The Boy Scout Treasure Hunters | Page 2

dark night, and that fire-escape is in the back end of the building, so I guess there wouldn't nobody see me."
"Oh, mebbe there wouldn't. Supposin' you did get away. Where'd you go?"
"I'd have that all fixed. I'd put on my other clothes and pitch my uniform away and that night would get me twenty-five miles where nobody'd think of looking for me."
"Oh, I dunno. I guess you'd be easy picked up. Anybody could tell you a mile off. All to do is to look for a broom handle out walking all by itself."
"Broom handle yourself, Glen Mason. I've got the makings of a big man if ever I'd get enough to eat."
"You go high enough up to be a big man, but you've stretched too much. If you'd ever learn to be a contortionist and tie yourself into three knots close together, you'd do better."
"You're always saying something mean. I wish I hadn't told you my plan at all."
"I won't do anything to your old plan."
"I ain't so sure. 'Twouldn't be above ye to steal it."
"I s'pose you dare me to do it."
"Yes, I dare ye to do it."
"An' you think I'd steal a plan from a mate?"
"I think you'd do anything."
There were many who had just as poor an opinion of Glen. He himself found it remarkably easy to do mean and low acts and had almost ceased to wonder at himself. Every day seemed to find a lower level for his setting. Nixon had correctly guessed his thoughts. Already he was turning over in his mind the feasibility of Nixon's plan of escape and wondering if he could himself take advantage of it. He had been in the reform school over a year, but it had not reformed him. The new superintendent, with his kindness, had won the hearts of many of the most wayward boys, but no impression had he made on Glen. As a matter of fact the boy rather laughed at his foolishness. To put boys on their honor, to trust the merit boys to go into town without guard, all was new policy, and the only interest Glen had in it was to take advantage of it. Let him get one single chance to go to town alone and the reform school would see no more of him. Just what he would do he did not know. Sometimes a fleeting thought of going home to see the mother whose heart must be almost broken by his waywardness and the young sister and brother who were carefully guarded from knowledge of the disgrace he had brought upon them would come to him. But though he was supposed to be dead to impulses for reform there always crept into his mind the desire that his return home should be only when he had enough money and enough honor so that he should not be welcomed as a penitent but as a conquering hero. Glen was much given to great thoughts of the mighty things he would do and the high stations he would occupy. Unfortunately his pride of thought had never made him insist that his inclination yield to right instead of to desire. Glen Mason's fault was easily summed up--he desired always his own way and had so allowed this inclination to fill his life that he was utterly regardless of others. Given his own way he was a pleasant chum, a good friend and a brave comrade.
When Glen wanted a thing very badly he would go to great lengths to get it. Having set for his goal the thirty days of good behavior marks he was bound to win it, though greatly to the surprise of the officers who had never known Glen to pass so long a time without fracturing a great number of rules. No sooner was his time up than he asked leave to go to town to visit the dentist.
The Superintendent was rather disturbed by the request. He had been both pleased and surprised by Glen's good behavior. Now that the boy had earned the privilege of going to town without guard he did not wish to spoil his good work by a refusal to trust him. Yet he was suspicious. He asked that Glen be sent to the office.
"Why do you want to go to the dentist, Glen?" he asked kindly. "What attention do your teeth need?"
Glen was confused. So far as he knew his teeth were sound as bullets. He had not sunk to the place where lies were easy of expression.
"I don't know just what, sir," he stammered, wishing that he could think of something. "The dentist will know what they need."
This was as good an answer as he could have made, although stumbled on by chance.
"You want the dentist to go over them to find what