Boy scouts in the Maine woods

Contents

CHAPl'ER PAGE

I. The Proposition i

III. Insubordination ...... 32

CHAPTER I THE proposition

^‘Cale yourself a Boy Scout, do yer?” and Richard Dobson, one of the lumber operators of Penobscot, glanced down over his spectacles angrily at Jonas Hanson, a small, wiry, determined-looking lad of mayhap fourteen or fifteen years of age.

‘‘ Yes, sir, that is what we’re striving to be.”

Striving, eh ? ” and Mr. Dobson seemingly grew yet more angry. “ Does it take very much of striving to find a way of wasting your time under the pretense of trying some new-fangled idea? ”

But we do not intend to waste our time, sir,” Jonas replied, still meekly; but there was a light in his eyes which told that the lumber king of Penobscot had aroused his temper ever so little. ‘‘ It is our purpose to do whatsoever we may of good in this world ”

And you find it necessary to take on the name of Boy Scouts in order to be able to do good, eh?”

“ The name won’t prevent us, sir. It is the spirit in which we work that will show whether we may be able to accomplish more than boys ordinarily do, and this taking the name of scouts, or banding ourselves together in patrols, is simply to the end that one may the better aid the other. Besides, it is well for us to be under certain rules and discipline, because whatsoever we might have on hand could be carried out by half a dozen boys acting under one leader, more intelligently than if each fellow went along independently, sometimes, perhaps, at haphazard.”

“ Yes, yes, that sounds all very well, and yet it is no more than an excuse to wander here and there getting into mischief, most-like; but chiefly wasting your time. Why don’t you do something worth while? Why don’t you earn money by real labor? "A boy of your age should be ashamed to idle the hours away without getting any returns from them.”

“ But we are not idling the hours away, sir. We are striving to show you grown-ups that we boys can do more than spend our time in pleasure —

‘‘ Then why don’t you go to work?

‘‘We are ready to do whatsoever may come to our hand, when we can give the time outside of school work.”

“ I’ve got a job for you, if you were inclined to put in a little labor on it.”

Jonas looked at Mr. Dobson in surprise, while a certain gleam of intelligence came over his face as if he was beginning to understand why this gentleman had attacked him in what might well have been called a savage manner.

“ What work have you, sir, that a dozen or more boys like me could do ? ’’ the lad asked, eying the gentleman sharply as if striving to read by the expression on his countenance more than might have been contained in the 'words he had just spoken.

‘'A dozen or more boys of your size could act as wood-rangers, now the weather is so dry and there is danger of forest fires being started. I am not so certain but that I would be willing to give you an opportunity to go in at Gray Ledge, and range my sections from now until the rainy season begins. There are so many fool hunters roundabout, every one of whom counts on building a fire, that it’s high time I looked after the matter myself, instead of trusting wholly to the government.’^

But I thought the State sent in rangers during the summer-time to watch for fires,” Jonas said, not a little surprised that Mr. Dobson should have made such a proposition, if proposition it could be called.

Yes, that is what the State authorities are bound to do, and yet if all the word which comes to me from Seboois be true, there hasn’t been a ranger in that vicinity for the past three weeks. If I could get a couple of good men, or I would be willing to take on half a dozen ordinary boys, who would go in there and do the work faithfully. I’m not saying but that I’d give fair wages. At all events, I’d be willing to provide the crowd with provisions, and pay a little something besides/’

“ Are you making a proposition to our Boy Scouts, sir?” Jonas asked almost sharply, whereupon the gentleman, looking down at him keenly over the top of his spectacles, replied with a question:

“ How many of these ’ere Boy Scouts have you got together so far? ”

“ There are eleven of us, sir, making up two patrols.”

“ What do you mean by patrols ? ”

Squads, sir. Perhaps you would like to know how the Boy Scouts are divided into companies and troops. If so ”

“ No, no, I wouldn’t give the snap of my finger to hear all the folderol that’s been going round this town since you and Eben Verrill started the foolishness. I don’t really want any Boy Scouts in mine; but if so be you lads, who claim to be eager to do somewhat in the way of good, are minded to range my sections nearabout Gray Ledge, independently of the State rangers, then I stand ready to make a bargain with you; that is to say, if there’s such a thing as trusting a gang of crazy-heads like you to do men’s work.”

