The Boy Scouts of the Eagle Patrol | Page 4

entered the clubroom before referred to and he produced some
cigarettes, which all three had been strictly forbidden to smoke.
"Chased them off my land," rejoined the other, lighting a paper roll and
blowing out a cloud of smoke, "you should have seen them run. If they
want to play their fool games they've got to do it on the property of
folks who'll let them. They can't come on my land."
"You mean your father's, don't you?" put in the unlucky Sam Redding.
"Sam, you've got a head like a billiard ball," retorted the bully, turning
on the other, "it'll be mine some day, won't it? Therefore it's as good as
mine now."

Although he didn't quite see the logic of the foregoing, Sam Redding
gave a sage nod and agreed that his leader was right.
"Yes, those kids need a good lesson from somebody," chimed in Bill
Bender.
"I think we had better be the 'somebodies' to give it to them," rejoined
Jack Curtiss. "They are getting insufferable. They actually twitted me
this afternoon with being sore at them because I didn't get my patrol--as
if I really wanted one. That Blake kid is the worst of the bunch. Just
because his father has a little money he gives himself all kinds of airs.
My father is as rich as his, even if he isn't a banker."
"I've been thinking of a good trick we can put up on them, but it will
take some nerve to carry it out," announced Bill Bender, after some
more discussion of the lads of the Eagle Patrol.
"Out with it, then," urged the bully, "what is it?"
In a lowered tone Bill Bender sketched out his scheme in detail, while
Jack and Sam nodded their approval. At length he ceased talking and
the other two broke out into a delighted laugh, in which malice as much
as merriment prevailed.
"It's the very thing," exclaimed Jack. "Bill, you're a genius. We'll do it
as soon as possible. If that doesn't take some starch out of those tin
soldiers nothing will."
Half an hour later the three cronies parted for the night. Sam went to his
home near the waterfront, for his father was a boat builder, and Jack
started to walk the three miles to his father's farm in the moonlight. His
way took him by the bank. As he passed it he gazed up at the windows
of the armory on which was lettered in gilt: "Eagle Patrol of the Boy
Scouts of America."
"That's a slick idea of Bill's," said the bully to himself, "I can hardly
wait till we get a chance to carry it out."

CHAPTER II
A CRUISE TO THE ISLAND
"Whatever are you doing, Rob?"
It was the morning after the consultation of Jack Curtiss and his cronies,
and Corporal Crawford was looking over the fence into his leader's
yard.
Rob was bending over a curious-looking apparatus, consisting of a bent
stick held in a bow-shape by a taut leather thong. The appliance was
twisted about an upright piece of wood sharpened at one end--which
was rotated as the lad ran the bow back and forth across it.
Presently smoke began to rise from the flat piece of timber into which
the point of the upright stick had been boring and depositing sawdust,
and Rob, by industriously blowing at the accumulation, presently
caused it to burst into flame.
"There I've done it," he exclaimed triumphantly, arising with a flushed
face from his labors.
"Done what?" inquired young Crawford interestedly.
"Made fire in the Indian way," replied Rob triumphantly.
"I thought they made it by rubbing two sticks together."
"Only book Indians do that," replied Rob, "I'll tell you it took me a time
to get the hang of it, but I've got it now."
"It's quite a stunt, all right," commented the corporal admiringly.
"You bet, and it's useful, too," replied Rob. "I'll put the bow and drill in
my pocket, and then any time we get stuck for matches we'll have no
trouble in making a signal smoke or lighting cooking fires."
"Say, I've got some news for you," went on young Crawford, "did you

know that Sam Redding has entered that freak motor boat he's been
building in the yacht club regatta? He's out for the club trophy."
"No, is he, though?" exclaimed Rob, keenly interested. "Then the crew
and skipper of the Flying Fish will have to look alive. I know that
Sam's father helped him out with that boat and put a lot of new
wrinkles in it. I didn't think, though, he'd have it ready in time for the
races."
The boys referred to the coming motor-boat races which were to take
place shortly on the inlet at Hampton. Like most of the other