CHAPTER XVIII
DEAD WIRES
"We must have a chance yet," S. S. insisted weakly.
"About as much of a chance as a dish of ice cream at a Sunday-Schoolpicnic," grinned Specs.
Bunny cleared his throat. "I know how you fellows feel about this, andI know just what we are up against. Twenty minutes isn't much time forthe distance we have to cover. Just the same, I've made up my mind thatwe are going to be at the ball park in Belden by three o'clock thisafternoon, even if we have to build a toboggan and slide there. Butwe're not going to give up, not if I know anything about this patrol.We've never quit yet when something had to be done."
There was a general murmur of agreement. Little Prissler said primly,"That's the spirit that moves mountains!"
"And if it should turn out, at five minutes of three," added Bunny,"that we are still trying to cross this lake, I'd vote for keepingright on toward Belden till we reached there."
"That's what we all say!" shouted Bi enthusiastically; "that is, ifsome near-sighted laundry doesn't catch us and hang us up on a line todry."
In the laughter that followed, the nine boys began to take stock oftheir soaked clothing, wringing and pressing out as much of the wateras they could.
"The bullgine's picking up a little," said Roundy hopefully, squirtinga little oil on the exposed running parts and tightening the greasecups. "If we don't touch shore ahead of time, I'm a tenderfoot."
With freshened courage, they waited the landing. And because neitherbreakdowns nor stoppages came their way, they climbed upon the yachtpier at exactly 10:39. While Roundy arranged with the keeper to lookafter the launch, Bunny interviewed a fisherman on the best way to getto Harrison City.
"The main road is that macadamized pike right there," the man informedhim. "It's a good mile and a quarter to the Charles City station."
Bunny gasped. The situation was even worse than he had imagined.
"But if you are in a hurry--"
"We are, Mister; we're in a mighty big hurry."
"Then take the old wagon road to the right," advised the fisherman."It's a short cut over a couple of little hills. A bad stretch of road,I'm telling you, but only three quarters of a mile to Harrison Citythat way. On foot, you'll get there a lot sooner than if you follow themain highway."
"We want to catch the 10:50 train."
"You'll make it if you keep your legs moving."
A series of short blasts on the patrol leader's whistle gathered theeight boys about him. In a few quick words, Bunny explained the lay ofthe roads.
"We'll take up the Scout's pace, and keep at it till we reach thestation. We have almost ten minutes to make three quarters of a mile.I'll lead, and I want each fellow to hang close to the heels of the oneahead."
"I'll be rearguard," said Specs, as the nine boys broke into a trot."Remember, Roundy, if you drop back, I'll--I'll pick you up and carryyou into Harrison City."
There was nothing about the road to hinder people on foot. Deep rutsand gullies made it practically impassable for finicky automobiles, butthe nine boys strung out in single file and thus avoided bad places andfallen branches that had toppled upon the trail. Less than a quartermile from the lake, they skimmed the crest of the first hill with everyfellow hanging close to his pace-setter.
"It's like taking candy from a baby," Specs grinned, as the groupdropped into a walk. "What do you say, Bunny, if we make the run ahundred yards and the walk fifty? We can do it easy enough."
Bunny was unwilling. "Yes, we could," he admitted, "but we have a ballgame to play this afternoon, and I guess we'll need all our strength towin it."
The road was a little better now. Trees that met overhead threw agrateful shade upon the hikers. There were even clumps of wild flowerswaiting to be appreciated by anybody in the mood to look at them. Butthe Scouts and the Scout-trained Prissler had their minds set uponcatching that train, and the most beautiful flowers in the world couldhave bloomed their heads off without getting more than a passing glance.
"Off again!" Bunny announced, giving the signal for the jog.
They wound past a clump of trees and around a turn to the left. Withoutwarning, Bunny slowed and halted. Behind him, Scout bumped Scout, likea row of dominoes that is set falling.
A man with a cane faced Bunny. "I--it's--" He stammered incoherentlybefore he loosed a flood of words. "Boys, I must have help! I must haveit! I must ask you to help me!"
"What's the matter?" called Specs, who had not heard the request. Hewas rubbing an affronted nose that had collided with Roundy's back.
It was now evident to Bunny that the stranger was older than he hadseemed at first. His face was lined with wrinkles. His back was twistedand bent, as if from rheumatism. When he spoke, his voice quavereduncertainly.
"My wife and I, we live back there in that little frame house. She'sjust getting over a long spell of sickness, and it is necessary for meto be in touch with the Harrison City doctor night and day. But now mytelephone won't work; it's gone dead."
"We'll leave word at Harrison City."
The old man shook his head despairingly. "It's a bad time of week toget anything done. This is Saturday, you know, and they might notcome--they might not come till Monday."
"Well, what do you expect us to do, anyhow?" demanded the irritatedSpecs.
The old gentleman's hand trembled as he gestured. "I--I don't know.Perhaps one of you could go to the telephone office and maybe stayright there and explain how much we needed the 'phone fixed and notgive up till they started somebody out here to fix it."
