CHAPTER XI.
A TEMPTATION AND A VICTORY.
The four scouts were all sitting on their prisoner, and Alec Sands was feeling around the man’s throat as though half tempted to try to shut off his wind if he manifested any inclination to shout. But the captive seemed to be so overcome with surprise that he could only express his feelings in that short sentence ending the last chapter.
Quick to think, Hugh realized that he must enter into some sort of explanation if he wished to save the day. This fisherman was not supposed to be in the confidence of the fort’s commander and would know next to nothing about the rules governing the great landing game. At the same time if they allowed him to get away he might betray them to those who were defending the shore batteries.
“What’s your name?” he asked shortly, in a tense whisper.
“Bige Quick!” came the ready reply.
“You’re a fisherman?” Hugh said next.
“I got some lobster traps out yonder, boss,” answered the man.
“And you were going out to make your regular morning visit to the crawls—is that right, Bige?”
“That’s just what I calkerlated on doing as soon as sun-up kim erlong.”
“Well, you can’t go this morning, Bige,” continued Hugh. “And I’ll tell you why. We belong on board a Government war vessel, and there’s one of those war games on right now, you see? The Coast Artillery are manning the fort, and they’ve defied the jackies to get close enough to demand their surrender. We expect to hang out here all day, and you’ll have to give us your promise that you’ll act with us. For letting your lobster pots go till to-morrow I’ll promise you a five-dollar bill. Swear to stand by us, and act just as though you belonged on board the scout cruiser Vixen. Understand all that, do you, Bige?”
“Reckon as haow I do, Mister,” replied the man cheerfully, as it began to dawn on his mind that he had stumbled on great luck at the peep of dawn, since he could not make that much money half as easy by attending to his lobster pots.
“Will you give us your solemn promise to stick by us through thick and thin, and not try to get away at any time?” the scout master went on to say.
“Yuh kin count on me bein’ with yuh, Mister. I ain’t got any too much love for the sojers naow in thet fort. Every day they keep abangin’ away with them big guns, till nigh all the chiny we got tuh hum hes been broke. ’Sides thet, hang the luck, if they ain’t sot their old target nigh bout over where I hes my lobster pots. Skeered ’bout all the fish away sense they kim up here, they has. I give yuh my solemn promise, and I sure hopes as haow yuh captures the hull shebang. Mebbe then they’ll clear aout, an’ leave honest fishermen tuh their business.”
“All right, Bige, we’ll call it a bargain,” said Hugh, as he reached for the big fist of the prostrate coast dweller. “Get up, boys. No need of sitting on him any longer. Bige is one of us from now on. I’ll explain some of the things to him while we hide among the rocks.”
After all, the seeming difficulty had turned out to be a blessing in disguise; they had gained a recruit who might be useful to them in many ways.
Hugh managed to let considerable light in on Bige Quick’s mind as they lay hidden awaiting signs of life at the fort. In return the lobster fisherman told him not a few valuable things about the habits of the Coast Artillery, all of which Hugh soaked in, with an eye to making the knowledge useful later on.
They were close enough to the fort to see the sentries walking up and down, and when the breeze proved favorable they could even hear loud voices at times, for close to the sea, the air was a good conductor of sound.
When they knew the garrison must be at breakfast, the boys bethought them of the cooked food they had carried along in their haversacks. So Hugh gave the order that they should break their fast, which every one proceeded to do, according to his fancy. They even fed Bige, having an abundance of eatables along—trust boys for looking out to this end when allowed to stock up of their own accord, for they know how a fellow’s appetite may stretch.
Hugh crept up to his lookout to use his glass cautiously. Bige had assured him that seldom did any of the garrison venture to walk along the beach in the direction of the rocky reef; they had too many things to do each day connected with the manning of the defensive coast works, and the firing of the big disappearing guns.
About ten o’clock the first heavy detonation told that they were at their business, and at long intervals until nearly noon the boys were almost deafened by the cannonading. They could understand that the work must be progressing favorably, since hearty cheers often followed the discharge. Hugh might have noted where each projectile struck only that he could not change his position without some danger of being seen, and he was there for a different purpose than that of marking the hits and misses of the Coast Defense Artillery.
He had mapped out his plans, and knew how the jackies aboard the Vixen could surprise the defenders of the fort, once they received his instructions as to how to proceed up the shore. He had closely examined every spot with his glass, and felt positive that they did not have any videttes posted below the rocks; doubtless they depended entirely on their lookouts on the ramparts to discover the first signs of a hostile ship either to the south or the north.
