Read Ebook: The Boy Scouts as County Fair Guides by Shaler Robert

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Ebook has 654 lines and 33384 words, and 14 pages

The Boy Scouts as County Fair Guides.

"You know, boys, a whole lot depends on what kind of weather we have during Fair week!"

"How about that, Arthur? You're the weather-wise scout of Oakvale Troop."

"Yes, give us your forecast, Arthur; has the rain let up for keeps?"

"So far as that goes, Alec, I notice in the morning paper it's turned clear all the way from the Rockies east, and that ought to mean a good spell of several days for us."

"Unless one of those howlers comes twisting up the Atlantic coast from the West Indies; you want to remember that the hurricane season isn't quite over yet."

"Nothing of the kind in sight, and I always look up every scrap of weather news in the papers."

"You make me happy when you say that, Arthur, old weather sharp. We get our afternoons off from school while the County Fair is on, because it's such a big thing for Oakvale and vicinity. I'm trying to figure out what I can do to have a cracking good time of it."

"So are we all, Tom, but there's no use trying to hike off somewhere with the whole troop. You can't do much on an afternoon. Why couldn't they have fixed it so we would get free the last half of the week, including Saturday?"

"Tell that to the school directors, Alec. Perhaps they'll take pity on you and change the programme. I doubt it, though. I reckon they want the boys to be around while the Fair is going on."

"I've figured out that my scheme is to hang around the Exhibition and see the a?roplane man do his stunts every afternoon; but I'd rather be in camp any day."

The three boys whose chatter opens this chapter had been tramping along the main road leading into the town of Oakvale, where they all lived. It was on a Saturday afternoon in early fall. That the lads had been spending part of their holiday in fishing was in plain evidence, for besides carrying either bamboo poles or jointed rods, they dangled strings of yellow perch, some of the catch being of extraordinary size.

On their way home the boys had stopped to scan a highly-colored poster on a billboard at the side of the road, where people in the passing trains nearby could also have the benefit of the information thus blazoned forth.

About this time every year the big County Fair was held on the extensive grounds near the thriving town of Oakvale. If wonderful promises meant anything at all the coming exhibition of live stock, farm products, and the like would far surpass anything heretofore attempted.

Besides, there would be racing on the track, amazing feats undertaken by an a?roplane aviator of national renown, balloon ascensions accompanied by parachute drops, "and other attractions too numerous to mention."

Having looked over the poster and commented on its most prominent features, the trio of weary lads again turned their faces toward home, now not half a mile away.

It might be noticed that all of them wore rather faded suits of khaki, showing that they belonged to the local troop of Boy Scouts. In addition to the ordinary badges they also proudly displayed certain merit badges to prove that they had qualified along certain particular lines of scoutcraft.

Another thing that might have been noticed was that Alec, Tom and Arthur all displayed bronze medals, which would tell anyone acquainted with scout customs and laws that these lads had saved human life at some time in their past.

While, after rather an exhausting day, they are trudging slowly toward home with heavy feet, it may be a good time for us to take a glimpse into the past, in order to understand just who the three boys are, and also mention a few important things in connection with the troop to which they belong.

The town of Oakvale lay in the East, and not a great many miles away from the Atlantic Ocean. Those who have read previous volumes in the series know just why scout affairs were booming in the town. The scout master, Lieutenant Denmead, a retired army officer, took the greatest delight in fostering a spirit of manliness among the boys in his charge. His assistant, Hugh Hardin, who was also the leader of the Wolf Patrol, chanced to be a wide-awake chap, and just the kind to push any enterprise along to success.

The troop now consisted of five patrols, and as a rule they were filled to their utmost capacity of eight members each. The Wolf had been first in the field, but as the interest grew and new members joined, there had arisen the Hawk, Otter, Fox and Owl Patrols.

Alec Sands was leader of the Otter, and had at one time been a keen rival of Hugh Hardin; but all hard feelings were eventually buried, and they were warm friends. Arthur Cameron proudly carried the patrol colors of the Wolf; and while interested in wireless telegraphy, weather predictions, and even photography, perhaps his strongest point lay in his surprising skill in amateur surgery and first aid to the injured.

Tom Sherwood was also an Otter, and a husky fellow, fond of water sports, and with a hobby along the lines of surveying work.

It can be readily seen from a casual glance at some of the titles of previous books in the series that the boys of Oakvale Troop had passed through considerable experience well worth while.

Since the opportunity to investigate for themselves is open to all readers who would like to learn more about these interesting phases of their past, there is no necessity for our taking up much space here in mentioning details.

Still, it might not be amiss to say that in the preceding spring, during the time of the heavy rains, Hugh and several others of the troop proved themselves to be of exceedingly great value to the citizens of a town in another part of the State. This was when a disastrous flood threatened the community with destruction, and human lives were placed in deadly peril by the quickly rising water.

On that occasion Hugh had actually saved a boy of the town who would otherwise have been carried down with the bridge. His act had been witnessed by hundreds of people, and is talked about to the present day as a fine example of presence of mind and prompt action.

On account of having thus saved a human life at great risk to himself, Hugh Hardin had received from Headquarters a gold medal, the highest honor that any scout can ever hope to gain. Being a very modest fellow, however, Hugh did not often wear this token of appreciation, though he was proud of it all the same.

