The Boy Scouts with the Motion Picture Players

The Boy Scouts with the Motion
Picture Players

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Picture
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Title: The Boy Scouts with the Motion Picture Players
Author: Robert Shaler
Release Date: July 19, 2004 [EBook #12948]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MOTION
PICTURE PLAYERS ***

Produced by Jim Ludwig

THE BOY SCOUTS WITH THE MOTION PICTURE PLAYERS By
Robert Shaler

CONTENTS

CHAPTERS

I. The Haunted Make-Believe "Castle" II. Creating a Panic III. Taking
Possession IV. Scouting at Midnight V. A Startling Surprise VI. Guests
at the Camp Fire VII. Faced by a Mystery VIII. As in the Days of
Chivalry IX. With the Motion-Picture People X. The Assault on the
"Castle" XI. Imitation and Reality XII. When Swords Clashed XIII.
Well Done, Scouts! XIV. Oakvale Gets a Thrill

CHAPTER I
THE HAUNTED MAKE-BELIEVE "CASTLE."
It was about the middle of a fall afternoon, and Friday at that, when
five well-grown lads, clad in faded khaki suits that proclaimed them to
be Boy Scouts, dropped down upon a moss covered log near a cold
spring at which they had just quenched their thirst.
The one who acted as leader, and to whom the others often deferred,
answered to the name of Hugh. He was, indeed, Hugh Hardin, assistant
scout master; and the others were also full-fledged members of the
Oakvale Boy Scout Troop of which so much has been written and told.
Those fortunate readers who are familiar with previous volumes in this
series need no introduction to these lively lads.
For the benefit of others who have not up to this time made their
acquaintance, it may be said that the boy next to Hugh was Alec Sands;
the stout, rosy-cheeked fellow with the beaming face, Billy Worth; the
slender one, Arthur Cameron; and the uneasy chap "Monkey" Stallings,
so nicknamed on account of his pet hobby for hanging by his toes from
the cross-pieces of telegraph poles, or the lofty limbs of forest trees.
It might also be noted further that Hugh was known as a fine all-round
scout; Arthur's leading specialty lay in the line of amateur surgery, at
which he was wonderfully proficient; Alec gave the leader a pretty
good race in nearly every line of scout activity, while Billy,---well, to
be frank, Billy's strong points might be set down as an everlasting fund
of cheery good-nature, and a remarkable capacity for stowing away
"grub."

Apparently the boys were out on some sort of fall hike. Each had
burdened himself not only with a pack but a blanket as well, the latter
secured, after the usual military habit, across one shoulder.
Each fellow also depended on a stout staff that, in a way, answered for
an Alpine stock, should they have to climb any hills. Besides, it was
handy as a weapon of defense in case they were attacked by a vicious
dog.
"Well, the time limit you set has come, Alec," Hugh was saying after
they had stretched themselves along the convenient log.
"Yes," burst out Billy, eagerly, "you promised to tell us all what you
confided to Hugh before he agreed to get up this little weekend hike.
I'm burning with curiosity to know what's in the wind."
"We've taken a leap in the dark, you see," added Arthur, "because when
Hugh said it would be well worth our while we just trusted him. Now,
open up, Alec, and relieve our suspense. You said the next time we
stopped you'd begin to explain all this dark mystery."
"Me, too," exclaimed the Stallings boy, who was always turning his
restless eyes upward, as though seeking some enticing branch where he
could exercise his favorite antics.
Alec Sands laughed softly.
"I'm ready to tell my little story, boys," he remarked. "It isn't such a
wonderful one, after all, but Hugh agreed with me that it might give
some of us an excuse for coming up this way. And my aunt had
supplied all the necessary funds covering our railroad fare from
Oakvale to the little station where we jumped off the local
train---Scarsdale."
"Which aunt, Alec?" demanded Billy, whom it was always difficult to
suppress.
"Oh! none of you ever met this relative of mine, I guess," considered

Alec. "Aunt Susan is a very rich woman, and what you might call
eccentric if you wanted to be particularly nice, and not use a harsher
word. In fact, her nerves have gone back on her, and