There were five seconds of uncomfortable silence, broken by Bunny. "Wemight do better than that. If Handy were here--"
"Roundy knows a lot about telephones," suggested Jump.
"Not very much," Roundy admitted slowly. "But I can tell if any of thewires are disconnected, or if the battery is dead, or if anything bigis the matter with the instrument."
"That's enough; that's plenty!" Bunny was thinking hard and fast."We all know a little something about electricity. Roundy, you goto the telephone and look it over. I'll meet you there." Roundy wasoff on a run. The old gentleman, staring in blank surprise, suddenlycomprehended and shouted that the telephone was in the hall, justinside the front door.
"Now for the insulators," Bunny said briskly. "You notice how thewires run from the house along those trees, with the insulators on thelimbs. If somebody shinnies up each tree, we'll soon discover whetherthe trouble's between here and the regular poles."
There was no time to discuss matters with the aged cottager, who seemedstill dazed and wondering. Like so many squirrels, the boys scatteredand began squirming their way up the proper trunks.
Eight trees carried the glass insulators. Fortunately, however, theone nearest the house could be examined with the aid of a friendlystepladder. Bunny was up and down in the twinkling of an eye. Withthe other volunteer repairmen fairly started, he now made his way toRoundy, already deep in his labors of examining the telephone.
"I can't see anything wrong here," Roundy grunted, squinting at thewire coiled in the box. He tested the poles of the battery with a wetfinger. "Plenty of juice in that. Everything tightly connected, andtransmitter and receiver in good shape."
Bunny flung open the nearest window.
"Find anything wrong, Bi?"
"Nothing here. How about you, Specs?"
"Right as a trivet on this tree."
Down the line the Scouts reported, each to the effect that his wire andinsulator were in prime condition. From the last tree, Prissler shouteda confident, "O. K. here."
Puzzled and disappointed, Bunny turned again to Roundy, who was makinga last effort to call Central. Almost two minutes had passed in thisdetermination to live up to the Scout law that says a Scout must behelpful and prepared at all times to give aid to those in need. If theyhoped to catch the train--
"Oh, Bi!" It was the voice of Bonfire Cree calling from the fourthtree, that roused Bunny from his slump of depression. "Look bac
k wherethe wire leaves the house. It doesn't come out from the corner; itturns through that vine. Take a look at the vine."
With a shout, Bi swung from the lowest limb of his perch, and ran tothe spot Bonfire had pointed out. Along the side of the house, a vinehad wrapped its heavy creepers around a little segment of the wirebetween the insulator on the corner and the holes where the wire turnedin to connect with the instrument.
Slapping open his knife, Bi slashed away the green foliage, to exposea tiny patch of wire, hard against a tin rain trough, where faultyinsulation had rubbed or rotted free, forming a short circuit. Bybending out the copper strands, the trouble was eliminated.
At that moment, a smile creased Roundy's cheeks into joyous wrinkles.
"Listen to this!" he said, handing the receiver to Bunny.
Faintly, but distinctly, the patrol leader could hear the voice ofCentral. "Number, please?"
"Get 'em together, Roundy, and have Bi start on a slow jog and keepit up. I'll catch you. And hustle, because we have a fighting chanceyet." As Roundy picked up his cap, Bunny turned his attention to thetelephone. "The R. A. & S. station, please. No, I don't know thenumber, and there isn't a book here. But it's important."
A moment later, a gruff voice answered. "R. A. & S."
"Nine of us want to catch that 10:50 train. We must make it. Can't youhold it sixty seconds for us? Yes, we'll be there surely by 10:51; by10:50, I hope. Just sixty seconds?"
The answer made his heart leap. "Thank you! Thank you! You've done usthe biggest favor anybody could!"
Working with all possible speed, Bunny hooked the front of thetelephone box in place, warned the old gentleman to tape the exposedwire outside the house, and dashed after the others, without gettingmore than the first part of the thanks which were being showered uponhim.
Already the other boys had rounded the next bend in the road, and ittook stiff running for almost three hundred yards to catch them.
"Just heard the whistle of the train," Specs confided, as Bunny cameeven.
"We'll make it," said Bunny confidently. "Why, we're not much behindschedule. There are over seventy seconds of our regular time left, andthey have promised to hold the train an extra minute for us."
As they trotted down the last hill, the railroad station came intosight. Already slowing down, the train was just pulling in.
"Safe at last!" Nap shouted. "I knew we could catch it."
But even while they were still running, a most unexpected thinghappened.
The train braked to a stop. But it wasn't a real stop. As Specs said,it seemed as though the engineer just "hesitated." Almost before thebig driving wheels had ceased revolving, and with the nine boys stilla good two hundred yards from the track, the engine puffed, the pistonrods spun the wheels till the friction caught, and the train, undergathering speed, pounded out of sight.
Boy Scouts of Lakeville High Page 19