I’m not certain that the other fellows would be willing to go up Seboois way for the entire summer; but it seems to me they might be glad of the opportunity, and if you are ready to make a real proposition to us, Mr. Dobson, I can give you an answer between now and night.’*

‘‘ What do you mean by a real proposition ? ” the lumber operator cried savagely, and Jonas, determined that the matter should be settled in a businesslike manner if it was settled at all, replied promptly :

In the first place, we would want to know what you are willing to pay if our scouts take charge of the ranging on your sections nearabout Gray Ledge.”

‘‘ That’s it ! That’s it ! Looking after the dollars, are you ? I thought you said you had come together to do good and make men of yourselves,” Mr. Dobson snarled.

Making men of ourselves doesn’t consist in working for nothing when it is such laboj* as should be paid for. We count to be men by doing whatsoever we agree to do, and doing it in proper fashion ; but at the same time if it is right we should be paid for such service, then do we expect to have the wages.”

‘‘ I suppose you know plenty of Jobs hereabouts that a crowd of lazy, good-for-nothing, imitation soldiers such as you are, could get, eh ? ”

“ No, sir, we don’t, perhaps because we haven’t looked for anything of the kind; but if an opportunity should come, we would say, as I am saying to you : How much are you willing to pay for it ? If we are to do your work, binding ourselves to your interests, then it is right you should pay us as you would be obliged to pay men.”

“ How many did you say were in your gang, eh ? ” ‘‘ Eleven just now, sir; but there are three other fellows who want to come in, and in case we got an opportunity to act as rangers I would be in favor of taking them, thereby increasing the troop to fourteen.”

‘‘And how much money do you think fourteen idlers ought to have for going into a good, comfortable camp up nearabout Gray Ledge, and loafing round there all summer, eh ? ”

“If it is only a question of our going into the woods to loaf, sir, I don’t think we should have anything ; but in case you count on us to keep watch over all your land in the vicinity, then should we be paid whatsoever you would be forced to give men. Last year, if I remember rightly, sir, you sent Dave Pooler and another man there, giving them a hundred and twenty dollars a month in addition to their provisions.”

“It seems you have been keeping tabs on this wood- ranging business, eh ? ”

“No, sir; I only heard Dave Pooler telling how much you paid, which, he said, was sixty dollars a month for each, in addition to provisions.”

“ But there were only two to be fed, and your gang counts up over a dozen. Quite a difference between feeding two and fourteen.”

“ There is no reason why I should figure that end of it,” Jonas replied laughingly. ‘‘ The question is how much you would be willing to give us lads if we went in there and did the work. Mr. Pooler said he was forced to travel ten miles every day, and his partner did the same, making twenty miles which must be covered every four and twenty hours in order to keep an eye over your sections.”

‘‘Yes, that’s what they did; but Pm counting that the work should be done a leetle closer than it was last year. Say, for instance, if your gang of fourteen went out there. I’d allow that by hook or by crook you should cover a full twenty miles every day, dividing the distance up among you as seemed best, and at the same time act as look-outs all the while at both camps. Now if so be you are inclined to take the job, and if I can be convinced that you do the work faithfully, then I’m willing to send in supplies enough to keep you boys from being hungry. In addition I will pay in cash fifty dollars a month for the crowd, or, let us put it in round figures, and say a hundred and twenty-five dollars for the season.”

“ When would you want us to go in, sir ? ”

“Just as soon as you can get ready. Say by tomorrow’s train.”

“ How far from the station at Seboois is the camp of which you spoke, where we would make our headquarters?” Jonas asked.

‘‘ Near to nine miles straight through the wilderness. There’s what you might call a blind trail ; but the traveling is decently hard at this season of the year, and you would have to allow not less than five hours, perhaps six, to go in.”

‘‘ And how would we get our provisions there? ” I’ll attend to that end of it if so be we make a trade.”

‘‘How soon would you want an answer, sir?” Jonas asked thoughtfully, and Mr. Dobson replied promptly :

“ Between now and sunset. It may be that I am an old fool to take the chances of sending you crazyheaded boys in to look after valuable property; but I have made the offer, and I’ll stand to it until sunset. You can take it or leave it.”

“If the decision rested with me alone, sir, I would accept the proposition at once, even though the pay seems small for so large a number of boys.”

“ It ain’t the number that I’m hiring. Four could do the work as well as fourteen, and I should be in that much money when it comes to paying for provisions; but since you’ve got this tom- fool gang rounded up, I suppose I must hire the whole or none.”

“ I’ll call the boys together and let you know within an hour, sir,” Jonas replied, and without waiting for an answer he hastened away, feeling confident that now was come the time when he and his comrades could show to the people of Penobscot, who had been inclined to treat the movement of banding themselves together into a company of scouts as something in the nature of foolish play, that the Boy Scouts could act the part of men.

