“Wash, Teddy, what say? Sounds good to me, I tell you! These fellows have got the right kind of notion. Let’s wake Lawrence up; let’s show these people what a scout is worth when he really tries! Say, Hugh Hardin, and you, too, Billy Worth, we’ll back you up in anything you’ve a mind to try; and here’s my hand on it, too.”
The feeling of exaltation grew by bounds, it seemed. Both Wash and Teddy followed the example set by Tip Lange in squeezing the hands of the boys from Oakvale.
“Good for you!” said Hugh. “We’ll see what we can do to help you out. And first of all we ought to find some way to clear that crowd off the bridge. Some of them are reckless, and others don’t seem to realize the danger they’re in. Let’s start in by acting as though we’ve had orders from your Chief of Police, who ought to be here on the spot, but isn’t. Don’t let a solitary one stay; and tell them all there’s danger of the bridge going out at any minute.”
“Bully idea!” exclaimed Wash Bradford. “Let’s keep together, so we can crowd off any who want to put up a kick and stay. Tell us what to do, Hugh, and we’ll be only too glad to carry it out. I’m tickled to death at the idea of somebody coming to town who’s got some sense and snap about him.”
“Wish we could coax you to stay with us till we got the old crowd started up again, that’s right!” said Teddy McQuade, with sincere admiration in his manner.
The five of them started toward the approach of the bridge.
“There’s Wallie Cramer on the bridge; he’s one of our bunch, too. Shall I pull him along with us, Hugh?” remarked Tip Lange, as they drew near the structure.
“The more scouts you can get together, the better,” admitted the patrol leader.
“‘In union there is strength!’” quoted Billy wisely.
They pushed along the bridge, and were thrilled to find that it did actually tremble from time to time. Hugh also noticed that there was a slight swaying movement that was dreadfully suggestive.