"Each scout has a rubber poncho, which can be made mighty useful in a pinch, I should think," said Carl. "Then besides our clothes and a blanket, we'll have to carry a cooking outfit, as light as it can be made, and what grub we expect to eat up."

"Oh! most of that we'll rustle for on the way," the patrol leader told him. "We'll find farms scattered along our route, and it'll be easy enough to buy eggs, milk, perhaps a home-cured ham, some chickens, and other things like bread and b.u.t.ter."

"That's a great scheme, Tom, and it makes my mouth fairly water just to talk about it. Sounds like an army foraging, only instead of taking things we'll expect to pay cash for them. How many are going along on the hike?"

"I have yet to hear of any member of the Black Bear Patrol who dreams of backing out; and there are several others who've told me they hope to join us. The way it looks now only a bad case of sickness would be able to keep any scout from being in line on that wonderful morning when Lenox Troop marches out of town headed for Big Bear Mountain."

"One good thing, we don't have to pack any heavy guns along with us,"

declared Carl.

"No, that's absolutely forbidden," the patrol leader declared; "we can take a fishing rod if we feel like it, because there's a chance to pick up some trout or ba.s.s before we come back on the down-river boat ten days later."

"I like that idea of making the return trip by water," Carl continued.

"It will be great after so much tramping and camping. Besides, some of the boys have never been fifteen miles up the river before, and so the trip is going to be a picnic for them."

"Come over to-night and do your cramming for the exam with me,"

suggested Tom.

"I'd like to the worst kind," the other boy said with a grimace; "but this is the night Mr. Culpepper generally pops in, and you see I'm on guard. But I'm hoping mother will give him his walking papers pretty soon now."

"You would have to put a bomb under his chair to convince Amasa that his s.p.a.ce was more desired than his company," laughed Tom, as he strode off toward his own comfortable home.

The days pa.s.sed, and since school would be over for the year at the end of the week, in the bustle of examinations and all that they meant for each boy scout, the intended outing was over-shadowed for the time being.

When, however, several of the scouts got together of course the talk soon drifted toward the subject of the hike, and many were the wonderful projects advanced, each of which seemed to give promise of a glorious prospect ahead.

So Friday night finally came.

School had been dismissed with all the accustomed ceremonies that afternoon, and there were few of the boys who had not gone up to a higher grade, so that when the last meeting before their expected vacation trip was called to order by the president of the organization it was a care-free and happy a.s.semblage that answered the roll-call.

Mr. Witherspoon, the scout master, was on hand, but he seldom interfered with the routine of the meeting. It was his opinion that boys got on much better if allowed to manage things as much as possible after their own ideas. If his advice was needed at any time he stood ready to give it; and meanwhile he meant to act more as a big brother to the troop than its leading officer.

Of course Mr. Witherspoon expected to start out on the hike with the boys. His only fear was that he might not be allowed to finish the outing in their company, since he was liable to be called away at any time on urgent business.

The usual routine of the meeting was gone through with, and then a general discussion took place in connection with the antic.i.p.ated hike.

They had laid out the plan of campaign as well as they could, considering that none of the boys had actually been over the entire route before.

"That makes it all the more interesting," Tom had told them; "because we'll be apt to meet with a few surprises on the way. None of us would like to have anything all cut and dried ahead of time, I'm sure."

"It's generally the unexpected that gives the most pleasure," declared Josh Kingsley, who was known to have leanings toward being a great inventor some fine day, and always hoped to make an important discovery while he experimented in his workshop in the old red barn back of his home.

"Well," remarked George Cooper, getting slowly to his feet, "there may be some things that drop in on you unexpected like that don't seem to give you a whit of pleasure, and I can name one right now."

"Oh come, George, you old growler, you're just trying to throw cold water on our big scheme," complained Felix Robbins, trying to pull the other down.

"I've seen him shaking his head lots of times all evening," a.s.serted Billy b.u.t.ton, "and I just guessed George was aching to make us feel bad. He's never so happy as when he's making other folks miserable."

George refused to take his seat. He even shrugged his shoulders as though he thought his comrades were hardly treating him fairly.

"Listen, fellows," he said, solemnly and ponderously; "I don't like to be the bird of ill omen that carries the bad news; but honest to goodness I'm afraid there's a heap of trouble looming up on the horizon for us unless we change our plans for a hike over Big Bear Mountain."

"What sort of trouble do you mean, George?" asked the patrol leader.

"Only this, Mr. President," said George, "on the way here I learned that Tony Pollock, Wedge McGuffey, Asa Green and Dock Phillips had started off this very afternoon, meaning to spend a week or more tramping over Big Bear Mountain; and I guess they've got it in for our crowd."

CHAPTER IX

NO SURRENDER

"It looks like a set-up job to me!" declared Josh Kingsley, with a ring of honest indignation in his voice.

"They've been hearing so much talk about what a great time we meant to have, it's just made them green with envy; that's what I think,"

ventured Horace c.r.a.psey.

"Yes, but why pick out Big Bear Mountain," Felix wanted to know; "unless they meant to spy on the scouts, and give us all the trouble they could?"

There were signs of anger visible on every side. Scouts may be taught that it is n.o.ble to forgive those who wrong them, but all the same they are human, and deep down in their boyish hearts is the resentment any one with spirit feels at being imposed upon.

"We haven't lifted a finger to interfere with anything that crowd wanted to do," said Walter Dougla.s.s, aggressively; "and they have no business to upset our plans."

"Huh! just let them try it, that's all!" grunted Josh, shaking his head.

"We had an experience something like this over in Winchester, where I belonged to the scouts before moving to Lenox," remarked Rob Shaefer, one of the two new boys.

"Do you mean some rowdies tried to make trouble for you?" asked Carl.

"In every way they could," the new boy replied. "We stood it as long as we could, and then acted."

"What did you do to them?" asked Mr. Witherspoon, with an amused smile, for he liked to see these wide-awake lads figure out their own plans, and was greatly interested in listening to their discussions as they worked them out.

"When it became unbearable," said Rob, gravely, though his eyes twinkled, "we ducked the whole five in a frog pond, and after that they let us alone."

"Cooled 'em off, eh?" chuckled Josh, whom the account seemed to amuse very much. "Well, that isn't a bad idea, fellows. Frog ponds have their uses besides supplying messes of delicious frog-legs for eating.

Anybody know of a pond that's got a nice green coating of sc.u.m on the top? That's the kind I'd like to see Tony and his bunch scrambling around it."

"Oh! the pond will crop up all right when the time comes," a.s.serted Felix Robbins, confidently; "they always do, you know."

"But what are we going to do about this thing?" asked Tom, as the chairman of the meeting. "Motions are in order. Somebody make a suggestion, so we can get the sense of the troop."

"One thing certain," observed George, "we've got to give up the plan we've mapped out, and change our programme--or else count on running foul of Tony and his crowd. Which is it going to be?"

A chorus of indignant remonstrances immediately arose.

"Why should we take water when we laid our plans first?" one demanded.