Lil Artha

“ Lil Artha admitted.
Then Chatz breathed easy again.
"But how could fish ever get in here from the mill pond?" he demanded.
"Give it up; I pass. Ask me something easy," the tall scout hastened to say.
Meanwhile Elmer had, as before, taken a section of the newspaper, crumpled it into a ball, and after that drew out his match box. [57]
"Guess it's safe to drop this down," he remarked. "It seems so damp there can really be no danger of anything taking fire."
"Sure there couldn't," asserted Lil Artha, sturdily. "Let her go, Elmer; and everybody look." ”

“ They had some hours of sleep before morning found them stirring. There was more or less disinclination to be the first out, but Lil Artha proved to be the martyr and presently the crackle of a fire tempted Rufus and Alec forth; while even that sly old fox, George, opened one eye, and began to sniff the air, as though he fancied he had gotten the first whiff of sweet bacon frying in the pan.
Elmer had been close upon the heels of Lil Artha, of course, and between the two of them some of the ravages of the storm in the camp had been repaired long before the rest put in an appearance. ”

“ TAKEN BY SURPRISE.
"What's the matter with you boys?" demanded the scout master, as Ted and Lil Artha drew up in front of him.
"They've come in on Abe, sir, and are threatening to do all sorts of awful things to him, the great beasts!" exclaimed the tall runner, between pants.
"Speak plainer, please," Mr. Garrabrant said, sternly, so as to subdue some of the rampant excitement that threatened to impede a clear flow of words. "Who came in on Abe—was it animals you meant, or men?"
"Men, thir, and two of the toughest you ever thaw," Ted managed to declare. ”

“ The leader of the Wolf Patrol laughed when he heard Lil Artha make this remark.
"Every word that you are saying, Lil Artha, is the truth," he announced. "I've been watching those ragged edges of bushes myself. You see, the time might come after a while when I'd get mixed on the directions given by Johnny Spreen. Then I'd want to have some other scheme so as to find my way."
"But after a bit, Elmer, we'll get to a spot where Johnny changed his course from one day to another, as he went to different traps; how're we meaning to regulate our hunt then?" asked Toby. ”

“ The crowd numbered several hundreds, and they were [70] as ready to applaud any clever work on the part of the scrub players as Lil Artha's team. And with such a host of pretty high-school girls present every fellow strove to do his best in order to merit the hand clapping that followed every bit of fine play.
For five innings the score stood at nothing to nothing. Elmer was equal to each and every crisis, and somehow the boys back of him did not seem able to solve the puzzling delivery of Johnny Kline any better than the scrub team did that of the scout pitcher. ”

“ What's on your mind now, Elmer?" and Lil Artha confronted the other as he spoke, lifting a reproachful finger at him.
"Well, there's many a slip between the cup and the lip, you know."
"Oh, rats! Get down to business, Elmer. What might happen to upset our plans?" asked the tall scout.
"One of the men might return."
"And of course throw down the log and liberate our prisoner. But between you and me and the lamp-post, Elmer, I don't believe that's going to happen. 'Cause why? Well, it's my honest belief that this Italiano woman's got all the nerve there is in that crowd. The men are cowards." ”

“ Undoubtedly both Mark and Lil Artha must have seen the woman, if not while she was looking in at the window, then when she turned the corner of the hidden shack to enter by the door.
And hence they would surely understand that there was no man opposed to their combined force.
The fact of the woman being armed with so terrible a weapon as a knife, and that look of grim determination on her dark face, alarmed Elmer. ”

“ Get your gun, Lil Artha; they're vicious you must know, specially when they've got kits around."
"We haven't lost any cat!" remarked Lil Artha, composedly, as though he really took a cruel satisfaction in seeing Landy shiver; "and, besides, I don't more'n half believe the fairy story. Toby's got to show me before I own up. I reckon some of my people must have come from Missouri."
"Yes, they raise a heap of mules there, I understand," remarked Toby, with considerable sarcasm; "but I'm glad to see that Elmer has thought it worth while to lay hold of his scatter-gun, so as to be ready. ”

