I. Correct, be seated. You learn that in the primary grade. I'm patrol leader and it's some job. Then comes Westy Martin; he's my special chum. My sister says he has dandy hair. Then comes Dorry Benton-he's got a wart on his wrist. Then comes Huntley Manners-Badleigh, that's his middle name. Sometimes we call him Bad Manners. Then comes Charlie Seabury and then comes Will Dawson and then come Tom Warner and Ralph Warner-they're twins. They're both better looking than each other-that's what Pee-wee Harris said. He's a scream-he's in the raving Raven patrol. Thank goodness he isn't in this story-not much anyway. Ralph says Tom is crazy and Tom says Ralph is crazy and Will Dawson says they're both right. I guess we're all crazy. Anyway, Ralph and Tom came from Maine, so they're both maniacs, hey?
This is the speech I spooched:
Fellow Foxes:
Shut up and give me a chance to talk. Sit down, Bad Manners. I've got something to tell you and don't all shout at once--
Good night! They all began shouting separately. Then I said:
Harry Donnelle says he's going to hike it all the way home to Bridgeboro. He says we can go with him if we want to. Our time is up Saturday, but we'll have to start three or four days sooner.
He said for me to sound you fellows, but believe me, there's so much sound that I can't. I suppose the other patrols will go back down the Hudson in the house-boat. Every fellow that's in favor of hiking it home with Mr. Harry Donnelle, will say aye-but don't say it yet. He said to tell you that we take our lives in our hands--
"Why can't we put them in our duffel bags?" Westy shouted.
"Did you think we'd take them in our feet?" Dorry yelled.
Then they all began shouting, "Aye, aye, aye!" even before I told them about the forests and morasses and jungles and deserts and things. Honest, you can't do anything with that bunch.
CHAPTER III
UNDAUNTED! (THAT'S PEE-WEE'S HEADING)
One thing about Harry Donnelle, he was a dandy fixer. When he fixed the camouflage for us so we could watch a chipmunk, I knew he was a good fixer. He said he learned how in France. He fixed the chimney on the cooking shack, too. That fellow could fix anything.
But a scoutmaster isn't so easy to fix. Lots of times I tried to fix it with Mr. Ellsworth and I just couldn't. He'd make me think that I wanted to do his way. He's awful funny, he can just make you think that there's more fun doing things his way. And I was trembling in my shoes-I mean I was trembling in my bare feet-for fear Harry Donnelle wouldn't be able to fix it with him. But that fellow could fix it with the sun to shine-that's what Mr. Burroughs said.
Pretty soon he came strolling down to the spring-board where a lot of us were having a dip in the lake.
"All right," he said, "how about you?"
"Did you fix it?" I asked him.
"All cut and dried," he said; "are you ready for the big adventure?"
That afternoon we had a special troop meeting, to find out how the fellows felt about splitting the troop for the journey home. Because you see our three patrols always hung together. Mr. Ellsworth made a speech and said how Harry Donnelle had offered to lead the fierce and fiery Silver Foxes through the perilous wilds of New York State. He said that the journey would be filled with interest and data of scientific value (that's just the way he talked) and how we hoped to cross the Ashokan Reservoir and visit other wild places. He said that we planned to enter the heart of the Artists Colony at Woodstock and see the artists in their native state and stalk some authors and poets, maybe, and study their habits.
Oh boy, you ought to have seen Harry Donnelle. He just sat there on the edge of Council Rock (that's where we have important meetings at Temple Camp) and laughed and laughed and laughed.
Mr. Ellsworth said, "It is hoped that these brave scouts may succeed in capturing a poet and bringing him home as a specimen, and that they may find other fossils of interest. Meanwhile, the Ravens and the Elks and myself will drift down in our house-boat and endeavor to find someone to tow us from Poughkeepsie to New York and up our own dear river to Bridgeboro. The Ravens and the Elks wish me to offer the brave explorer, Mr. Harry Donnelle, a vote of thinks for taking the Silver Foxes away. They appreciate that he does this for the sake, not of the Silver Foxes, but as a good turn to the Ravens and the Elks. The Ravens and
Continue reading on your phone by scaning this QR Code
Tip: The current page has been bookmarked automatically. If you wish to continue reading later, just open the
Dertz Homepage, and click on the 'continue reading' link at the bottom of the page.