The Boy Scounts on a Submarine | Page 5

Captain John Blaine
and up just before you get to your first driveway,
Wugs, my handle bars come loose, and we had to get off and fix 'em.
And Beany looks up, and he says, 'Gosh! Here's another striped coat!
And ain't it on a pirate!"

"I looked and, sure 'nuff, there come along another coat just like the
one over to the swimmin' hole but if that feller was bad, this one was
worse. He had a big black mustache and he looked at us like he'd like to
eat us.
"When he went by," Beany says, 'Well, I bet he is a pirate all right!'
"So we went on home. And after supper when we come to your house,
Wugs, why, you know about that, and there was another coat like the
others being arre'sted. Then we went back; and mother wanted us to
write it all to Uncle Jake. And the lamp made Beany's head hot, and he
took the funny thin paper we found over to the swimmin' hole and
made a sort of shade of it. And when we had our letter done, Beany
went to take down the shade and, honest to gosh, boys, it was all
written on! Wouldn't that frost you? I s'pose you think we're lyin'; but
it's true. All writin' on two sides!"
"What did you do with it then?" demanded Wugs.
"We showed it to mom and she took it and put it in her pocket."
Wugs groaned.
"You see, Wugs, they's three of those coats and every one's worse than
the other," finished Porky.
"We must find those men. Who is going over to patrol the fairgrounds
this year beside me?" said Wugs.
"Me and Porky," said Beany proudly.
"What's the first thing to do?" asked Porky.
"Well, one of you fellows who are not detailed to the fair had better go
over to the Troop D Farm where the Mounted Police are training, and
see when I can see Colonel Handler."
"What you want of him?" asked a boy named Asa Downe.

"I want to tell him enough of this so he will fix it to let us Scouts go
wherever we like. So the first thing in the morning, Asa, you trot over
there, and find out when I can see the Colonel."
Asa started for the Troop D Farm as soon as he had finished a hasty
breakfast the next morning. He had his part of the interview with
Colonel Handler nicely and neatly rehearsed. He had worked so hard
over it that he said, "Thank you, Colonel," when his mother had passed
the doughnuts at breakfast.
The more Asa thought of it, the more he thought it would be fine to
take some one along with him; and when he saw ahead of him the two
violently red wheels of the Potter twins, it was settled right there. He
yelled, and they waited.
"Where you goin'!" he demanded.
"Over to the Troop D Farm," said Porky, hopping off his wheel to rest.
"What for? This is my job."
"Sure it is!" agreed Beany. "But we knew you'd want some one along
for fear you forgot of the things you wanted to say, and we knew we
always remember better than the other fellows. So we started out. We
knew you'd be along."
"All right, you're on!" said Asa and they pedaled rapidly along the
beautiful country road. When they reached the Farm, they found that
the Colonel, who stayed at Syracuse with his family, had not yet
arrived. The men were grooming the beautiful horses, rubbing up the
bridles, and airing saddle blankets.
Porky and Beany and Asa, sitting on the stone wall at the side of the
barn, watched and admired.
"That's what I'm goin' to be"' whispered Porky.
"Sure!" agreed Beany. "Wonder how long it will take us to get that

high?"
"Dunno," said Porky. "I outgrew two pairs of pants last year!"
"Here's the Colonel," said Asa as a big car was driven up and an officer
stepped down.
"Wait! Wait!" said Asa, swallowing rapidly. "Let him get through
talking first. You see, he has charge of all the country patrols, and
'course he wants to give them orders. Gee, how the spies must hate
him!"
As though in answer, a long, low racing car rolled smoothly and
silently up, and stopped in the road just opposite where the boys sat on
the stone wall. On the little rise where stood the low, rambling
farmhouse, the Colonel, with only a glance at the strangers, turned his
back as though refusing to be interrupted, and went on with his orders.
In the car, one of the men half rose, leveled a revolver full at the
Colonel's broad back, and fired. But almost before he could take his
flashing
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