Roy Blakeleys Adventures in Camp | Page 3

vacant place on account of Tom Slade being
away in France. So now you know about Skinny and you'll find out a
lot more about him, too.
Before Saturday came, Mr. Ellsworth made a bargain with Sandy
Grober to tow us down into the Kill Von Kull--that's near Staten Island,
you know. Sandy has a boat with a heavy duty motor in it, and he said
he'd do the job for ten dollars, because, anyway, he'd go to Princess
Bay fishing. Our troop was broke and we couldn't spare the money,
because we needed all we had for eats and things. So this is the way we
fixed it.
Mr. Ellsworth gave Sandy the ten dollars and then each one of the
patrol leaders gave Mr. Ellsworth a note saying his patrol would pay
back two dollars and a half as soon as they earned it. That would make
seven dollars and a half, and Mr. Ellsworth said he would pay the other
two fifty himself, so you see it was all divided up even between the
patrols and the scoutmaster.
Believe me, we had some fun earning that money, especially the
Raving Ravens--that's the Raven Patrol, you know.
We started early Saturday morning, and we knew just where we had to
go, because we had a letter from Captain Savage, saying that we should
wait in the anchorage off St. George at Staten Island, until he came and

got us. He said maybe it would be Sunday night or maybe Monday
morning, but anyway, just to ride on our anchor till he came.
We didn't have any adventures going down our river and I won't bother
telling you about it, because it would only be slow. Gee, williger, a
story that's being towed against the tide wouldn't have much action,
would it? I bet you'd skip. So it's better for me to skip than for you,
hey?
But anyway, on the way down we got the boat all straightened out
inside and decided just how we'd sleep. Two patrols would sleep in the
two rooms and one patrol on deck under the awning, and we decided
we'd take turns that way, so each patrol would get some sleeping
outdoors.
We didn't get to the Kill Von Kull till about five o'clock and I guess it
was about six o'clock when we got to St. George. Oh, but there are
some peachy boats in the anchorage there--regular yachts and big cabin
cruisers. And that's where our adventures began, you can bet. Do you
like mysteries? Gee, that's one thing I'm crazy about--mysteries--
mysteries and pineapple sodas. Oh, Oh!
Then Sandy left us and went off to catch cash-on-delivery fish--that's
COD fish. Oh, boy, but it was fine rocking away out there. Pretty soon
I got supper because I'm cook. I know how to make flapjacks and
hunters' stew, and a lot of things. After supper the fellows decided to go
ashore to St. George and get some sodas and take in a movie show. I
said I'd stay on the houseboat because I had to write up the troop-book.
Maybe I forgot to tell you that I'm troop historian. Most of the things in
this story are out of our troop book.
You'd better not skip the next chapter, because something is going to
happen.
CHAPTER II
TELLS YOU HOW I HAD A VISITOR

We weren't anchored very far from shore, so it didn't take long for all
the troop to row over, even though we only had one small boat. Mr.
Ellsworth went with them so he could look after Skinny.
As soon as I had finished clearing up after supper, I got out the troop
book and began writing it up. I was behind about two weeks with it and
so I had about ten pages to do. Oh, but it was dandy sitting there on the
deck with my feet up on the railing, writing. I mean I was writing with
my hand. Pretty soon it began getting dark and I could see the lights
coming out on all the different boats just like stars. It's kind of fun
being alone sometimes. I could see all the lights in the town, too, but
what did I care? I said I'd rather be alone where I was. Pretty soon it
was too dark to write and so I just sat there thinking. Maybe you think
it's no fun just thinking. But I was thinking how pretty soon we'd be
hiking up from Catskill Landing to Black Lake, and how I'd see Jeb
Rushmore, and how I'd take a hike and find out if the robin's nest was
just where it was last year. That robin is a member of our patrol--he's
an honorary member.
All of a sudden I saw