If they could succeed in doing this work which Mr. Dobson had for them, and do it in a satisfactory manner, then might it be a certain token or proof that when they had subscribed to the agreement which is required of Boy Scouts, they were doing a larger work, and showing themselves to be more manly, than would be possible in any other way.

That which confronted Jonas and his comrades, when they had first read about the Boy Scouts of America, was that in the town of Penobscot there seemed really no field for them to show themselves in any way save by studying woodcraft, and that, to their parents, was but another term for idleness, because all the people roundabout Penobscot were familiar with wood-ranging. For any one to set about learning it would be to them much like spending time in discovering a new way to breathe, or another method of washing one’s face.

To go out as Mr. Dobson’s rangers would be to accept a post of no little trust, for during the summer season those who ranged the woods to guard against fire were doing a work which could readily be understood by the people of Penobscot as something of value — something of importance, because lO all the industries of the town were more or less connected with lumbering interests.

Jonas, as he ran here and there to summon his fellow-scouts, believed that if they lived up to all the agreements made when binding themselves together, they would be able to find, during this summer in the woods, ample opportunity of helping Others, or of adding to their store of knowledge, and, what was best of all, could show that, in taking upon themselves the duties of scouts as laid down by the national organization, every member was keenly aware of the responsibilities resting upon him.

The organization of these Boy Scouts of Penobscot was very far from being perfected on the day when Richard Dobson, the lumber operator, proposed to engage the company for service in the woods.

Jonas Hanson had, after a long study of the official hand-book of the Boy Scouts of America, decided that he and his friends could do no better than form such an organization, and without applying to the secretary of the Scout Council either for permission or advice, they had set about getting together two patrols. In so doing, Jonas Hanson was chosen scoutmaster without question as to whether he would be able to fill such a position according to the requirements of the organization.

Jonas was as good a woodsman as could be found among the boys of Penobscot, and since the greater

IN THE MAINE ?

portion of their labors must ne< on in the wilderness of Maine, hi to be no other field, he was believe, to act as scoutmaster. Then surely was qualified for adjutant, if good na of purpose, and a general knowledge ol be required in camp or in the woods, anything.

Before the organization numbered six decided to have two patrols, one, the Beavcx^, the leadership of Jerry Simpson, with Fred j as corporal, and the other the Ravens, with x. Hubbard as patrol leader, and Sam Merrill corpoiv

It seemed to Jonas that by thus effecting an organization, even before there was a single recruit for the ranks, they could the sooner enlist the requisite number, and therefore it was that at the start every member was an officer.

On this day, however, the company consisted of eleven, with three others eager to join, making, as Jonas had said, fourteen who could go into the woods to perform Mr. Dobson’s work.

Now Scoutmaster Hanson knew full well that his followers should be divided into scouts, second-class scouts, and tenderfeet, according to their abilities; but how this might be done was a puzzle, for it appeared to him that all the members were about on the same footing, so far as experience and ability was concerned.

i of the fact that he was not strictly he laws governing Boy Scouts as set .he official hand-book, he decided that dl ranks should not be assigned until after u'had some experience in real work, and this sition that they act as fire-rangers, performing •tain amount of labor which would be of imtance, rendered it possible for him to get his itrols into proper shape, with every lad standing xording to his deserts before the season had come ,0 an end.

Therefore it was that when Jonas went in search of his adjutant he was considerably exercised in mind, fearing lest Eben might not look upon the proposition of Mr. Dobson in a favorable light.

He was prepared to advance very many arguments as to why they should go to Gray Ledge and there spend the summer ranging the woods to guard against fires, and was almost disappointed when, on meeting Eben and repeating to him that which had been said by the lumber operator, he found that the adjutant was wildly in favor of the scheme.

‘‘ It’s the greatest ever 1 ” Eben exclaimed enthusiastically. ‘‘ Why, it’s exactly the work we need to get our scouts and ourselves in training. To stay at Gray Ledge, living in one of Mr. Dobson’s camps, will be the highest kind of sport, even if there is nothing else to count. Of course that fifty dollars a month isn’t to be sneezed at; but it doesn’t really amount to anything when you come to realize how much good the experience will do our patrols. We shall be regular scouts when we come back! We’ll know exactly where every fellow stands in rank, and who can say but that one or more of us may be able to earn a badge of some kind, for the chances are many when a fellow is in the woods and there’s such a crowd of city fellows fishing and fooling round generally. Why, I’ve seen one of those men come down here with all kinds of baggage — fishing tackle such as no one but himself ever heard of, and guns without number, and then not have sense enough to keep himself from oversetting a canoe in still water.”

