CHAPTER IX
"BE PREPARED!"
Bumpus was not the only fellow who felt his heart beating much fasterthan its wont just then, though none of the others betrayed the fact;for Giraffe and Step Hen were too crafty to show that they were worried.
They seemed to be in a trap, for the heavy seas would not allow them tothink of leaving their anchorage until morning came along, at least; andto remain might be exposing themselves to some unknown peril.
But then these lads had done through so many things, especially sincethey joined the Cranford Troop of Boy Scouts, and learned what it meantto think for themselves, that none of them really displayed the whitefeather, no matter if Bumpus, who loved peace so much that he sometimesfought to secure it, did manifest some uneasiness.
They had along with them a double-barreled shotgun that had always givena good account, of itself in times past; and would again if called toshow its sterling qualities. And with this in the hands of ThadBrewster, who was a perfectly fearless chap, according to his churns,who did not know that his boy heart could hammer in his breast like arunaway steam engine, why, they surely ought to be able to stave off anyordinary attack.
Giraffe felt better when he had picked up the camp hatchet, and waved itseveral times in the air, making vicious stabs at an imaginary enemy.
"Get ready for boarders, fellows!" remarked Step Hen, who had reached inand secured the long bread-knife, which would make a most formidableweapon, if only he had the nerve to wield the same.
"Not on your life!" snapped Giraffe; "we've got enough mouths to feed asit is, without taking, on any more. Boarders nothing. You've gotanother think coming, Step Hen, don't you see?"
"But after all, fellows," Thad told his followers, "this may be a falsealarm. That light has gone now. It may only have been some farmer orminer letting his wife know he was on the way home. How do we know anydifferent? And what interest would any rascals have in trying to comeaboard this boat?"
"That sounds all very fine, Thad," remarked Davy; "but I hope we ain'tthinkin' of all going to sleep at once to-night!"
"We ought to have a sentry on duty all the time," suggested Giraffe.
"I appoint you for that onerous duty, then, Giraffe; consider thatsettled," the scout-master said, like a flash; whereupon the tall chapbegan to hedge, and explain more fully his views.
"Oh! course I didn't mean that one scout should sit up all night," hewent on to remark; "but by taking turns we'd feel that the boat wasn'tagoing to be carried off while we slept. Sure I'm willing to stand myturn, which might be any two hours you set; and then I'll wake up thenext man. You know we've done that same many a time when we were up inMaine, down along the Blue Ridge, and out among the Rockies hunting biggame."
"Of course I understood what you meant, Giraffe," the scout-master wenton to remark; "and as you say, some of us will spell you, a new mangoing on duty every two hours. But I hope now nobody really believesthat we're going to be attacked, by lake pirates, or smugglers, oranything like that. Those who lie down to sleep, just forget everything.We're safe here in a splendid harbor and nothing will happen to botherus."
"But if it should, Thad, you'll wake us all up, I hope," urged Bumpus.
"I promise you that, Bumpus," returned Thad; "because I know just howyou feel about it. No fellow likes to be kicked while he's asleep; withhis eyes open he's in a way to take care of himself. Oh! Yes, we'll seethat every one is waked up if there's going to be a row; because we'llhave need of your fighting face then, Bumpus, remember."
It was hard to get the fat boy fully aroused, such was his customarygood nature; but when he did get beyond the limit, he used to assumewhat he considered a terrible look, that was supposed to strike fear tothe heart of his adversary.
Somehow no one admitted to feeling at all sleepy now. Even Bumpus, whoas a rule could be depended on to fall asleep right after he had had hissupper, was apparently as wide-awake as a hawk; and joined in all theconversation as they sat around on the deck and waited for, they hardlyknew what, to happen.
"Anyhow, we didn't tie up to the shore, as Bumpus wanted when he saidhe'd feel so much better if he could walk on firm ground again,"remarked Step Hen.
"And I'm glad now that twenty feet or more of water lies between us andshore," the party mentioned hastened to add.
"How deep do you think it is in here, Thad?" questioned Davy.
"All of twenty feet in the place our anchor went down," replied theskipper, promptly, "it's a regular hole, such as the trout like to liein during the hot dog days of late summer."
"Glad to hear you say that," observed Bumpus; but he did not explainwhether his pleasure lay in the fact that any would-be boarders mightfind it difficult to cross over from the rocks to the boat; or thatthere were likely to be fish in the pool, affording a chance for anibble at the tempting bait he had dropped overboard, attached to theconcealed hook at the end of his line.
"If anybody came along here just on purpose to take a good look at us,whereabouts d'ye think they'd be likely to show up, first of all, Thad?"Step Hen wanted to know.
