Woodcraft: or, How a Patrol Leader Made Good

"What do you think?" asked Mark, pointedly. "Was it a hobo who had been sleeping here in the old shop? I've heard Jack say his father threatened to burn the shanty down because complaints came in about it being a lodging place for tramps."

"Yes," replied Elmer, who looked serious, "I've heard the same thing. But between you and me, Mark, I've got my suspicions that it couldn't have been just a common hobo."

"What makes you think that?" asked his chum.

"Oh! several things. I don't see why a tramp would go to all the bother to climb up on that old shelf or loft, when he could just as well stay right here on the ground, and make a fire in the regular place, so as to cook his supper. Then no tramp would have lain there all that time without making a sound. Besides, you remember we made up our minds that the boards had been loosened in the back of the shop, so they could be knocked off with a single kick. That would point to strategy – making ready for a sudden get-away."

"Elmer, you're right, I do believe, as you nearly always are," said Mark, as if what his comrade said had sunk with conviction into his mind. "But here come the boys. Let's find out what they think about it."

"Yes," continued the acting scout-master, "perhaps they've sighted the fellow, and can tell us who he was."

But this proved not to be the case. Those who had followed "Lil Artha" through the opening in the rear of the shop declared that the fugitive must have had the wings of the wind, for though they had chased after him, he managed to give them the slip. Possibly the long-legged Arthur might have been more successful, had he been given daylight to enable him to see where he was going; but at the time the bugle sounded the retreat they had not been able to cut down the other's lead.

Nor could they tell what he looked like.

"Some stray Wandering Willie, sure as you're born," declared Toby Jones, who was panting at a great rate after his chase.

"And if we'd only been able to come up with him, wouldn't he have got it?" remarked Red Huggins, ferociously.

"Alas! I was cheated out of a thlick job, that's what, fellowth," lamented Dr. Ted, whose sole ambition it was to run across "opportunities" to experiment with his knowledge of medicine, or attempt simple surgical operations.

"See here, you're only guessing when you say it was a hobo; what proof is there of such a thing?" demanded Elmer.

"Hey, what's that?" exclaimed "Lil Artha," staring at the acting scout-master.

"That's exactly what I was saying to Chatz as we were prancing along back here," Larry Billings remarked, nodding his head as if he agreed with Elmer.

"Some think it was a tramp, and the rest say it was a spy. Now, how are we going to prove it?" asked Tom Cropsey.

"Let Elmer tell what he thinks, fellows," Mark observed. "He convinced me right off the reel, and perhaps he can the rest of the bunch."

"Yes, Elmer, it's up to you to make good. Tell us what you know. We're wanting to learn all the tricks of a scout who keeps his eyes always open, and sees the little things that count. Please tell us!"

So, beset from every side, Elmer had to bow to the popular will. After he had explained how several strong points seemed to dispose of the theory of a tramp having been hidden in the loft of the deserted wheelwright's shop, he saw that he had carried pretty much all his audience with him. The scouts hung on his every word, for they understood that Elmer had passed through considerable experience while out on that big Canada ranch and farm with his father, and knew how to read signs as well as any Indian ever could have done.

"I've just been up there and discovered how the rotten timbers gave way under the fellow," spoke up Nat Scott, who was known to be of a very investigating turn, and would let nothing continue to puzzle him long, if he could help it.

"Yes, we saw you drop down through the same hole he made," laughed Ty Collins.

"You're covered with dust, too, Nat," remarked Tom Cropsey.

"That's a fact," grinned the investigator.

Elmer had his eye on him. He judged that Nat must have made some sort of discovery, for he looked pleased. He also noted the fact that the other kept one hand behind him as he stood there.

"You found something, didn't you, Nat?" he asked, quietly.

"Well, sure thing," remarked the other; though he looked somewhat surprised at Elmer being able to discover this fact so readily.

"Which you're hiding behind you right now, I opine," continued the scout-master.

"That's what he is, Elmer!" declared several of the other scouts.

"Did you find it on the ground among those broken pieces of flooring?" asked Elmer, pointedly.

Nat nodded his head rigorously, but he made no effort to bring his right hand out from behind his back.

"Perhaps now," continued the other slowly, but with a positive ring to his voice, "it might happen to be a hat or a cap you picked up?"

"That's right, it's a cap," broke in Jasper Merriweather, who had slipped behind Nat, and glimpsed at what he was trying to keep hidden.

"Wait, I'm going to turn my back on you, Nat, while you hold it up so all the rest can see. Now, out with it. Take a good look, fellows. Jasper said it was a cap. Does it belong to anybody here?"

"Why, we've all got our regular scout hats, except the four new members, and every one of them has a cap on his head right now!" declared Jack Armitage.

"Just so," Elmer continued. "That settles one thing; this cap you picked up must belong to the fellow who ran away, after listening to all we did at our meeting! Take a good look at that cap, Nat. Is it a sort of mixed gray in color and pretty well worn?"

"Say, that's what it just is now, Elmer," replied the other in surprise.

"And has it got a red button fastened in front just over the peak?"

"Hey, listen to him tell, will you, fellows. Here's the red button all right."

"Then the mystery is solved," laughed Elmer; "for that cap belongs to a certain boy we happen to know right well; and his name is Matt Tubbs!"

CHAPTER VII.

A JOB FOR THE BOY SCOUTS TO DO

"What makes you so sure about that, Elmer?" asked Ty Collins, after the scouts had expressed their wonder that the leader should be able to speak so positively when as yet he had not even looked at the tell-tale cap.

"Listen, fellows," began Elmer; "all of you older scouts know that one of the things impressed upon a new beginner is the power of observation. Members of the organization are given tests at memorizing things they see in a store window, after looking in for just three minutes, and then writing out a list afterward. In that way they find it second nature to note everything they see, so that if asked about it afterward they are able to give a pretty good description even of little details. I'm saying this more for the benefit of the new members than anything else, you understand?"

"Sure we do, Elmer; go right along, please," remarked Ty.

"All right," continued the leader, impressively; "but it seems that every one of the scouts doesn't happen to apply those principles of observation and memory as much as he might. Now, to make my point plain, there were two of you with me to-day when we came on the Kent house, where we found things upset by the storm. And I suppose both of those scouts had just as many chances to look Matt Tubbs over as I did; yet it seems that neither Larry nor Jasper noticed that he wore a pair of worn tan shoes, had on brown trousers that had been patched in the seat; sported a new flannel shirt made of some rather flashy material that carried a good deal of red in it; wore a sporty tie of the same color; and had a gray cap on his head, with a little red button just over the peak!"

Exclamations of surprise broke out all around the speaker.

"Say, do you mean to tell us you noticed all those details, and right while we were all excited over the injuries of the farmer?" gasped Larry.

"I always said there was only one Elmer Chenowith," murmured Jasper, throwing up both hands, as though convinced.

"Why, there was nothing queer about that," laughed the acting scout-master. "As I told you just now, it grows to be second nature, after you've practiced the thing for a while. But did I prove my point, fellows?"

"You certainly did!" declared Jack Armitage.

"And do any of you still have any doubt about who it was hiding away on that rotten old shelf up there, and listening to all we did?" continued Elmer.