeless case, that's all I've got to say about it."

"When nearly two score lively scouts get busy, there's going to be something doing, believe me," commented Hugh, who had seen the troop in action many times in the past and hence knew what the various patrols were capable of accomplishing. "And I'm glad to know that you take so kindly to my scheme in the start. It's going to pull stronger the more you think it over. Billy's telling all the boys over the 'phone to bring bags along with them to-night. You see he believes in rushing things. And so I'm figuring on commencing operations right away, if a majority are in favor of tackling the big job."

"I'll fetch a broom and you can bring a shovel; whatever we start to do, we may need something like that, Hugh," observed the practical Alec, becoming, just as the other had expected, more interested in the scheme the further he went.

"Listen! Wasn't that a shout just then?" exclaimed Hugh, turning his head as he slackened his pace by means of the pedal brake.

"Seemed to come from over in that clump of trees, too," observed Alec, almost immediately adding: "Look at all that smoke rising up, Hugh! I honestly believe a house or barn must be on fire."

"Come on, let's head that way," said Hugh quickly. "Here's a road to get in, and it must lead straight there." While saying this, he threw himself off his wheel to open a gate that stood in their way.

Together the two scouts pedaled along the wagon road that led from the main highway toward the clump of trees, back of which doubtless lay the house and barn connected with the farm.

"It's the Ketchem place," said Alec. "You know the family is related to that good-for-nothing Lige Corbley you were just talking about. Queer how things happen, isn't it? You never speak of an angel but you hear the quiver of wings; though I reckon Lige is far from being that kind of a fellow. Hugh, it is a house afire! Hurry, and let's help put the blaze out. There are only a widow and her three children living here. She runs the farm since her husband died last year."

Both boys strained themselves to the utmost to reach the scene of the excitement as speedily as possible. They could see a woman carrying two buckets of water, and several children running back and forth, while the smoke continued to ooze from the doors and windows of the farmhouse.

"But that was a man who shouted for us to come," declared Alec. "Do you see him anywhere around, Hugh?"

"Somebody's up on the roof with a bucket of water," replied the other scout. "He has a ladder placed against the side of the house. Well, would you believe it, Alec, it must be the very boy we were talking about? I saw him look this way when he waved his hand just then, and it was surely Lige Corbley."

"Well, for once, then, we'll have to give him a helping hand. This isn't a time to stand back for fear of getting contaminated. Come on, Hugh, let's find some buckets. We've just got to get this fire under control!"

Letting their wheels lie where they had dropped, the boys hurried forward to the place where the almost distracted widow was standing. Hugh took the empty buckets from her hand, and Alec, spying several tin milk pails sunning on a picket fence near by, hastened to help himself to a couple.

"To the well, and fill up!" he shouted, at the same time dashing off at full speed.

The boy on the roof came down hastily, as though he realized that this additional force might mean another method of attacking the fire.

"It's in the kitchen," he said. "I poured three buckets down around the chimney because I reckoned it must have caught from a defective flue. But a lot of rags and things are blazing inside and making all this smoke now. Bring on the water, boys, and we'll knock the stuffing out of the old fire. Whoop!"

All of them were kept very busy for some ten minutes. The fire had managed to get such a good start that it was only with difficulty subdued; but as bucket after bucket of water from the well was poured around the kitchen, by degrees it lost its grip; and in the end there was not a live spark to be found.

"That settles it!" exclaimed Alec, almost out of breath with his recent exertions.

The widow was shaking Hugh's hand and thanking him with tears in her eyes for the part he had taken in the saving of her home. Then she came over to Alec and repeated her words of gratitude. The children only laughed, as though they thought it more or less of a show gotten up for their especial benefit, for they were too young to realize the horrors of fire.

Hugh glanced out of the tail of his eye toward the stout boy who had enjoyed of late the unenviable reputation of being the terror of the town. He wondered what Lige Corbley thought of scouts now, after seeing that they could meet an emergency like this without hesitation.

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