“You’ve heard about it, I see,” the scoutmaster remarked as he surveyed the line of eager, bright-eyed boys before him. “Well, I don’t know that we can employ our time better to-night than in going over the camp proposition thoroughly and finding out what you fellows think of the situation.”
“Is it going to be at–at that place on the ocean, sir?” put in one of the boys.
“Yes; we’ve practically decided to accept Mr. Thornton’s offer. The distance was the only drawback; it’s almost a hundred miles from here, but I think we can get around that. Everything else is ideal. The land is a wooded point of six or seven hundred acres. One side faces the ocean, the other a wide, sheltered bay that runs inland several miles, joining finally with a small river. The whole point is rather high ground, with stretches of sand-dunes on the ocean side, and wooded with scrub-oak and stunted pines. Back of that, the land is mostly covered with second-growth timber, and rises gradually to an elevation called Lost Mine Hill–”
“What’s that, sir?” interrupted Court Parker, eagerly.
The scoutmaster smiled. “At the time of the Revolution there was said to be a copper-mine located thereabouts, the entrance to which has since been lost track of. At least, that’s what one of the old residents told us.”
More than one boy’s eyes sparkled. There was a fascination in the mere name.
“Whether it’s true or not, I have no idea,” continued Mr. Curtis. “To return to the camp. This would be located on the bay side of the point, facing the village, which is over a mile distant and practically the only settlement around. The beach shelves gradually here, making an ideal place for swimming, and there are three or four small islands about a quarter of a mile from shore. The fishing in the bay is fine, and there are lots of crabs and eels in the coves and inlets farther up. We should have to do a lot of clearing out, of course, for the undergrowth is pretty thick, but that would be more fun than otherwise.”
A long, concerted sigh went up from the listening scouts. Ocean and islands and a lost copper-mine seemed too entrancing a combination to be possible. Several boys began to ask questions at once, but stopped at a gesture from Mr. Curtis.
“One at a time, fellows,” he reminded them. “The only practicable way of getting there, Bob, is to hire an auto-truck and motor down to Clam Cove, crossing over in a motor-boat. We haven’t enough tents or equipment to accommodate all the fellows at once, so we’ve decided to divide in two or three relays of say thirty-five boys to a group, each crowd to stay two weeks. The truck could make the trip in seven or eight hours, and by starting early could take one bunch down and bring another back the same day, thus considerably lessening the expense.”
“How much do you think that will be, sir?” asked Dale Tompkins, quickly, an anxious wrinkle in his forehead.