The Banner Boy Scouts on a Tour | Page 7

reason of
his name, was known among his comrades as Nuthin.
"Yes, all to the good! Back to the woods for me, and old Rattlesnake
Mountain to be the stamping ground for the Banner Boy Scouts!"
chirped Bobolink, making his voice seem to come from Wallace
Carberry, who was never known to indulge in the least bit of slang.
Bobolink was trying hard to be a ventriloquist, and occasionally he
succeeded in a way to bring roars of laughter from the crowd.
"W-w-whoop her up!" chanted Bluff Shipley, whose impediment of
speech often gave him much trouble, especially when he was at all
excited.
One by one the assembled scouts were expressing their individual
opinions concerning the proposed pilgrimage, when Paul put it up to
the meeting to ratify.
A storm of "ayes" greeted the move that this report of the committee be
accepted; and the "hike" to Rattlesnake Mountain be made the basis of
their Summer campaign.

Hardly had the roar of voices that followed this acceptance died away
than there was a sudden and startling interruption to the proceedings. A
sentinel, who, in accordance with military tactics, had been posted
outside the church, came hurrying in, and whispered in the ear of the
chairman, who immediately arose.
"Comrades," said Paul, in a low but tense voice, "our sentry reports that
he has found a window in the back of the church basement open, and
looking in discovered moving figures. Our meeting has been spied
upon by those who want to learn our secrets."
"It's sure that Slavin bunch, fellows! Come on, and let's get our hooks
on the sneaks before they fade away!" shouted Bobolink, jumping to
his feet excitedly.
CHAPTER III
BREAKING UP THE SCOUTS' MEETING
Boom! boom!
Upon the silence of the Summer night sounded the startling detonation
of the big bell in the square tower of the church.
The assembled scouts, arrested by this unexpected peal just as they
were in the act of rushing forth to try and capture those who had been
spying on the meeting, stared at each other in mute astonishment and
indignation.
Every one seemed to quickly understand just what it meant, nor were
they long in finding their voices to denounce the outrage.
"It's a punk trick, fellows!" exclaimed Jack, his face filled with growing
anger. "They want to force the church trustees to chase us out of our
quarters here!"
"Yes," echoed Bobolink, trembling with eagerness to do something, he
hardly knew just what, "it's a plot to throw us out in the cold, that's

what! Talk to me about a mean, low-down trick--this takes the cake!"
"Let's surround the feller at the rope! Then we'll have something to
show that it wasn't our fault the old bell jangled!" cried another
member of the troop.
"On the jump, Foxes!" shouted William.
Immediately there was a grand rush. Some went through the door,
aiming to gain the outer air, in the hope of cutting off any escaping
enemy. Others rushed towards the stairs, by means of which the
vestibule of the old church could be reached, where dangled the rope
that moved the bell.
Paul led this latter group. He was boiling with indignation over the
trick that had been played, for it promised to put the orderly scouts in
bad odor with the custodian of the building, who had been so kind to
them.
The sexton, whose name was Peter Ostertag, usually lighted the
gymnasium for them, and then went over to his own cottage near by. It
was his usual habit to return at about ten o'clock, when the meeting
disbanded, in order to put out the lights, and close the building. Perhaps
he might even then be on his way across lots.
What with the shouts of the excited scouts, rushing hither and thither;
together with some derisive laughter and cat calls from dark corners in
the immediate vicinity, the scene certainly took on a lively turn.
The bell had ceased to toll, though there still came a ringing, metallic
hum from up in the tower. Paul had snatched up a lamp as he ran, and
with this he was able to see when he reached the top of the stairs.
But the vestibule seemed to be empty. Paul rushed to the door, and to
his surprise found it locked. Perhaps the sexton had thought to secure
this exit after him, when he left the main body of the church, an hour or
two before. Then again, it might be, the plotters had been wise enough
to place a barrier in the way of pursuit by turning the key, previously

arranged on the outside of the lock.
"Hey! this way, Paul!" cried Bobolink, excitedly. "The door into the
church is open! Bring the lamp! He's in here, I tell