The Banner Boy Scouts Afloat | Page 7

FOX PATROL
1--Frank Savage, patrol leader. 2--Billie Little, a very tall lad, and of
course always called Little Billie. 3--Nat Smith. 4--Sandy Griggs.
5--Old Dan Tucker. 6--"Red" Conklin. 7--"Spider" Sexton. 8--"Gusty"
Bellows.
Unattached, but to belong to a fourth patrol, later on:
George Hurst. "Lub" Ketcham.
Thus it will be seen that there were now twenty-six lads connected with
the wide awake Stanhope Troop, and more coming.
After the roll call, they proceeded to the regular business, with Paul
Morrison in the chair, he being the president of the association. It was
surprising how well many of these boyish meetings were conducted;
Paul and some of his comrades knew considerable about parliamentary
law, and long ago the hilarious members of the troop had learned that
when once the meeting was called to order they must put all joking
aside.
Many a good debate had been heard within those same walls since the
scouts received permission to meet there; and yet in camp, when the
rigid discipline was relaxed, these same fellows could be as full of fun
and frolic as any lads going.
Tonight it had been whispered around that Paul had some sort of
important communication to make. No one could give a guess as to
what it might be, although all sorts of hazards were attempted, only to
be jeered at as absurd.

And so, while the meeting progressed, they were growing more and
more excited, until finally it was as much as some of them could do to
repress a cheer when Paul, having made sure that there was no other
business to be transacted, arose with a smile, and announced that he
had a certain communication to lay before them.
"Are you ready to hear it?" he asked; "every fellow who is raise his
hand."
Needless to say, not a single hand remained unraised. Paul deliberately
counted them to the bitter end.
"Just twenty-four; and as that is the total number present, we'll call it
unanimous," he said, just to tantalize them a little; and then, with an air
of business he went on: "Two splendid gentlemen of this town, by
name Mr. Everett and Colonel Bliss, happen to own motorboats. As
they have gone to Europe, to be away until late in the Fall, they thought
it would show how they appreciated the work of the Stanhope Troop of
Boy Scouts if they offered the free use of their two boats to us, to make
a cruise wherever we thought best during the balance of vacation time.
Now, all in favor of accepting this magnificent offer from our fellow
townsmen signify by saying 'aye!'"
Hardly had the words fallen from the speaker's lips when a thunderous
"aye" made the stout walls of the building tremble.
CHAPTER III
FOR CEDAR ISLAND--GHOST OR NO GHOST
"Three cheers for Colonel Bliss and Mr. Everett!" called out Bobolink,
almost too excited to speak plainly.
Paul himself led the cheering, because he knew those delighted boys
just had to find some sort of outlet for the enthusiasm that was bubbling
up within them. And doubtless the walls of that sacred building had
seldom heard such cheers since away back in the time when a meeting
was held there at news of the Civil War breaking out in 1861 and the

patriotic citizens had formed a company on the spot, to volunteer their
services to the President.
"Where will we go?" called out one scout, after the cheering had died
down, and they found time to consider ways and means of employing
the motorboats that had been so generously given into their keeping.
"Down the Bushkill to the sea!" suggested one.
"I suppose you think these motorboats can jump like broncos?"
declared Jud Elderkin, with a look of disgust; "else how would they
ever get around that big dam down at Seely's Mills? We could crawl a
few miles up the Bushkill, but to go down would mean only a short
cruise."
"Let Paul say!" cried Bobolink, shrewdly reading the smile on the face
of the assistant scout master, as he listened to all sorts of wild plans,
none of which would hold together when the rest of the scouts started
to pick flaws.
"Yes, Paul's got a scheme that'll knock all these wildcat ones just to
flinders, see if it don't," remarked Tom Betts, waving his hands to
enforce silence.
"Go on and tell us, Paul; and I reckon I c'n give a right smart guess that
it's about that Radway River country," declared Bobolink.
"Just what it is," said Paul. "Listen, then, and tell me what you think of
my plan. I've figured it all out, and believe we could make it a go. If we
did, we'd surely have the time of our lives, and find out something that
I've