FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75  
76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   >>   >|  
ailing to take part in the troop doings, unless these were official and gave him a chance to appear in uniform, girded with authority, so his absence was not unexpected. Immediately after lunch the others betook themselves a mile outside of town, sides were chosen, and the "border" laid out. This consisted of about four hundred yards of a little-used road where the snow had not been much disturbed. This was patrolled by a portion of the "custom inspectors," with a reserve posted farther inland. About half a mile back from the road a deserted barn did duty for the "town." The smugglers gathered about half a mile on the other side of the border and were allowed to cross it in any formation, singly, together, or scattered, and make for the town at any speed they chose. One only of their number was supposed to be smuggling, and he was equipped with tracking-irons. The moment a sentry patrolling the border caught sight of these tracks, his duty was to signal the fact to the reserve party of inspectors and at once follow the track himself. The reserves cooperated with him, trying by any means to catch the smuggler before he could reach the town. If they succeeded, the game was theirs; but if the smuggler eluded them and reached the barn safely, victory went to the other side. It was a typical scout sport, and for three hours or more the fellows played it strenuously, varying it toward the end with one or two other stalking games. These all met with unanimous approval, even Bob Gibson, the habitual grumbler, admitting that it was more fun than he thought it would be. "We'll have to try some more of those in the book," Ward remarked as they tramped back through the twilight. "That deer-hunt one sounds pretty good, if you fellows will only make bows and arrows enough. I vote we fix up a deer and go to it next Saturday." It happened, however, that the following Saturday was devoted to something even more interesting than deer-hunting. As Dale entered the parish-house on Monday evening he passed Mr. Curtis, just inside the door, talking earnestly with Wesley Becker. "It was a big surprise to me, I can tell you," he heard the scoutmaster say. "I can't imagine what has brought about the transformation." "He doesn't say, I suppose?" asked Becker. "No; it's just the curt invitation. He's hedged it about with all sorts of prohibitions, but still it's wonderful he should have come around at all." "It'll be corking fo
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75  
76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

border

 

Becker

 
inspectors
 

reserve

 

smuggler

 

fellows

 

Saturday

 

arrows

 

tramped

 
sounds

remarked

 
pretty
 
twilight
 
unanimous
 
approval
 

corking

 

stalking

 

Gibson

 

habitual

 

grumbler


admitting

 

thought

 

prohibitions

 

Wesley

 

surprise

 

earnestly

 

talking

 

Curtis

 
inside
 

brought


transformation

 

suppose

 

scoutmaster

 

imagine

 
passed
 
evening
 

happened

 
devoted
 
entered
 

parish


Monday
 
hedged
 

interesting

 

hunting

 

invitation

 

wonderful

 

disturbed

 

consisted

 

hundred

 

patrolled