It was now high time, while the garrison still kept up their exciting gun practice, to get in touch with those aboard the scout cruiser. So Hugh set himself to work to manage this.
He kept his glass handy, that he might detect the least evidence tending to show that their presence was suspected. At the same time he wrote out a short sentence in cipher, which he gave to the other boys to transmit.
The sun was shining brightly, and the conditions were as nearly perfect as they could be for heliograph work, if only it could be managed that the next relay station might pick up the messages without those in the fort being any the wiser.
It required careful treatment, but Alec and Don were skillful manipulators of the mirror, and could send the quick flashes in a way that would not be seen at the other side of the rocky reef, which acted as a friendly barrier.
Alec quickly reported that he was in communication with the next station. Then the scout master gave the order for the first message to be sent along. It was going to take some little time to manage all this; but the code simplified matters, since a single sign frequently stood for a whole sentence.
When the next station gave the pleasing information that it had all been correctly received and sent along the line, Hugh felt that things were certainly progressing splendidly. And it may be mentioned that the rough lobster fisherman was watching all this wonderful work with open mouth and staring eyes; it had never occurred before to him that people could “talk” while many miles apart with only a piece of broken looking-glass and the sun’s bright rays to assist them.
So far all had gone well. Hugh could detect no sign in the region of the hostile fort to indicate that suspicion had been aroused. Nevertheless he did not mean to send a single unnecessary word along the relay line, since it would be taking needless chances of discovery.
What he told the commander of the scout cruiser was that if he landed a force of jackies they could come up the shore safely by keeping back of the scrub, and being careful not to show themselves even once. He knew only too well that the white suits of the Naval Reserve men would be instantly spotted by the glasses of those who were watching all through the livelong day for the first token of a hostile force in the vicinity.
Three different short messages did Hugh send. They took upwards of an hour to move along; and when the last sign had been given, to tell the next station on the south that the signaling was done, Hugh breathed a sigh of relief.
So far as he knew all was well. He could see nothing unusual going on in the fort, where the men were evidently getting their midday meal, and strict discipline must have been relaxed for a spell, since snatches of laughter and even of song came floating to his ears.
He lay there counting the minutes, wondering how long it would take the men from the cruiser to arrive. Again and again did Hugh turn his glasses backward and survey the beach as far as he could see it. Orders had gone forth that the natives should keep away from the vicinity of the fort as much as possible during the two weeks when the Coast Artillery manned the same for their annual practice with the big guns. This would account for the fact that the beach seemed quite deserted as far south as he could see.
But then Hugh did not expect to catch any glimpse of the coming force. If they were unwise enough to show themselves so that he could discover them, what would hinder the sharp-eyed videttes on the ramparts of the fort from doing the same, since they had been posted there with instructions to report the least suspicious sign in any direction?
The other boys were taking things easy according to their several notions of what constituted comfort. Had Billy been present, his idea would have run along the line of a nice nap, for sleeping was one of Billy’s strong points. Alec, Don and Monkey Stallings were more inclined to spy on the enemy than do anything else. Several times Alec gave a quick glance toward Hugh. He seemed to be struggling with something that was gripping him pretty hard, and apparently fighting an inward battle.
The truth of the matter was that Alec had made an important discovery, and at the same time a terrible temptation had come upon him. By the merest accident in the world he had sighted a couple of officers from the fort approaching the reef from an angle that was really beyond Hugh’s range of vision. No one else had as yet seen them but Alec. If he remained silent, the chances were that they must presently discover the figures of the scouts crouching among the rocks, taking them by surprise as it were.
Well, such a thing would spell the ruin of the game, from the standpoint of the Naval Reservists. At the same time the failure of the plan was bound to give the young scout master a black mark.
Perhaps after making a failure of this important game, Hugh might feel it incumbent to resign his position as assistant scout master of the troop; or the boys on their part might request his stepping down into the ranks. That would mean the elevation of Alec to the proud post he aspired to fill!
The temptation was very strong for a brief time. Alec hardly breathed, and had observers been watching the boy they would have seen that his hands opened and shut many times almost fiercely. In fact it was one of the greatest crises that would ever come into his young life; and much depended on the result.
Perhaps his better nature arose to denounce any such treacherous action for which he could find no excuse whatever. Possibly, too, he looked back to that time when Hugh and he had been up on the side of old Stormberg Mountain, and he sprained his ankle so that he could not walk; when instead of deserting him, that loyal comrade had taken him on his back and carried him much of the way, until he could limp along with his arm around Hugh’s neck.
