In due time they arrived at the doctor’s place, where they had to wait half an hour until he came back from his afternoon round. When he arrived and unwound the bandage from the wounded man’s arm and examined what Hugh had done, listening the while to what Mr. Perkins was telling him of his adventure, the doctor turned to Hugh and said to him, with a sparkle in his eyes:
“Let me tell you, my boy, you’ll make the mistake of your life if you choose any other profession than that of surgeon. You’ve got a great future there.”
CHAPTER XI.
THE FIELD TESTS.
On the day of the field tests between the selected members of each patrol among the scouts, there was a large attendance of friends to witness the fun. While every boy and girl in town seemed to have come out to the baseball green, there were also many grown-ups on hand, curious to see what the scouts would do in their ambition to win certain “points.”
Mr. Perkins, the aeronaut, still lingered in town. That his arm was in a sling did not prevent his taking the liveliest kind of interest in the outcome of the prize banner contest. He had made certain that his rescue was known in influential circles, and was quite satisfied that Hugh and his fellows of the Wolf patrol were sure to win the prize, notwithstanding the field tests yet to be tried.
Besides, his interest had been so thoroughly aroused that he was more determined than ever to devote time and attention to scout matters. And with this resolution, where could he find a better field to learn facts than right among those lads with whom he had become acquainted in such a remarkable fashion?
The committee, consisting of several of the ministers and others who had the best interests of the boys at heart, was early on hand to make final arrangements in conjunction with Hugh. It happened, unfortunately, that the regular Scout Master had been called away from town on important business. Hugh had to act in his stead, which made it rather hard for him, as he had his share in the various contests as well.
The program of events covered about all the activities of scouts in general, as practiced in the open.
There were competitions in tent-raising and taking down, with points for rapidity and general cleverness in carrying through this important feature of camping.
Then came the equally interesting water-boiling tests, where the contestants were each supplied with just the same number of good matches, three, in fact, apiece, and at a given signal were supposed to hasten to some point near at hand, where dead wood could be secured under the trees, start a fire, and have a pint of cold water brought to a boil ahead of all the others.