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Updated: June 20, 2025
They may bombard us from the woods with rocks!" warned Joe Clausin. "Just let 'em try, that's all. We'll chase the stone thrower to a standstill, and then he'll be sorry he wandered away from his happy home this night!" Bobolink declared, ferociously. So they walked along in detached groups, many eyes were on the alert, and listening ears bent to catch some sign of a lurking foe.
"About three mile's below Stanhope now; aren't we, Paul?" asked Jud Elderkin, the leader of the second patrol, who, with Bluff, Nuthin, Joe Clausin, Gusty Bellows, Old Dan Tucker, Phil Towns and Little Billie, constituted the crew of the Comfort, commanded by the scout master himself.
Besides Tom Bates, the new boys were Philip Towns, Jud Elderkin, Joe Clausin and Andy Flinn; the latter of Irish parentage, but well liked, even though his widowed mother had to take in washing to provide food for the numerous mouths dependent on her.
He always seemed to have plans made up in advance, as though anticipating every trouble that could arise, and getting ready for it. "Huh! that mightn't be so bad, after all," grunted Joe Clausin; and even Gusty Bellows and Little Billie nodded their heads, as if agreeing that there were things less desirable than camping on the bank. The minutes dragged along, until half an hour had gone.
Just as Joe Clausin had said, it had a real "spooky" air, that, at the time, with night at hand, did not impress them very favorably. It was with extreme caution that the two motor-boats crept along the shore of the island, with numerous eyes on the lookout for a good landing place. "Seems to be plenty of water right here," remarked Jud, who was sounding with one of the poles.
"Oh, that's a fine place for honest scouts to pitch their tents, ain't it I don't think!" observed Joe Clausin, with a sneer. "H-h-huh! ain't there j-j-just twenty-six of us s-s-scouts; and ought we b-b-be afraid of one l-l-little g-g-ghost, or even a w-w-wild man?" demanded Bluff Shipley, who stuttered once in a while, when unduly excited, though he was by degrees overcoming the nervous habit.
A lake for me, with an island in it that nobody lives on, but p'raps an old wildcat or a she bear with cubs." "But they say something does live on it, and that he's a terror too; a real wild man that's got hair all over him like a big baboon I heard it from a man that saw him once, and he wouldn't lie about it either," Joe Clausin called out.
Joe Clausin ventured to remark, after they had done considerable dodging, to avoid a mass of rocks that blocked the way in a direct line. "Still, you'll notice that there's always a passage around," said Paul. "It's that way with nearly everything. Lots of times we don't see the opening till we get right on it, and then all of a sudden, there's the path out."
You know that some of the boys will fall by the wayside soon after the novelty has worn off," remarked wise Paul, who delighted in studying human nature as he saw it around him. "Listen! fellows! The fire alarm!" shouted Joe Clausin, just at that instant. Every voice was hushed.
That's my ijee, boys, an' it'll give me great joy if so be ye take me up!" They looked at each other for a minute, speechless with astonishment. Then being real boys they found their voices with a rush. No need now for Tom Butts or Joe Clausin to suggest three cheers.
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