‘‘ Since you’re so eager to go into the scheme, it doesn’t seem necessary for me to spend very much time here. Let’s find Jerry Simpson and Ezra Hubbard. If they are as much in favor of turning fire-rangers as are you and I, we’ll call the rest of the lads together, for I’ve promised to give Mr. Dobson an answer within an hour.”

There is no real need why we should go into the details of this portion of the business, for when the Boy Scouts of Penobscot were assembled at their regular meeting-place, a small room in the rear of William Mansfield’s shop, the scoutmaster found it actually difficult to give words to all which was in his mind, so eager was every fellow to accept the proposition made by the lumber operator.

It was, perhaps, unfortunate that all the scouts did not view the matter exactly as did Jonas and Eben. To the majority of the lads, this going to Gray Ledge and acting as wood-rangers was nothing more nor less than a jolly kind of lark, and they failed, or at least some of them did, to give due heed to the possibilities of advancement as scouts, seemingly forgetting that there was any other purpose for the organization than the opportunities for sport.

This fact was quite apparent, both to Jonas and Eben, and when, after having learned that every fellow was not only willing but eager to go to Gray Ledge, the scoutmaster and his adjutant were left alone to discuss the preliminaries, Jonas said with a long-drawn sigh, as if he was discouraged even before the real work had begun :

‘‘If all we have read about the Boy Scouts is true, then there is more to this business than simply enjoying ourselves, and yet only three or four of the fellows seem to think that weVe got a great chance to put ourselves in training.'^

“ Now look here, Jonas, if you are going to cross bridges before we come to them, you are like to have a disagreeable time of it this summer. I know exactly what you believe a Boy Scout should be, and am hoping it will be possible for me to come somewhere near your ideal before next fall ; but you must bear in mind that all the fellows are not so deeply interested in this movement. If we had approached them with the proposition that they call themselves Boy Scouts simply for the purpose of trying to do good to others and make men out of themselves, the chances are ten to one we wouldn’t have got together a single patrol. But when they had the idea that there was a good deal of sport to be had, they were willing to join, and it is in my mind that if you and I have the true idea of this organization, it remains for us to bring the other fellows to an understanding of what they should or should not do in order to be real scouts. That is work enough, Jonas, and if we can accomplish it between now and next fall, then shall I believe we may make application to headquarters to be regularly enrolled.”

“ And why shouldn’t we do that even now ? ” Jonas asked thoughtfully, whereupon Eben replied decidedly :

‘‘ Because, as I look at the matter, we haven’t earned the right. Wait until we have proven that we know what it means to bind ourselves as we have done, and when we can show something of moment for the time spent, then I’ll say we are ready to ask that we be recognized by the Chief Scout. There’ll be plenty of time for us to discuss this matter if we are going to Gray Ledge, for I am fancying there will be many an hour when we shall have nothing of moment to do. Therefore, instead of borrowing trouble because the other fellows are not taking hold exactly as you would have them, let’s set about i6 making our preparations as soon as you Have told Mr. Dobson we are ready to go, for it is in my mind that in order to prove ourselves worthy to be scoutmaster and adjutant of these two patrols, we should be exceedingly careful of the comfort and well-being of those whom we profess to command.’’

Chapter II The Journey

When Jonas and Eben notified Mr. Richard Dobson that the Boy Scouts of Penobscot had accepted his proposition to act as rangers over the sections of land owned by him nearabout Gray Ledge, that gentleman lost no time in attending to his share of the preparations for their departure.

Because of his apparent eagerness to have them set off at once, it seemed certain he believed he had made a profitable bargain in employing the lads, even though professing to look upon them as good-for-nothings, whose only idea in organizing themselves into Boy Scouts was a pretext for idling away their time.

It also appeared as if he had been convinced they would accept his proposition, for immediately after being notified that they were willing to take upon themselves the duties of fire-rangers, he handed to the scoutmaster and his adjutant written directions as to how they could reach the camp assigned them, and otherwise gave token that he had had no doubts regarding their willingness to serve him during the summer.

i8

BOYj SCOUTS

It is more than likely Mr. Dobson had full confidence in his conviction that the lads would welcome the idea of spending a summer in the woods, even though he had not proposed to pay them a certain amount of money for their services, and before this hurried interview came to an end, Jonas got the idea very firmly fixed in his mind that the lumber operator was already repenting having offered them any money for the work to be performed.