It may interest the new reader to know just how Alec, Tom and Arthur came by the bronze medals they wore. During the preceding summer the main part of the troop had gone camping, and it happened that at the time there was a strike of laborers in a large cement works not far distant. When the company imported strike-breakers, and employed guards to protect the property, the foreign strikers grew furious.

So it came about that there was a serious riot during which many of the ignorant strikers were shot. It might have been called a one-sided battle, for a dozen men, and some women as well, were more or less seriously injured.

In this terrible crisis Hugh Hardin and some of his scouts came on the scene. With the usual promptness that characterized his actions, Hugh had started a temporary field hospital. Having learned the first principles of caring for gunshot wounds he and Arthur, assisted by others of the troop, managed to stop the flow of blood in such a way that when the Red Cross surgeon and nurses reached the scene later on, they declared that the work of the scouts merited the highest praise. Indeed, they went even further, and said that were it not for the prompt aid afforded by the young surgeons one or more lives might have been lost.

And since those wise gentlemen at the head of the great movement for the uplift of boys are always quick to recognize real merit, a bronze medal had soon come to every member of Oakvale Troop who had been instrumental in the work of that field hospital.

Since that time things had gone as usual. Some of the boys had gone on summer vacations. Those who remained at home fished, went swimming, played baseball, tennis, and even camped for a week.

Then school had brought back the absent ones, and once more scout affairs began to pick up. Thanksgiving would be the next little breathing spell. At present, the School Board had decided that during the time of the County Fair there was to be only a morning session for all the scholars. Of course, this was intended as a means for letting them attend the Exhibition, and acquiring more or less knowledge along many lines; for Oakvale was proud of having been chosen as the regular site for this yearly Fair.

"I want to tell you that I'm not sorry to be so near home," Tom Sherwood observed, after they had arrived at the border of the town, where the break-up of the little fishing party would take place.

"But we haven't been wasting our day, understand," added Alec, as he held up his fine string of perch and noticed that one of them still showed signs of life, in spite of the fact that they had tried to knock each captive on the head when taken so as to avoid needless suffering, as every true scout should do.

"Who's that hurrying this way, and waving his hat?" demanded Arthur. "Looks like Billy Worth--yes, there isn't another fellow in the troop with his width."

"And his capacity for making away with the grub when in camp, you want to add," laughed Tom. "But he certainly looks excited, fellows. Listen to him giving the Wolf call, will you? I wonder if anything can have happened here in town since we started fishing this morning?"

The very idea quickened their footsteps, and in another minute they were joined by the stout lad with the jolly face, who was one of the original members of Oakvale Troop, as well as a staunch supporter and admirer of his patrol leader, Hugh Hardin.

"Billy the Wolf," as Billy Worth was sometimes called, seemed to have been running, for he was a little short of breath.

"What's all this mean, Billy?" asked Alec, with something of his old imperiousness, for once upon a time Alec had been of a domineering nature. "Tell us why you're stopping us on the highway like this? Has there been a fire? Is the school burned to the ground? Anybody sick, a runaway happened, a child lost in the woods and the scouts needed to find it? Speak up, can't you? and relieve this fierce strain."

"Why, it's this way, fellows," said Billy, between gulps, "the Fair management has asked the Oakvale Scouts to pitch a tent on the grounds, show people how they live in camp, act as guides to strangers in town, meet trains at the station, set up an emergency cot in another tent where first aid to the injured can be found, and--and, pretty much run the whole business this year! What d'ye think of that now for a big honor to Oakvale Troop?"

There was a brief interval after Billy had blurted out this astonishing news. The other three scouts stared at one another as though they could hardly grasp the full significance of the information.

Then, as if a signal had been given, every one of them dropped his fishpole and string of finny trophies, snatched off his hat, and, waving it above his head, let out a series of cheers.

A mule that had been feeding in a lot near by kicked up his heels and started galloping wildly about his enclosure, doubtless under the impression that war had been declared, and the initial battle begun. A stray cur, in the act of skulking past, sped furiously down the road, evidently believing that it could almost hear the clatter of a tin can tied to its tail, though of course, scouts are never guilty of such a cruel proceeding.

"That's great news you've given us, Billy!" declared Alec. "I can see that the good people of our home town pin a lot of faith in Oakvale Troop of Boy Scouts."

"Well, they ought to," said Billy promptly. "We've certainly been a credit to the community,--excuse my blushes, boys. But our record speaks for itself, you know."

"Yes," added Tom Sherwood, "and only for the scouts, Oakvale to-day would be the same dirty little old town it used to be, with waste paper blowing all around, and nobody taking any pride in keeping things spic and span. The women all said they had tried to clean up and failed; but when our troop offered to lend a helping hand the improvement was effected."

"It's too near supper time to do much talking about the wonderful news you've brought us, Billy," said Arthur. "I suppose it'll be the main line of topic of discussion at the regular weekly meeting to-night."

"Yes," said Billy, "and Hugh means to 'phone every member he can reach, so there'll be a heavy attendance. The Fair begins on Wednesday, you remember, and we ought to know just what we expect to do along a dozen lines."

"It strikes me as an elegant thing," asserted Alec.

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