A CALL FOR HELP
Mr. Pender swooped down and seized Paul's hand, which he squeezed so heartily that he almost made the tears come to the boy's eyes.
"That sounds good to me, my boy. Please tell me about it. Where was it at the time? And do you think it can have gone beyond Stanhope? I hope you didn't give the gentleman any idea that you had ever heard a word about him or his car?"
"Oh! I give you my word, sir, that they never dreamed I knew a thing about them. A scout has to learn how to keep his feelings in check, you see, Mr. Pender. I acted just as naturally as Jack did; and he knew nothing."
"Well, tell me about it now, please."
Stopping at the corner, Paul started in to relate all the incidents connected with that meeting on the road. The gentleman hung upon every word. He certainly looked pleased, and Paul realized that he had done something worth while. To his credit be it said that never once had he entertained the thought of receiving any sort of reward for his services.
"All this is of the greatest importance to me, my boy. I am frank to tell you that the successful capture of those two men you have so ably described, thanks to your scout training, will mean much to me. And depend upon it, if success rewards my efforts, I shall certainly remember that you gave me very valuable assistance in the undertaking."
"Then you think I might have a reward, don't you, Mr. Pender?" he said.
"I most positively do, and right now and here I'm willing to promise you—"
"Wait a little, Mr. Pender. There's only one thing you could do to pay me for the little assistance I have been to you. Some time later on, after you get back to Washington, write me a letter on your official paper, stating just what aid the Boy Scouts of the Red Fox patrol were to you in furthering the ends of justice. That's all any of us could accept, sir."
"By Jove! I'm proud to know such boys, and proud to shake hands with the fine scout leader at their head!" exclaimed the Government representative, as he cordially thrust out his digits.
But "once bit, twice shy"; and Paul shook his head as he caressed his fingers.
"Excuse me, won't you, Mr. Pender; but once at a time is enough. I expect to have a lot of use for my right hand to-night, sir," he laughed.
"Oh! pardon me, my dear boy!" cried the other, "I was forgetting that it wasn't the hand of a tiller of the soil I squeezed. I'll be more careful next time. But your news was so unexpected, coming at a moment when I had received some depressing information by mail, that I quite forgot myself. Please continue to keep these facts to yourself for a little while longer, Paul."
"Yes, sir; until you give me leave to speak I won't tell anybody, not even my own folks at home. And if we are so fortunate as to get that letter from you, Stanhope Troop will have a big advantage over other competitors. You know, sir, we are competing for an elegant banner; and the other patrols have been working all summer; so that we've just got to get busy if we hope to have a show in."
"I don't care if they've been going along a year, I'd be willing to wager that Stanhope will win the prize. That shows what faith I put in the leader of the Red Fox patrol. Nothing is going to ever hold you back. I can see the spirit glowing right now in your eyes," and Mr. Pender nodded his head wisely as he said this.
Paul turned red under the praise.
Mr. Pender was apparently anxious to know all he could about the place around the abandoned mill.
"Have you seen this party named Solus Smithers?" he asked, presently, as they walked slowly on in company.
"Yes, sir; several times. He's a very tall and thin man, with a face I never liked. He's driven some of us boys away from the mill pond this last summer. We have always fished there, and nobody ever said a word; but he acted as if he had an idea some of us would steal his old house. He even brought out a gun once, and warned three fellows off. After a while no one cared to go up there. Some of the boys even said they believed the old man was daffy, and that he might shoot if anybody made him real mad."
"Oh! yes; I see; and he didn't want trespassers on his farm, eh? Does the mill pond stand on the ground he's rented?" asked the gentleman.
"Oh! yes, and all the ground around there. It must cover four hundred acres, but most of it is in woodland, you see, sir," replied Paul, promptly.
"Can you tell me what Smithers looks like, Paul?"
"He's very tall, stoops quite a lot, uses snuff like they do down in North Carolina, and has small blue eyes and a queer nose. Some of the boys say it looks as if it had been broken. That man in the red car knew it when Jack called it a hooked nose, sir."
Mr. Pender slapped his thigh as though in great glee.
"Well, this is great luck, sure enough. From your description I believe that I know this Mr. Solus Smithers, though that isn't his name at all. It keeps on getting better and better, the deeper I grub. And if all turns out well, I shall owe you a heavy debt, my dear boy."
"Make it up in that letter then, sir. The stronger the better. And if you happen to need any further assistance don't hesitate to call on us. We've got some dandy trackers in the Red Fox patrol; and it would have to be a pretty smart fellow to pull the wool over their eyes, sir."
"Good for you, Paul," said the gentleman, warmly; "always ready to sound the trumpet for your comrades; but if the truth were told I reckon I'd find the scout leader at the top of the bunch when it came to a knowledge of woodcraft."
"Please don't, sir," pleaded Paul.
"Jack has been confiding to me all about how you've always been deeply interested in outdoor life," went on Mr. Pender; "but as you have told me all you know about this red car that has gone along the Grapevine Road, headed for the old mill pond, I believe I'll have to leave you. Take my hand, won't you, Paul? I promise to be good, and not put on pressure, though my heart is very warm toward you, lad."
So Mr. Pender hurried away.
