Tom suddenly clutched his friend’s hand and squeezed it convulsively.
“Oh, thank you, Hugh, thank you ever so much!” he went on to say, trying to restrain his emotion. “I’ve got such confidence in your way of doing things that somehow I seem to believe it’s just bound to come out all right, now that you’re going to go up against the evil influence of that Park Norris. Benjy will give in if he’s approached in the right spirit, and nobody knows how better to do that than you.”
“Try and keep on feeling that way, Tom,” advised the other, as his visitor picked up his hat preparatory to leaving. “Above all things don’t let Benjy see that you suspect him. Be particularly kind to him. Every time you do things for him it’s going to be a fresh stab at his conscience, you know. In the end it’ll make my job the easier. That’s all there is to do. Leave the rest to me, Tom.”
And the look of brimming gratitude which Tom Sherwood gave his chum spoke more eloquently than any words he could have uttered would have done. When he went forth again into the night air his brain was calmed by the thought that Hugh had again promised to help him; and past experiences and observation told Tom that the young scout master nearly always did everything he attempted.
Hugh, on his part, had hard work keeping his mind on his studies the rest of the evening.
CHAPTER VII.
HOW THE “UPLIFT” WORKED.
As the days went by, every one became convinced that a great change, and for the better, had come upon Oakvale. The scouts had entered upon their share in the uplift with boyish enthusiasm. They had already, most of them, seen service along somewhat similar lines, and felt as though they were veterans. Besides, they were constantly encouraged by the kind words and praise of the women whose weighty influence was back of the movement to encourage everything that was for the betterment of conditions in and around Oakvale, so as to make it a model town for clean living.
There were mistakes, plenty of them, but the scouts learned from experience, and it might be noticed that the same fellow seldom if ever committed the same blunder.
As the days went by, they became more and more proficient in their tasks, earning hearty praise from all those who were so deeply interested in the work. After a few drivers and chauffeurs had been fined, and some of them locked up for a spell, they began to realize that the scouts were not to be reckoned with as a big joke. When a boy, in the now respected khaki, standing in the middle of the street at that dangerous crossing, held up his white-gloved hand, traffic came to a sudden stop, and there was safe passage across for the groups of small children on the way to and from school.
It only delayed things for a minute at the most, but precious young lives were rendered safe from accident. Those boys who were given this privilege in regular rotation showed by their manner that they felt proud to fulfill their duties; nor did they in any instance abuse the privilege their badges gave them above their fellows.