The gentleman fancied, according to the scoutmaster’s idea, that the scouts would have accepted his proposition, had it included only the use of the camp and a supply of provisions.

However, Mr. Dobson had agreed to pay them fifty dollars a month, and it was too late, as he himself must have understood, to recede from the proposition. Beyond the fact of saying more than once that he thought Jonas and his comrades were very fortunate in having such an opportunity to spend their time, he made no reference to the financial portion of the agreement.

The one idea in Mr. Dobson’s mind appeared to be that of starting the boys into the woods at the earliest possible moment, and in this desire the scoutmaster and his adjutant were more than willing to humor him.

The only matter necessary, so far as the boys were concerned, to be attended to before they left, was to gain the consent of their parents. This seemed to them a trifling thing, for the lads of Penobscot were in the custom of spending considerable time in the wilderness, and people in that section of the country do not look upon it as anything so very wonderful that a boy of from twelve to fifteen years of age should be able to go into the woods and remain there a month or more without getting into serious difficulty.

There was little need for Jonas and Eben to spend very many moments with the lumber operator. He had reduced all his instructions to writing, and it simply remained for them to take possession of the documents and agree with him that the scouts would be ready to take the morning train for Seboois, he promising to meet them at the station with the tickets for transportation.

On the evening of this same day fourteen lads assembled at an early hour at the headquarters in the rear of William Mansfield’s shop, and a more excited, eager company of lads it would be difficult to find..

So far as gaining the consent of their parents, and getting together such of their belongings as the boys counted to carry with them, every preparation had been made for the journey to Seboois, and now were they met for the purpose of discussing minor matters, more particularly those which concerned them as Boy Scouts.

The one regret in the minds of all was that as yet they had no uniforms, for it seemed to every one, from the scoutmaster to the veriest tenderfoot, as if it was in the highest degree necessary they should be clad in such costumes, that whosoever saw them would understand at a single glance they belonged to a patrol of scouts.

However, they had not been sufficiently long organized to have made such preparations, and Jonas ^consoled them with the suggestion that the money received from Mr. Dobson as wages for ranging the woods could be devoted to purchasing uniforms. Therefore it was understood that the first month’s pay would be expended exclusively for that purpose, with the belief that by paying such an amount on account, they would be able to get credit for a modest equipment for both patrols.

As a matter of fact they had their own homemade knapsacks, as had every lad and almost every man in Penobscot who went often into the wilderness.

These were simply what are known as grain bags, with straps on either side which fastened under the arms in such manner that the receptacle when filled and the top gathered closely with a string, hung between their shoulders where it could not interfere with their movements while marching, or even scouting among the foliage.

Every fellow wore moccasins; some of Home manufacture, and others from the shops at Gldtown;

but all of the same kind — that is to say, a stout moose-hide shoe with a flexible sole, and a top which, when laced, came up midway between the knee and the ankle.

It was such foot gear as was best adapted for wear in the wilderness, whether snow was on the ground or in the warm weather of summer, and however neat and natty might be the shoes which made up a portion of a Boy Scout’s offlcial uniform, these lads would not have exchanged their rough-looking moccasins, because of knowing by past experience that there was nothing made that would serve them as well, either in the way of comfort or durability.

It would have pleased Jonas and Eben better if they could have used military expressions when speaking of their outfit, or of members of the company; but Penobscot was in the lumbering district, and the terms accepted there were those familiar to woodsmen. Therefore it was that the assistant cook was known as cookee, and the outfit of provisions as the wangan.

Mr. Dobson had made as a portion of his offer the agreement to provide the boys with food, and therefore was it necessary he send with them a cook.

As to who this very important official might be the scouts were considerably concerned until the following morning, when they marched in orderly array from their headquarters to the railway station, and there found Joseph Brown, a well-known cook in the lumber camps, awaiting them with the wangan outfit. In his company as assistant, or cookee, was William Willard, better known as Slim Bill, who had the unenviable reputation of being, as the woodsmen termed it, “ mighty nigh half-witted.’’

However, it was known to all the lads, as well as to the people of Penobscot, that no better cook ever went into the woods than Joe Brown, and the Boy Scouts at once understood that however many might be the hardships encountered, they vrould find the camp life rendered as easy and comfortable as might be possible, for Joe Brown was, as the good people of Penobscot said, ‘‘ a master hand at looking out for his camps.”