"I was thinking about that a minute ago, Step Hen," replied thescout-master; "and sort of made up my mind they'd be apt to climb thatpile of rocks yonder. You see, it overlooks this pool, and a man mightlie there near the top and watch us all he wanted, provided the moon cameout, and gave him the light he'd need."
Everybody thereupon cast an eye aloft.
"I'm afraid that moon business is just what's going to happen rightsoon," observed Giraffe.
"Yes, there isn't going to be a storm after all," remarked the skipper;"clouds are breaking night now, and it was a false alarm, you see."
"Well, hardly, with me," ventured Bumpus; whereupon everybody tittered,because they knew what the fat scout meant; and there were three others,who, if they were as candid as Bumpus, might have added:
"Me too!"
Half an hour passed by, and they were really getting tired, for it wasnow in the neighborhood of half-past ten o'clock, as Thad told them thelast time he consulted his little dollar watch that gave him so muchsatisfaction in all his outings.
Still, none of them wanted to be the fellow to first crawl under hisblanket, it being only a matter of pride that kept Bumpus at least ondeck, blinking like an owl in the daytime, as he tried to keep his eyesopen.
Jim, by the way, had been fastened to a cleat, and was perched on theedge of the cabin roof, no one as yet daring to touch him; though he hadeaten some meat they placed within his reach, which proved that the owldid not mean to starve himself to death, yet awhile at least.
All at once Bumpus felt a galvanic shock.
"Oh!" he shouted in excitement, "it's come at last!"
All the others started up in great alarm.
"What ails the fellow?" cried Step Hen.
"Got a fit, I reckon!" echoed Giraffe.
"Fit nothing!" mocked the fat scout, who was bending over, and seemed tobe clawing wildly at the air, so that it was no wonder in the darknessthey thought he must be having a return engagement with that seasickness; "I've got a fish, and that's more'n you can claim, Giraffe,with all your smartness!"
"Bah! never count your chicken's till they're hatched!" scoffed theother, as he saw the fat scout suddenly pause, as though there had comea sickening slackening of the line. "Imagination is a great thing,mebbe; but next time be sure of your game before you whoop it up so."
"But he's there yet, I tell you!" ejaculated Bumpus, again becomingactive. "Hi! somebody lend me a hand here, so I won't lose him. We needthis trout in our business, because we got to have breakfast in themorning."
"Hold on!" said Giraffe, with emphasis; "don't forget that the terms ofour wager state distinctly that no one must offer the slightestassistance in landing a fish. If you're after that fish solely forbreakfast, why, any of us'll be glad to lend you a hand; but then itdon't count. How about that, Thad?"
"You're correct, Giraffe," replied the other; "but I hope Bumpus la
ndshis prize, all right, because fresh fish would taste fine to-morrowmorn."
It was a little struggle in the mind of Giraffe as to whether thesportsman spirit, or the love of good feeding would prevail; but at lasthe also cried out: "I hope he gets it, too, sure I do! Good for you,Giraffe!" exclaimed Thad, perhaps purposely mistaking this for a spiritof fairness that would do the tall scout credit as a true sportsman.
Meanwhile all of them watched Bumpus tugging at his line. The fish wasfull of fight, and evidently objected to furnishing a breakfast for aparty of Boy Scouts off on a vacation cruise; but by sheer strength, andnot a little good luck in the bargain rather than fisherman's skill,Bumpus finally man aged to haul his struggling prize aboard.
"It's a trout, as sure as pop!" exclaimed Step Hen, as they all bentover the wiggling and flapping captive, and Giraffe struck a match, thebetter to see its nature.
"Whee! let me tell you he pulled to beat the band too!" the proud anglervowed, as he rubbed his arms; and then bent lower to admire the spottedsides of the big trout, that probably looked prettier to Bumpus thananything he had ever before seen.
"He's a jim dandy, and that's a fact, Bumpus!" said Giraffe, swallowinghis bitter chagrin because fortune had cheated him out of being thefirst in the contest to bring in such a prize; at the same time he wasno doubt thinking what a tasty morsel that splendid fish would affordthe lot for breakfast and wondering if there were not several of themwho had confessed that they did not care for fish which would allow alarger portion to those who did.
However, all thoughts of this nature were doomed to be forgotten,because just then Davy had to go and throw a bombshell into the camp byremarking in a low and trembling voice:
"Thad, oh Thad! I saw a fellow poke his head up above that pile ofrocks just then, give you my word of honor I did!"
"Be prepared!" said the skipper, quickly; and every scout reached outfor the weapon he had decided to rely upon in case of dire necessity.
Boy Scouts on Sturgeon Island; or, Marooned Among the Game-fish Poachers Page 9