The Boy Scouts Patrol | Page 9

Mr. Whilden. "I had almost forgotten
them in the excitement," turning to the boys, who had come on board to
learn as to the fate of the girl. Shaking hands with them again and again,
he explained: "She is my daughter. I hadn't any idea she was anywhere
near, and I don't see how it happened yet. Why, hello, Frank!"
addressing the young man who had been in the canoe, and who was
now wringing the water from his clothes. "What in the world were you
doing here?"
"Why, Nellie and I," explained Frank, agitatedly--he had not yet
recovered from the shock of his experience--"came down to visit Mabel,
and we went out for a cruise on the river."
"But how did it happen?" interrupted Mr. Whilden, "I thought you
knew how to handle a canoe."
"I thought I did, too," replied Frank, "but Nellie saw you on the deck
and, forgetting where she was, attempted to stand up to wave her
handkerchief to you, and, the next thing we knew we were all in the
water."
"I can't thank you enough," began Mr. Whilden, again turning to the
boys.
"Not at all," protested Rand, "we are very glad we were in time. Come
on, boys, it is time we were getting along."
"Now," went on Mr. Whilden, "isn't there something I can do for you?"
"Nothing, thank you," replied Donald. "Now that Miss Nellie is all
right--I see that she is herself again--we will say good-by and go on."
"Good-by, then, and good luck," said Mr. Whilden, "and if I can ever
do anything for you, be sure and let me know."
"I want to thank you and to know you, too," added Frank.
"All right," replied the boys as they pulled away from the yacht, "we

shall be glad to see you anytime."
Giving three blasts of her whistle as a farewell salute the Dart resumed
her course up the river,
"Who were the boys?" asked Mrs. Whilden a little later. "I want to
reward them."
"Why I don't know," replied Mr. Whilden. "I clear forgot to get their
names, after all."
"Well, I mean to find out for my own account," said Frank. "They are
worth knowing."

CHAPTER VI
THE ENEMY MAKES A RAID
"You think we had better stop and see if we can catch any more fish
before we go ashore?" asked Rand, when the Dart had gone.
"Why," asked Jack, "there's enough, ain't there?"
"There was," allowed Rand, "but it is a good deal later now."
"I think we had better go on," said Jack laughingly. "There is a good
place I can see. That strip of beach over there is a natural landing
place."
"And a green spot back of it that would make a dandy place for a
camp," added Pepper.
"I wish we could come up here and camp," said Jack. "Wouldn't it be
fine?"
"I s-s-say!" cried Pepper.

"Well, s-say it," said Donald.
"Let's organize a patrol and come up here and camp out."
"You hit the bullseye that time, Pepper," cried Jack enthusiastically.
"'Twould no be a bad idea," admitted Don.
"Ah done reckon dat am a fac', for shuah," drawled Rand in the negro
dialect, of which he was master.
"We will get Colonel Snow to start us," added Jack.
"Agreed!" cried the others.
"And we will see him just as soon as we go back."
"And start the thing right away."
Talking enthusiastically over their plans, the boys pulled the boat in to
the shore.
"See that curious-looking house up there," broke in Don. "I didn't know
there was anybody living up here."
"House! Where?" asked Rand.
"There, among the trees. It is covered with bark so you would hardly
notice it."
"Oh, yes, looks like a big tree," said Jack. "Must be a hermit."
"But I thought hermits always lived in caves," demurred Pepper.
"Well, here is one that doesn't," replied Jack.
"Let's go and see him," suggested Rand.
"I don't think we had better," doubted Pepper. "If he's a hermit he

doesn't want visitors, and maybe he is an outlaw."
"An outlaw," laughed Jack. "What have you been reading lately?"
"Why, there ain't 'no sich things,' at least around here," added Rand.
"Well," persisted Pepper, "there's no use rushing into things you don't
know anything about, and besides we want something to eat first."
"Pepper wants to make sure of his dinner, whatever happens," said
Rand.
"Somebody else thinks the same way, too, from the smoke up there."
"Smoke, where?" asked Donald.
"Up there on the top of the mountain," replied Rand. "See that haze
floating away."
"I thought that was a cloud," said Jack. "I wonder what it means?"
"That some hunters are making a fire to cook with," volunteered
Donald.
"Of course that is it,"