Boy Scouts on a Long Hike | Page 3

Eben!" cried Seth, "because in the old
days you seldom did blow your own horn; but I notice that you're
improving right along now, and we have hopes of making a champion
bugler out of you yet."
"Of course that was just a slip; but let it pass," remarked Eben, grinning
in spite of the fact that the joke was on him. "What I meant to say was
that because I don't go around boasting about the great things I'm going
to do, please look back on my record, and see if I haven't got there

every time."
"Sure you have," admitted Seth, "and we give you credit for bull-dog
stubbornness, to beat the band. Other fellows would have thrown the
bugle into the bushes, and called quits; but you kept right along
splitting our ears with all them awful sounds you called music. And say,
if you can show the same kind of grit on this long hike we're going to
try, there ain't any doubt but what we'll win out."
"Thank you, Seth; you're a queer fish sometimes, but your heart's all
right, underneath the trash," observed Eben, sweetly; and when he
talked like that he always put a stop to the other's teasing.
"How about you, Noodles; d'ye think you're good for such a tough
walk?" asked Fritz, turning suddenly on the red-faced, stout boy, who
was moving uneasily about, as though restless.
"Meppy you don't know dot me, I haf peen practice on der quiet dis
long time, so as to surbrize you all," came the proud reply. "Feel dot
muscle, Seth, undt tell me if you think idt could pe peat. Gymnastics I
haf take, py shiminy, till all der while I dream of chinning mineself,
hanging py one toe, undt all der rest. Meppy you vill surbrised pe yet.
Holdt on, don't say nuttings, put wait!"
He put on such a mysterious air that some of the boys laughed; but
Noodles only smiled broadly, nodded his head, and made a gesture
with his hand that gave them to understand he was ready and willing to
let time vindicate his reputation.
"Hadn't we better be moving on?" remarked Andy.
"Yes, the sun's getting pretty low in the west, and that means it must be
near supper time," said Fritz, who was the possessor of a pretty brisk
appetite all the time.
"Oh! what's the use of hurrying?" Seth went on to say, shifting his
position on the log, and acting as though quite content to remain an
unlimited length of time. "It won't take us ten minutes to get there, once

we start; fifteen at the most. And I like to walk in just when the stuff is
being put on the table. It saves a heap of waiting, you know."
"That's what it does," Eben echoed. "Because, if there's anything I hate
to do, it's hanging around while they're finishing getting grub ready."
"Here, quit walking all over me, Noodles!" called out Fritz, who had
coiled his rather long legs under him as well as he could, while
squatting there on the ground.
"I haf nodt der time to do all dot," remarked the German-American boy,
calmly, "idt would pe too pig a chob. Oh! excuse me off you blease,
Fritz; dot was an accident, I gif you my word."
"Well, don't stumble across me again, that's all," grumbled the other,
watching Noodles suspiciously, and ready to catch him at his tricks by
suddenly thrusting out a foot, and tripping him up--for Noodles was so
fat and clumsy that when he took a "header" he always afforded more
or less amusement for the crowd.
It was not often that Noodles displayed a desire to play tricks or joke,
which fact made his present activity all the more remarkable; in fact he
was developing a number of new traits that kept his chums guessing;
and was far from being the dull-witted lad they had formerly looked
upon as the butt of all manner of practical pranks.
While the scouts continued to chat, and exchange laughing remarks
upon a variety of subjects, Noodles kept moving restlessly about. Fritz
felt pretty sure that the other was only waiting for a good chance to
pretend to stumble over his legs again, and while he pretended to be
entering heartily into the rattling fire of conversation, he was secretly
keeping an eye on the stout scout.
Just as he anticipated, Noodles, as though discovering his chance,
lurched heavily toward him. Fritz, boylike, instantly threw out a foot,
intending to simply trip him up, and give the other a taste of his own
medicine.

Well, Noodles tripped handsomely, and went sprawling headlong in a
ludicrous manner; but being so round and clumsy he rather overdid the
matter; for instead of simply rolling there