The Campers Out; Or, The Right Path and the Wrong

THE NEXT MOMENT SOME ONE WAS SEEN HOLDING A LAMP IN HIS HAND
THE CAMPERS OUT OR THE RIGHT PATH AND THE WRONG BY EDWARD S. ELLIS, A. M. Author of “True to His Trust,” “Among the Esquimaux,” etc. THE PENN PUBLISHING COMPANY PHILADELPHIA MDCCCXCVIII
Copyright 1893
by The Penn Publishing Company
CONTENTS
Jim McGovern was poring over his lesson one afternoon in the Ashton public school, perplexed by the thought that unless he mastered the problem on which he was engaged he would be kept after the dismissal of the rest, when he was startled by the fall of a twisted piece of paper on his slate.
He looked around to learn its starting point, when he observed Tom Wagstaff, who was seated on the other side of the room, peeping over the top of his book at him. Tom gave a wink which said plainly enough that it was he who had flipped the message so dexterously across the intervening space.
Jim next glanced at the teacher, who was busy with a small girl that had gone to his desk for help in her lessons. The coast being clear, so to speak, he unfolded the paper and read:
“Meat Bill Waylett and me after scool at the cross roads, for the bizness is of the utmoast importants dont fale to be there for the iurn is hot and we must strike be4 it gits cool. Tom.”
The meaning of this note, despite its Volapük construction, was clear, and Jim felt that he must be on hand at all hazards.
So the urchin applied himself with renewed vigor to his task, and, mastering it, found himself among the happy majority that were allowed to leave school at the hour of dismissal. A complication, however, arose from the fact that the writer of the note was one of those who failed with his lesson, and was obliged to stay with a half-dozen others until he recited it correctly.
Thus it happened that Jim McGovern and Billy Waylett, after sauntering to the crossroads, which had been named as the rendezvous, and waiting until the rest of the pupils appeared, found themselves without their leader.