Boy Scouts of the Geological Survey Read online

  CHAPTER IX

  AWAITING A DECISION

  While these important operations were in full swing, Dr. Kanebrought Mrs. Kenyon home, completely cured and inexpressibly gladand grateful. Her return, although hailed with rejoicing by Ralph,upset the decidedly masculine housekeeping arrangements which he andhis friends had established during her absence.

  Mrs. Kenyon could find no fault with the neat and clean conditionof the house, nor with the way the dishes were washed and placedin order on the shelves. She was, however, considerably surprised,not to say startled, at the culinary efforts of her son and hisguests, and she declared she could not understand "how anyone cansleep in those beds, the rough-and-tumble way they're made!" Butafter making them properly, she realized that there were now notenough beds to go round. Hence Ralph and Blake for two nightsslept in the hayloft in the barn.

  The railroad surveyors returned to Oakvale in due time, havingfully established the previous survey which Ralph's father hadcaused to be made. There could be no further dispute now over theboundary lines, and "Old Man Perkins' claim hadn't a leg to standon," as Tom Walsh expressed it, when the report was read to him.Nothing remained now but to await the decision of the railroadofficials as to whose property they would buy.

  The three lads, Ralph and Tom and Blake, had gained some valuableexperience in their work with the surveying squad. Toward theend, Ralph had been able to go about with the others everywhereexcept on the stony slopes of the hills, where the walking wasdifficult. His work on the garden patches completed, he had abrief interval of welcome leisure to spend with his helpful guests.

  "Well, boys, I guess we'll start for camp to-morrow, if Joe turnsup to guide us," Rawson said the evening after the survey wascompleted. "Why don't you come with us, Ralph? I'm sure yourmother can spare you for a few days, and we'd all be delighted tohave you make us a visit at camp."

  "Yes, you bet we would!" added Blake. "You'll come, Ralph, won'tyou?" Tom asked in his quiet, cordial way.

  "What do you say, mother?" said Ralph.. "Can you---I mean, won'tyou be glad to be rid of me for a few days and have Aunt Sarah makeyou a visit here?"

  "Not glad to be rid of you, son," returned Mrs. Kenyon, smilingfondly. "But I wish you would go! It would be real fun for you.Your aunt is coming surely, so. I shan't be lonely at all. Go along,like a good boy."

  "All right, I will. Thanks for inviting me, Mr. Rawson."

  Thus it was arranged that Ralph should accompany them on a hikethrough the backwoods that extended for many miles between hisfarm and Pioneer Lake, southward. Earlier than usual he rosenext morning and attended thoroughly to the chores; then, aftera hearty breakfast, the four hikers bade Mrs. Kenyon good-byeand set out for a place in the woods where Joe was to meet them.This place was at the lower extremity of a small lake calledPlacid, which was cupped in the hills about two miles from the farm.

  "We'll play we're prospectors and look for signs of iron deposits onyour land, as we go along," said Rawson.

  They went steadily on for over an hour, pausing only to test invitingrocks with their hammers and to allow Tom to take some photos ofbirds and plants. Unfortunately the foxes' den appeared to bedeserted that spring, and Ralph felt a pang of regret at the thoughtthat perhaps the foxes that usually took up their abode there hadfallen victims to his traps. "I hope I won't have to set any moretraps for the wild creatures of the woods and streams," he said tohimself. "I see now it's much better sport to get snapshots of them."

  Presently the glitter of the little lake among the trees attractedthem, and they pushed on through the thickets down to the shore.

  "Wonder if it's too cold for a swim?" said Tom, eagerly.

  "A quick plunge won't do us any harm," assented Rawson. "Shall wetry it, boys?".

  All were heartily in favor of the idea. In a few minutes they hadstripped off their clothes and waded into the water.

  "Don't go far out!" cautioned the young Scout Master. "The water'snone too warm at this time of year, and anyone of us might get acramp suddenly without a moment's warning."

  While the boys amused themselves by racing close to the shore, heswam ahead of them, but no further out. Rounding a wooded pointthat jutted out into the lake, he found, to his surprise, that hewas facing Loon Island. He had no idea that he had come so far.The boys were not in sight, but their shouts and laughter assuredhim that they were all right, obeying his instructions; so he struckout toward the little island. A few vigorous strokes brought himto the shore---he could almost have waded across from the point---andhe climbed upon a rock and sat in the warm sunshine. How deliciousit felt on his body! What fun to stretch his muscles in the exercisewhich he liked best of all---swimming!

  "Nothing to equal the first dip of the season!" said the young man,half aloud. "I feel like a schoolboy in a pond!"

  All at once his quick ear caught the faint splash of a paddle closeat hand, and he sat motionless on the rock, and waited. Thesound grew more distinct, and presently a canoe, manned by asolitary individual, came into sight around the shore of the island.Rawson uttered an exclamation of surprise, for the man was "Injun Joe."

  Bareheaded and stripped to the waist, his thick blue-black hairtousled in the breeze, his lean, muscular, lithe torso gleaminglike bronze in the sunlight, Joe paddled with a strong, swift strokewhich sent the light craft dancing over the water. As heapproached the rock on which George was seated he moderated hisspeed, and swerved toward a strip of beach. For a moment hehesitated, holding the canoe still by extending the paddle flat outon the water; then he headed straight for a safe landing betweentwo boulders.

  Five minutes passed---ten. Still George waited, watching a littlespiral of smoke curl up into the air. Then the canoe came into sightagain, bobbing gently away from the island. Now it was empty.

  "Hello! He's not in it!" Rawson exclaimed, shading his eyes withone hand. "The canoe has floated away with his clothes! He'llhave to swim for it!"

  In another moment he saw Joe scramble up on one of the boulders,fling off his remaining clothes, and dive into the water in pursuitof the flighty craft. Reaching it, the Indian did not climb aboard,but swam back to shore, pushing it in front of him. Then Rawsonstepped down from his rock and slipped along the bank until heemerged from the undergrowth just where Joe was landing.

  "Mighty careless of you, Joe," he said, laughing.

  Startled, Joe looked around to see whence came the familiar voice.His eyes met Rawson's, and he grinned with pleasure, as soon ashe had recovered from the surprise of seeing the unexpectedapparition of a naked white man in those wilds. Red man and whiteman, children of the wild, in a state of nature, shook hands infriendly greeting. Then Rawson explained how they had been waitingfor Joe to appear on the scene.

  "What have you got there, Joe?" he finally asked, pointing to abrisk little fire and a pile of flat stones heating therein.

  "Got heap plenty fine fish," answered Joe. "We have dinner hereon island, what?"

  "All right. Lend me this old canoe, and I'll go and get the boysand bring them over, while you are cooking the fish."

  This was done; and when all had dressed and piled into the canoe, ajolly and hungry party gathered on the island. Joe showed them howto broil the fish on the hot stones; they brought out theirsandwiches, hard-boiled eggs, and milk, and all "fell to" with akeen appetite. Joe remembered seeing Ralph at the market inOakvale, and he grunted approvingly when informed that Ralph wasto be a visitor at camp.

  They paddled across the lake and began the journey through thewoods on the southern shore. But they had not gone far when theywere overtaken by a thunderstorm, which drove them to the shelterof a cave at the base of a cliff forming one side of a broad ravine.The rain fell in torrents, mingled with hail, the thunder rolledand reverberated among the hills, and the skies were riven by vividflashes of lightning. Within the cave, however, they were snugand dry.

  "We're safe here," said Rawson, "and we'll camp here for the night."
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