Hugh had seen fit, at lunch time, to tell what little he knew concerning the upheaval at the cement works, and the chances of trouble coming about between the striking workmen and the guards imported by the company to defend their property as well as protect any new laborers who might be smuggled in to take the places left vacant by those who had gone out.
“I hope that isn’t going to be the beginning of a rush of trouble for us in our new camp, Hugh,” remarked Billy Worth as he came over and dropped down alongside the scout master in the shade of a tree.
“Whether it is or not, Billy, we’ve got a lot to be thankful for; and if all our mix-ups turn out as well, we can call ourselves a lucky bunch. Perhaps it’s a good thing it happened, for every scout will be on the watch after this to curb his ambition, and not be reckless. A warning in the beginning is often the best of happenings when a lot of lively boys start out camping.”
“That Tremaine had a close call, all the same, Hugh. I rather liked the way he owned up to being foolish. The fellow must have good stuff in him for all he’s so flighty.”
“Sheer nervousness, Billy, and it’ll wear off after he’s been outdoors more. He told me this was the first time he has ever camped, though he’s gone swimming and fishing and all those sorts of things in the place he came from. But they hadn’t cared to start a scout troop among the boys, because some of the leading people thought it was a military movement, and they didn’t want their sons to grow up with the idea in their heads that some day they would have to fight, and kill other people’s boys.”
“How foolish they are to think that way,” said Billy, indignantly, “when the Boy Scout movement is founded on just the opposite plan in this country. Their mission is to save life, not take it. They try to carry this out in dozens of different ways. Why, even we can point with pride to our record in that line. Think only this last spring when we got caught in that flood up at Lawrence what chances we found to do things for other people who were in terrible trouble. But what are you staring at, Hugh?”
“I’m wondering what that man who looks like a farmer wants here,” replied the scout master. “He’s left the road, and is heading for our camp as fast as he can come.”
Billy Worth immediately began to take notice.
“Just what he is, Hugh,” he remarked, with a trace of excitement in his voice; “and seems to me I can scent some new trouble in the air. Gee whiz! Listen to how he cracks that blacksnake whip of his, would you? And look at his face, how ugly it seems. He’s whopping mad over something or other, Hugh; and there, he’s asking Arthur Cameron a question, because Arthur is pointing this way. The boys have got on, for there they start to tag after him. Mebbe it’s his river and our fellows had no right to go in swimming there without asking his permission; or else we’re camping on his ground here. Anyhow, we’ll soon know what’s up, for here he starts this way!”