The Boy Scouts on Sturgeon Island | Page 5

he remark, with deep satire in his
voice. "Mebbe, now, you, don't believe what I'm telling you! Mebbe
one of you'd like to just climb up there, and see for yourself what it is?
I dare you, Bumpus!"
"You'll have to excuse me, Davy; it's too big a job for a boy built like
me, you understand, though sure I'd like to accommodate first rate,"
replied the scout with the red hair and mild blue eyes, shrinking back,

and shrugging his shoulders.
"Then how about you, Step Hen," pursued Davy, determined to put it to
each of the scoffers in turn until he had shown them up in good style; "I
notice that you're looking like you didn't reckon there couldn't abeen
such a thing as a genuine panther around this region in the last twenty
years and more. Suppose you tumble up there, and take a look- in!"
But the party indicated smiled sweetly, and laid his hand on the region
of his stomach, as he went on to say:
"Why, really and truly, Davy, I think I'm going to have one of those
nasty cramps just like you used to have so often. There's agripe coming
on right now, and you see how unpleasant it would be to find myself
doubled-up while I was thirty feet from the ground. I'm afraid I'll have
to pass this time."
"Then, there's Giraffe who'll he sure to volunteer," continued the other,
bound to take all the scoffers in by turns. "He's of an investigating turn
of mind, and if he wants to, I reckon he might take that gun along, so
he could have some show, if the thing jumped right out in his face!"
"Well, now," the long-legged scout answered, with a whimsical grin,
"I'd like to accommodate you the worst kind, Davy, but you know how
it is with me. I ain't worth a cooky before I've had my feed. Feel sorter
weak about the knees, to tell you the honest truth; and I never was as
keen about climbing to the top of tall trees as you were, Davy. Count
me out, please, that's a good fellow."
At that Davy laughed outright.
"I see you've got cold feet in the, bargain, Giraffe," he asserted. "Well,
then, if anybody's going to climb up there and poke that ugly old beast
out of his den it'll have to be either our scout-master, or Allen; for I tell
you right now you don't catch me monkeying with a buzz-saw after I've
had my fingers zipped."
"I'll go," said Thad, quietly.

"Here, take this, Thad," urged Step Hen, trying to force the shotgun
into the hands of the other, as he stepped toward the base of the big
tree.
Thad and Allan again exchanged looks.
"Don't think I'll need it, do you, Allan?" the former asked.
"Hardly," came the reply; "and even if you did carry it up, the chances
are you couldn't find a way to hold on, and shoot at the same time. Here,
let me take that thing, Step Hen; you're that nervous. If anything did
happen to fluster you, I honestly believe you'd up and bang away, and
perhaps fill our chum with bird-shot in the bargain."
Step Hen disavowed any such weakness, but nevertheless he was
apparently glad to hand over the weapon; because he realized that Allan
knew much better how to use firearms than he did, and if there was any
occasion for shooting, the responsibility would be off his shoulders; for
Step Hen never liked to find himself placed where he was in the
limelight and had to make good, or be disgraced.
Thad did not appear to be at all worried, as he took a last good look
aloft, as though wishing to assure himself that there was no panther in
sight among the thick branches above, before he trusted himself up
there.
His good common sense told him that the chances were as ten to one
that Davy had not seen what he claimed at all; but his fears had worked
overtime, and simply magnified some trifling thing.
Of course had Thad really believed there was any chance of meeting
such a savage beast as a panther he would never have ventured w make
that climb; or if he did he must have surely taken the gun along with
him.
The others gathered around near the foot of the tree, and tried to follow
the daring climber with their eyes, meanwhile exchanging more or less
humorous remarks in connection with his mission.

All of them, saving possibly Allan, seemed to be a little nervous
concerning the outcome; because Davy kept on asserting his positive
belief that it was a real true panther that lay in the aperture above, and
not a make-believe.
"I only hope