Before Hugh and Ralph left the parsonage to hurry home to supper they had heard the whole thing thrashed out, and even found their opinions asked by the trio of deeply interested gentlemen.
A plan was fairly well arranged that would serve as a trap, for from what Ralph had caught, the conspirators would not be in position to attempt the daring robbery until then. In fact, as Ralph very well understood, it was actually Hugh who proposed the idea upon which the minister, Doctor Kane and the mayor finally settled as promising the best results. But then Ralph saw nothing strange about that, for as a member of the scouts he was accustomed to have Hugh Hardin naturally take the lead in almost everything.
Ralph was greatly pleased. He considered, and rightly, too, Hugh told him, that once again his knowledge of woodcraft and the Indian art of creeping up close to an enemy’s camp had proved of value to the cause he represented. Many fellows similarly situated, even if they had thought to make the attempt, might have bungled, and only brought down some sort of chastisement on their own heads for their temerity.
It was to remain a dead secret; even the rest of the scouts would not be told why Hugh ordered them to be at their place of meeting on the following night, prepared to have a number of the stoutest and most adept chosen for a special mission.
The mayor promised to see Chief Wallis on the following morning and get him interested in the matter, so that he and several of his men could have a hand in trapping the thieves. Just as likely as not these men would be in a desperate mood, and liable to show fight when they realized how completely the tables had been turned upon them. Hence it was deemed wise to have some of the regulars on the police force handy in order to assist the scouts make the arrests.
No doubt the home folks at the Hardin and Kenyon domiciles must have thought the boys were unusually serious all that evening, perhaps absent-minded, for often they would start when spoken to suddenly, as though wrapped up in some far-away subject.
However, as it was known that their hearts were concerned in the successful carrying out of the cleaning up of Oakvale, allowances were made for them. Fond mothers, though, may have found themselves wondering if it were really wise to allow such weights to rest upon young shoulders.
Another day came around, and its duties were taken up by the scouts with their accustomed alacrity. Every fellow seemed to vie with his mates in doing his share of the work in a way that would allow of no fault finding. There was indeed what might be called a healthy rivalry among the scouts, to see who could command the highest number of clean scores; for Hugh had arranged matters in the shape of a contest, to make it more interesting.
The opposition had not yet died out, for when men have fallen into certain bad habits that become as second nature, it is most difficult to break the bonds binding them.
True, the drivers and chauffeurs in and about Oakvale had by degrees become accustomed to the new order of things, which was moving along as smoothly as clockwork. They found there was absolutely no need of any friction, and that while occasionally held up by the amateur “traffic cop” in order to allow a safe passage for a squad of school children, they really lost little or no time. Besides, a vast amount of argument and hard words was saved by this orderly way of running things at congested crossings.