Then and there the victory was won. Alec gritted his teeth hard together and his eyes flashed fire. With the resolution to do his full duty as a true blue scout, he crept over to where Hugh lay, and communicated his important discovery to the other. Of course after that, the four boys, together with the raw recruit, Bige Quick, found places of concealment. The two officers sat down on the rocks not twenty feet away, discussing all manner of matters of interest connected with the occupation of the fort and their readiness to anticipate any attack, not once up to the time they moved off suspecting that enemies hovered near by.
CHAPTER XII.
WITH THE BATTLESHIP SQUADRON.
“No sign of the jackies yet, Chief?” asked Don Miller when another half hour had crept by and the afternoon was well on its way.
The boys had emerged from their places of concealment after the artillery officers departed, and from time to time the scout master made good use of his glasses, either to observe what was going on around the fort or else to scrutinize the shore to the south.
“I was just going to tell you,” began Hugh, “that there’s some reason to believe they’re coming right now. I caught a flash from the next station, and you remember the boys had orders to signal us in case the force from the cruiser came along. Hold out for another half hour and perhaps something will happen.”
“Whee! I’m glad to hear you say so, Chief,” whispered Monkey Stallings, who was evidently having a harder time keeping quiet than any of his chums because of his restless nature.
Slowly the minutes dragged along. Occasionally one of the boys would believe he had caught some slight motion in the bushes below. Imagination, however, must have magnified the movements of a rabbit or some other small animal into the cautious advance of a human being, for none of them really saw any one until there came creeping toward them from the nearby bushes a figure that they recognized as belonging to Sam Winter.
Behind him came a second scout in khaki, none other than Walter Osborne, and as Hugh saw still a third, who turned out to be Billy, he understood that the column from the cruiser must be at hand.
Sure enough the white-clad jackies came trailing along, some even getting down on their stomachs in order not to be discovered by the videttes walking the ramparts of the nearby shore fort.
One by one they came with several leading officers in charge until the whole space back of the friendly rocky reef was peppered with uniformed Reservists, to the great wonderment of Bige Quick, who crouched there thinking it the strangest sight he had ever laid eyes on. No doubt he would also believe that to be the easiest five-dollar bill he had ever earned in all his life, when Hugh paid it over as agreed upon.
Everything was now ready for the surprise. They had reached a striking distance of the fort without being discovered. All that remained was for them to notify the artillerists who had been caught napping that they were prisoners of war, according to the rules of the game. And great would be the glory accorded the navy for having played their part so successfully. The Boy Scouts would of course come in for their share of the honors, and nothing would be too good for the eight aboard the Vixen during the remainder of that memorable cruise.
At a given signal the rocks swarmed with men in white uniforms, and as a bugle pealed out, hearty cheers announced that the navy had sprung a tremendous surprise upon the army. This, following the well-won victory of the navy football team only the preceding Thanksgiving, when the army was humbled in the dust, would convince many scoffers that one arm of the Government service seemed to be just at that time vastly superior to the other.
Although the defenders of the fort were very much shocked at the ease with which an enemy had been enabled to creep up and capture their stronghold, doubtless it served as a lasting warning to them in the future. They soon recovered from their feeling of chagrin, and welcomed the naval men with open arms.
While men and officers were fraternizing, Hugh, at the wish of the commander of the expedition, made good use of the mirror again. Getting into communication with Blake Merton aboard the Vixen, hidden behind that cape of land that jutted out so conveniently, he forwarded orders that the scout cruiser should steam up the coast and embark the shore expedition later on in the day.
And when they finally did go aboard, after having formally received the surrender of the fort in order to complete the war game, they were a jolly lot of jackies, for success always warms the heart and brings smiles to the face.
The Boy Scouts had by this time become greater favorites than ever. The splendid manner in which Hugh and his comrades had played their parts in spying on the enemy and relaying the information they had succeeded in accumulating until it was received aboard, had quite won all hearts.
When torpedo practice came along again, they were given every opportunity to observe the clever manner in which the deadly missile was discharged through the tube, and to join in the cheers that announced when a hit had been made, although of course the whitehead torpedo had not been charged for explosion.
Other features of the cruise consisted of certain maneuvers in connection with the North Atlantic Squadron of battleships, then first starting in for their late summer gun practice at sea off Portsmouth. Greatly to the delight of the boys they were given an opportunity to observe some of this big gun shooting, in which the gunners acquitted themselves so creditably as to beat all previous records.