“ Finally Elmer arose, and there was a start on the part of those who had been selected to accompany the leader and Chatz on their singular errand.
"I hope you'll let me carry the gun, Elmer?" Lil Artha remarked, coaxingly.
"Why should you?" replied the other, instantly; "if it is a real ghost a bullet wouldn't hurt a bit; and if it should turn out to be some one playing a mad prank I don't think you'd feel easy in your mind if you were tempted to shoot him."
"But it might be some tramp or hard case, and we'd want to subdue him; how about that, Elmer?" questioned Toby. ”

“ Elmer was the "boss," and his word was law while they were away from home; so, making a virtue of necessity, Rufus shrugged his shoulders and grinned.
"Just as you say, Elmer," he observed, a bit ungraciously, "but I never was lost in all my life."
"That's nothing to boast of, Rufus," remarked Lil Artha. "It only goes to prove how many splendid opportunities you've missed. On my part I was just as proud of my ability to look after myself as you are; and yet I used to get twisted in my bearings a heap until I got the hang of things. ”

“ Mark asked.
"Yes, you two keep guard over the shack, and don't let the prisoner get away, if you can prevent it."
"Depend on us, Elmer. And say," Lil Artha remarked, "don't you think now it would be a good thing to send George down here?"
"That's an idea worth while," Elmer quickly replied.
"Oh, I get 'em once in a long time," grinned the other.
"A good scheme, and I'll send George back as soon as I can. When he comes, take him in to see the woman. Have him try and get her to understand that we mean her men no harm, and only want them to set our chum free." ”

“ That would make the people of sleepy old Hickory Ridge stare some, hey?"
"I sure think it would," returned Lil Artha, as he stepped off after Elmer; "and your folks in particular. I see you're in for a heap of trouble, Toby, with these fool notions of yours. It'll be a good thing if you get cured before you're killed." ”

“ A gasp seemed to go the complete rounds of all the khaki-clad warriors who thronged that mysterious little shack.
"Black Hand, you say, Lil Artha?" exclaimed Red.
"Yes, and anarchists, too; the kind that blow up the kings and queens of the Old World. The kind that abduct people so as to make their rich relatives whack up a big ransom." ”

“ Of course, Lil Artha was only having a little fun, because there was no thought of leaving anybody behind to stand guard over the two abandoned skiffs; and least of all would Elmer have dreamed of appointing the fat and timid scout for such a duty.
When deciding on such a radical change in their plans, Elmer did not forget that it might also be well for them to conceal the two boats. Should the man they were hunting chance to come upon the skiffs he might think it good policy to smash in the planks to such an extent that they would be useless for further voyaging ”

“ Still, Red means well, and what he signals tells us the two men have lit out for all they're worth."
"Bully!" cried Lil Artha, who heard what Elmer had said. "We hold the fort, and the enemy has skipped out! Now, I opine that I'm some disappointed, because I did hope to try that nice club; but it's all right. I'm a peaceful chap, when I can have my own way. And we've got what we came for, fellows. Here, let's give a big three cheers for the Hickory Ridge Boy Scouts."
They were given with a vim and a volume of sound that must have been heard fully a mile away. ”

“ And what's this you see here, fellows? A piece of broken looking glass fastened to the wall. Notice how low down it is? No man ever used that glass, you can depend on it; and the woman who did was surely small, wasn't she now?"
"A regular sawed-off," assented Lil Artha, emphatically.
"Elmer's sure proved his point there, fellows," declared Red Huggins, grinning.
"But what makes you think the woman is old, Elmer?" asked Landy, curiously.
"That's so; how in the wide world could you know such a thing without ever seeing her?" demanded Toby.
"Nothing could be easier, fellows; see here!" ”

“ It must have been quite some time, perhaps as much as two hours after they had stopped to eat their lunch when without warning the swamp explorers met with a surprise that gave them a new thrill.
At the time, Lil Artha happened to have passed a little in the lead, though he would soon be dropping back again, especially when there came a chance to make a mistake in direction, for he wanted Elmer to decide such puzzles.
The tall scout must have forgotten his warning from Elmer, for he cried out:
"Hey! everybody look what we're up against! A bear, Elmer, that's what it is!" ”

