The Boy Scout Treasure Hunters | Page 9

zenith he
crept cautiously down and satisfied his thirst. There was no one in sight,
yet he felt afraid to venture toward the town before dark, and went back
to his hiding place.
On the way back he made a great find. Some careless workman had left
a mallet and chisel lying by a huge slab of stone. They were rusted by
the weather but otherwise in good condition. Glen took them to his
hiding place and spent a great deal of the afternoon cleaning off the rust.
Then he began work on a rough block of stone which lay near and was
greatly gratified at the result of his labors. So the afternoon slipped
away without the dreariness of the morning.
He was hungry now and tired and consumed with loneliness. His
thoughts turned to the pleasant home he had just left with a great
longing. They had given him good treatment--the Gates family. He
contrasted Mr. Gates with Mr. Jervice, stirring in his bosom a great
indignation at the treachery of Jervice, and also awakening a great trust
and confidence in Mr. Gates. Perhaps he was right after all. Perhaps it
would be a good thing for him to go back to the school, serve out his
time, and then try to make a man of himself. If the school had been

close at hand he would have gone at once, for the supper-time picture
which rose to his mind, with the crowd of boys ready for their plain but
wholesome food was a very attractive one just now. Where his supper
was to come from he did not know, for his only nickel had paid for the
ticket to the merry-go-round.
Now that it was dark enough to make his travel safe he picked up his
chisel and mallet and climbed up the side of the quarry. The tools gave
him an idea. They were marketable and would surely provide a supper
for him. He looked them over as closely as the fading light would allow
but found no marks or initials to indicate the owner. So he felt a little
more certain of his plans as he hurried along the road toward the town.
He had no intention of going to a big store and offering the tools for
sale. His choice would be rather a small general shop where he could
get both food and a hat in exchange for his offering. He felt that the
lack of a hat as he walked through the streets would be sure to attract
attention. He found just the place he needed at the very outskirts of the
town, a little "general utility store" designed to supply the needs of the
dwellers in outlying houses who did not wish to go to town for every
purchase.
But the dealer was suspicious of a bareheaded boy in a man's suit of
clothes offering to trade a mallet and chisel for a meal and a straw hat.
"Where did you get these things?" he asked, as he closely examined the
tools.
"I found them in the old quarry east of town," replied Glen.
"You found them! They don't look like tools that have been lying
around in an old quarry."
"No, sir. Because I spent all afternoon cleaning them up."
"I hope that's true, boy. I want to be fair with you. Wait a minute while
I make a few inquiries."

He turned to the telephone; and even as he did so Glen fled through the
open door. It was unfair, miserably unfair, he told himself as he ran,
and the hot tears filled his eyes. He had found these tools all rusty, and
spent all afternoon cleaning them, and now this man was bound to call
up the police. He did not stop to think that if he had been an honest boy
with a good record calling up the police would have meant nothing to
him.
Glen slowed his pace to a walk after a few blocks; a running boy was
too conspicuous. Every time he saw a man in any kind of a uniform he
dodged out of his way. A street-car conductor on his way home, who
passed near to him, gave him a great scare. And at last came a
policeman who really did start after him; at least he walked in his
direction and when Glen started to run he ran too. Glen was terribly
frightened. He ran madly, not once looking behind, and therefore
ignorant of the fact that after one block the officer gave up the chase
after a boy who was probably playing some foolish joke. It was a hot
night but the sweat on Glen's face was caused as much by terror as by
his exertion. He ran not knowing where he