As the commander had promised should be the case as a reward for their services in helping capture the hostile fort, Hugh and his mates were allowed to have possession of the wireless for a certain length of time almost every day. What messages those boys did send home, each of them being determined that there should be preserved in the family archives a record of a true wireless message sent by the son of the house from aboard a Government war vessel cruising along the coast.
In return the eager operator up at the tree station on Cedar Hill told them all the latest gossip of the home town, understanding how anxious those eight exiles would be getting by this time for news that concerned their neighbors and friends.
They learned much during those never-to-be-forgotten days aboard the gallant Vixen. Each setting sun was viewed with deep regret as marking one day less for their wonderful vacation. And many times did Hugh and the rest declare that the first thing they meant to do upon arriving at home was to send a hearty vote of thanks to Professor Perkins for having been instrumental in securing them this undreamed-of happiness.
“And forever after this I’m going to keep my eye aloft when out on a hike, in hopes of another balloon coming along, where the aeronaut will require a helping hand! It surely pays better than anything I ever ran across before,” was the way Billy expressed his feelings in the matter.
“Lightning never strikes in the same place twice, Billy, they say,” Hugh told him, “but it’s just as well to keep your eyes open all the time, because you never know when you may happen to run across a good thing. Besides, a scout is supposed to be wideawake and on the alert. I was wondering whether Arthur has found time to print those copies of the dancing bear, Jumbo, that he promised us. Next time we get in touch with the Cedar Hill Wireless Station I mean to ask him.”
“At the same time will you ask if the Russian got well enough to go up after his hidden money so that he could start across the sea for his home land?” asked Alec, who had taken considerable interest in the affair, even though fortune had not allowed him to be one of those connected with the rescue of the wounded owner of the hungry bear.
Hugh remembered this, and greatly to his delight Arthur managed to tell, by using their condensing code, of course, how he had actually accompanied the foreigner, at the request of the latter, to get his secreted money, which showed what confidence the poor fellow now placed in every boy who wore that significant khaki uniform.
The man had succeeded in finding the secret cache which he had been aiming to reach on that day when he slipped and fell over the fatal little precipice. And by the time Hugh took this message, the Russian was probably outside of Boston harbor bound homeward.
All this home news, with much else connected with their girl and boy friends, as well as the love sent by parents and brothers and sisters, was eagerly received by the eight exiles. They cudgeled their brains trying to think up the most important messages to send back to Arthur via wireless; and Hugh had to cull out many as impossible to transmit in the limited time allowed them for their use of the apparatus, considering the slow receiving capacity of the scout on Cedar Hill.
So day followed day and each one seemed to bring new experiences to the boys who accompanied the Naval Reserve men along the coast. Once they met with quite a lively storm, and some of the scouts even feared they might never see the dear ones at home again, but good management on the part of those who had charge of the vessel averted the danger.
Then there was a baffling experience with the dense fog that came drifting down from the Banks. There the warm water of the Gulf Stream meets with the colder currents of air from the region of perpetual ice and snow, causing vapor to form almost every day in the year.
No accident occurred during the hours in which the Vixen was shrouded in fog, but they heard the fog horns sounding, and the heavy whistle that told of a liner off her course.
Finally the time came when the Vixen had to return to port, as the vacations of the jackies aboard had about expired, and most of them would have to buckle down to business again, much to their regret.
Hugh and his seven comrades took train for the home town, feeling that their experience with the Naval Reserve on their annual cruise had been a most valuable lesson all around, and one which had brought them new laurels as well.
“It was the greatest time ever,” sighed Billy as he and Hugh watched from the car the familiar landscape fly past as they drew near home. “And chances are we’ll none of us ever have such a glorious opportunity again.”
Hugh did not answer, for truth to tell Billy was voicing his own sentiments when he said this. Yet how little could they see ahead! Even at that very minute events were shaping themselves so as to bring about another combination that was likely to afford certain of the scouts yet another wonderful experience in a new field that none of them had ever dreamed of occupying. Just what that might be it would hardly seem fair to tell at this late point in the story. For the benefit of those readers who have become interested in the fortunes of Hugh Hardin and his chums, it ought to be enough to say that their further adventures will be continued in the next volume of this Series under the title of “The Boy Scouts in the Saddle.”
THE END
Transcriber’s Notes
- Copyright notice provided as in the original—this e-text is public domain in the country of publication.
- Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and dialect unchanged.
- In the text versions, delimited italics text in _underscores_ (the HTML version reproduces the font form of the printed book.)