“ What're we going to do about it, Elmer?"
As usual Lil Artha was only too willing to have his companion take the lead in suggesting action. Some boys seem to be just fitted to occupy the position of guide, and their mates soon come to rely on them exclusively. Elmer [55] occupied that position, and so Lil Artha looked to him in this emergency.
"Why, we've got to get him down out of there, that's flat," returned Elmer. "He's our comrade; and scouts must always help their fellows, or anybody else, for that matter, when in distress. ”

“ A sudden attack that would leave himself and Elmer weaponless might throw the entire party into a state of helplessness, which would always reflect on their ability as scouts.
They spent half an hour in this fashion, though the trail wound in and out so much that at the end of that time they could hardly have been more than a quarter of a mile away from the late camp of the fugitives.
"Did you hear that, Elmer?" whispered Lil Artha, suddenly, throwing out a hand so as to clutch the other's arm; while everyone became rigid with suspense. ”

“ Rufus and Alec had an apprehensive expression on their faces as they waited for further developments.
"Don't you think it might be safer over among [132] the trees than here, Elmer?" asked Rufus at one time, after the thunder had temporarily died away.
"Not on your life!" burst out Lil Artha, taking it on himself to answer. "If the gale gets half as severe as I expect, you'll hear trees crashing down like toothpicks. It'd be all your life was worth to be caught in the woods then. ”

“ Say, it was the greatest sight you ever saw."
"Fakes, all rank fakes!" snorted Lil Artha; "every one of those boys was a confederate of the impostor. You notice they never come to small places where everybody knows everybody else, but show in cities, where a new audience comes each night. I'd like to see a circus like that, just to laugh; but you couldn't get me to believe in hypnotism worth a cent."
"Well, then," demanded Toby, "what do you think this man's got on Hen that he's made him do whatever he wanted, tell us that, if you can?" ”

“ They knew that a certain element in Hickory Ridge would only too eagerly seize upon this incident to prove what they had always claimed, which was that scouts, after all, were no better than other boys, and that when put to the test they could turn out bad as well as the rest.
"Yes, the honor of the Wolf Patrol is hanging in the balance, Elmer," said Lil Artha. "Are we going to just stand by and not lift a hand because it was one of our chums who did this mean job? If it was anyone else and they called on us to track him, wouldn't we respond to a man? ”

“ Elmer's mind was of course made up on the instant. [150] Indeed, such an appeal never came to a scout camp without being immediately accepted; for every fellow who so proudly wears the khaki has it implanted in his heart that he must eagerly grasp such golden opportunities to prove his worth, and be of assistance to those who are in distress.
Elmer knew, too, that he could depend on his comrades to back him up. Lil Artha, of course, must go along, for the tall scout's excellence as a tracker was well known, and this might come in very handy before their end was accomplished. ”

“ Apparently, Landy took this as a great compliment, for his perspiring face was set in a grin of triumph as he thrust out his tongue at Lil Artha, as much as to say:
"See, Mister Smarty, others appreciate my good qualities if you don't. So just mind your own business, and leave me alone to attend to mine. I'll get there or burst a blood-vessel trying. ”

“ We happen to know they're short of grub, and now that the country is being roused against them this man is beginning to be more or less afraid to venture out of the swamp to secure another lot of fowls, or anything else along the eating line."
"But it looks as if he came here alone, Elmer, seeing we can find only one set of footprints," remarked Lil Artha.
"Oh! mercy! I certainly hope now he hasn't done anything terrible to our chum, Hen Condit," quavered Landy, in a panic.
"There's no reason why we should believe such a thing," announced Elmer, decidedly ”

“ Elmer made an examination of the stores, and found nothing amiss there; so it was settled that the crazy man could not have mustered up enough courage to invade the camp of those he considered his enemies.
After breakfast Elmer, accompanied by Chatz and Lil Artha, started out to take a turn around in the woods, and look for signs of a trail made by bare feet. Some of the others amused themselves as they saw fit, sure that if the trail-seekers did make any interesting discovery they would hear all about the same, and undoubtedly be given a chance to help follow it. ”