Paul turned back. He had noticed an air of unusual excitement inside the post-office, and his curiosity was stirred. While Mr. Pender and his strange mission was in the foreground, of course, he had been able to pay little attention to anything else; but now that this was shelved he could not resist the inclination to return, and ask what made the people stand around in knots as though exchanging views.
He discovered Ted Slavin and three of his friends jabbering away just inside the door, and heard one of them exclaim:
"Course we will go along; it'd be a big feather in our cap, fellers, if we'd be the ones to bring him back."
"Yes, send out word for the boys to get together, Ted. We'll show 'em what we fellers that has hunted since we was knee high, know about follerin' a trail!" another remarked.
"Let up, you; d'ye want to give the whole snap away? See who's here!" whispered Ted; but in such a hoarse tone of voice that Paul could not help hearing.
Of course his curiosity was still further aroused. Whatever could have happened in quiet Stanhope, to cause all this gathering of people, and such earnest consultations?
He saw Chief Billings, who was in charge of the police force in the town, leaving the post-office, and noted that a large delegation trailed after him.
Could it be possible that the local authorities had in some manner become aware of the fact that law breakers were abroad in the land? Was Mr. Jared Pender, the Government expert, about to have rivals in the field? When those cronies of Ted spoke of following a trail could they have had any reference to the track of the wonderful red automobile with the khaki-colored top; and occupied by the two parties whom Mr. Pender wished to catch, as he said, "with the goods on?"
Paul hoped not. It would complicate things very much; and in the confusion the rascals might manage to slip away. Paul had known Chief Billings to undertake a clever piece of business before now; but never succeed in accomplishing one.
Some one banged into him as he turned a corner in the building.
"Why, hello! Paul, that you?" said a voice.
It was Si Growdy, who claimed to be a nephew of old Peleg, but who had never been known to be recognized by the crusty old farmer. He clerked in one of the general stores, of which Stanhope boasted several big ones, where everything, from a package of pins to a coffin could be purchased.
"What's all the row about, Si?" demanded the acting scout master, as he seized hold of the clerk, to head him off; for Si seemed to be in a hurry as usual; he worked for a man who was a driver, and had to give an account of every minute of his time.
"Ain't you heard nawthin' about it, Paul? Where you ben all this afternoon?" was the way the clerk answered one question with another.
"Up in the woods with the scouts, doing stunts. But tell me what's gone wrong? Another robbery at the jewelry store; or has some one sneaked away with one of the coffins your house carries?" pursued Paul.
"If anybody ever got off with a pin that didn't belong to 'em at our emporium, the fact ain't never been known. I've seen the boss chargin' customers with the cracker they eat when samplin'. We got orders to make light weight if they buy. But about this rumpus; they's a child lost!" said Si.
"Who's child?" asked Paul, instantly deeply interested.
"Mr. Boggs' little Willie. The Chief was just in to talk with him. He's all broken up over it, because you know, he uses a crutch, and can't help hunt."
Paul knew Mr. Boggs assisted the post-master in his duties; and many a time had Paul chatted with the pretty little chap who played around the building while his father was assorting the incoming mails. Willie Boggs had always been a universal favorite. He was the sweetest child in all Stanhope, and everybody loved him.
Paul was shocked at the news. Still, he hoped it might not be as bad as Si said.
"Where did it happen? How do they know? Who saw little Willie last? What has been done to find him?" he fired at the clerk like the discharge of a Gatling gun.
"Glory! expect me to tell the hull story, with my boss asettin' there inside the store, watchin' the clock, an' dockin' me for every minute I'm late? All right, who cares? And besides, Paul, p'raps that troop of yours might be useful in follerin' the tracks of poor little Willie," Si went on.
"Where, when, how?" demanded the scout master, resolutely.
"This mornin' it happened. Willie went with Annie Spooner to get some leaf mould in the edge of the woods, for her ma's flowers. She came back just at noon an' sed Willie had strayed away in the woods."
"Did anybody go to look for Willie?" asked Paul.
"Three boys went out to bring him in. They hunted high an' low, but he wa'n't there. Then a dozen people set out to search the woods. Just now they come back to say Willie ain't to be found high nor low. That stirs the big chief some. He 'low he knows how the thing's to be did; and so he's agoin' to organize a hunt for the lost child. That's all. Now, let me get back to my slave tasks, Paul."
"And night coming on," murmured Paul, as he looked out of the door to where people were assisting the crippled Mr. Boggs across the square in the direction of his nearby home, where his wife was no doubt waiting eagerly for some news of the missing darling.
Si Growdy shot out of the door, and headed in the direction of the store where he gave his valuable services daily from seven in the morning until late in the evening, for a miserable pittance.
Paul walked thoughtfully out of the post-office. He was tired from his exertions of the afternoon; but all that was immediately forgotten when he mentally pictured the weeping mother in that little cottage where the honeysuckle climbed above the door. Then he thought of the terror of the little fellow, wandering about in the great woods with night coming down, and all sorts of strange noises arising to chill his blood.
"I'll do it!" exclaimed Paul presently; "the chance is too good to be lost. Why let Ted and Ward have the inside track? Just as soon as I can send word around we'll test our new system of bringing a bunch of the Fox scouts together. And then, if the boys are willing, we'll try and discover where Willie Boggs has wandered. It's a glorious opportunity to find out if what we've learned is worth having. Here goes then, to send out the call for help!"