Boys' Life 1923-08: Vol 13 Iss 8

Page 1

THE BOY SCOUTS’ MAGAZINE THE OUT-OF-DOORS ADVENTURE MA GX INE FOR BOYS AUGUST 1923 PRICE 20 CENTS Summer Fiction Number—In This Issue “CRIMSON SHAFTS OF VENGEANCE”

Page 2

Ts Equip Yourself for Outdoors! week OR NO COST—WE’LL HELP YOU FIREMAKING SETS

SCOUT AX The official ax for the ae Stouts of America, stan ped 1 blem. Har andy at over hike and incamp. Made of piece of solid steel, hand-forged and coated with a non- rusting finish. Hickory handle With slot for drawing nails. Given for selling only two New Yearly Subscriptions (remittance $4.€0). Or for One New Subscription and 50 cents. (Total remit- tance $2.50.) WATERPROOF CAMP BLANKET. Wise Long the dc spair of Scouts who have had to Scouts never sleep on the ground without such a mv ae ar - y33 pe _ atom y nm : fte ar ye pred blanket under them. Single ws aterproof sheet made eet ng abi, t a of materia et consists o ite of finely woven seamless waterproof duck; olive with leather thong, a drill, and drill socket. Notche drab; fitted with brass grommets, and ball and " board and ickage of tinder ' socket fasteners. Size 45x72 inches. Given for riven for selling only one new yearly su pee selling two new yearly subscriptions, and 50 cents nd 25 cents (a tot al remittance of $2.2 (Total remittance $4.50.) ‘us = gga Re STRAP. For ores THE GLOWNITE WATCH ankets, ponchos, etc. Three web straps wit “SHOWS TIME IN DARKNESS”

patent buckles. Given for selling only one new yearly subscription. (Total remittance $2.00.) BOYS WANT BOYS’ LIFE IN CAMP __A sturdy carefully 1ade timepiece. 16 , +t size nickel case. The , YATERPROOF SCOUT HAT. Goes well with BIG PAY FOR SALESMEN hands eid tumnerak all official garments and defies the’ heaviest rain. ? og. are coated with a sub- Flannel lined with ear tabs and chin strap. Given {any thousands of boys will be subscribing for BOYS’ LIFE, The _ ; nce containing a ml uine radium. Guar- (Total ronitronce $2.00.) <"Y SScriPtion. Boy Scouts’ Magazine, within the next few months. They want all en Wee aan the help for the camper and the Scout that fills BOYS’ LIFE pages. struction and insula- 3 ; tion insures timekeep- COMBINATION PONCHO. Raincoat, sleep- By telling boys and parents about BOYS’ LIFE, and oe ing in spite of jars, ing bag. ground cloth and shelter tent all in one. * . s . jolts anc tough usage. I Ua Ase ttyle: double textured, chive | vOeir orders, you can easily get equipment or cash. Write and te Given for selling rine with a coating of fine Para rubber ys what you want. (If you want cash, ask about the cash com- one. ne + ee rly between, giving exceptional wearing qualities under o.¢ ’ ) sub- severest conditions. Size 45x72 inches. Given for mission plan.) DON = GO WITHOUT ! b scription (not your selling ten new yearly subscriptions. (Total remit- own) and $1.30 (a

ne * otal remi ir] of ee as The Articles Shown Are Only a Few of oy Nees gg ed Hundreds You Can Obtain new yearly subscriptions (total $6.00).

SELF FILLER FOUNTAIN PEN BOYS’ LIFE, The Boy Scouts’ Magazine, - SCOUT KNIFE

Official knife; large size. Stag handle, heavy blade, screw

Made especially for this magazine. The best Salz-made pen we SPECIAL SCOUT COMBINATION driver, bottle and can have ever been able to offer, complete with slip clip. Fills by ie F , 4 opener; punch blade pressing coin or pencil in slot in side of barrel. 14 carat gold pen 1. Khaki Web Belt. 114” wide, gun meta! Scout buckle and and shackle tor hang- point. Fully guaranteed for service. two belt hooks for carrying knife and rope. (Give loose waist ing on belt. Made to Given for selling one new yearly subscription (remittance $2.00). measure in inches when ordering.) stand rough usage. Given for selling only two new yearly subscriptions (total re- mittance $4.00).

2. Whistle. Marked with official emblem. By this means Scouts can signal one another ‘or call help in emergencies. NUPOINT PENCIL 3. Khaki Lanyard. Wear your whistle or scout knife on it. Lends a “snappy” touch to the scout uniform. ‘Made of best

A real og with the repu- tation of the Eastman Kodak Company behind it, Makes a picture 1'4 x 134 inches. Loads in daylight with No. 00 Cartridge Premo Film. It is substantially constructed, has automatic shutter for time and snapshot exposures. Its negatives are of such quality that enlargements can easily be made from them. Given for selling one new yearly subscription and 30 cents (a total remittance of $2.30), or sent without charge for two new yearly subscriptions h sliding knot and loop for attaching whistle or (Total $4.00.)

5 inches long, beautifully engine turned silver finish, and has an eraser under the cap and a clip to hold pencil in pocket. The lead is easily inserted and pencil locks so lead can neither fall out nor rotate, break nor clog. Given for selling only one new yearly subscription (remit $2.00).

CAMP BLANKET Official camp blanket, weight. 314 pounds. Stamped with seal. Exceptional Wearing qu alities; substantially made fron good wool, kh aki color. Size 58x82 inches. Given for selling five new yearly subscriptions, and 25 ce : Total r mittan rce $10.25.) quality. braid, wit Knile.

GOOD QUALITY BRASS CASE COMPASS

ALL THREE articles given for selling only one new yearly sub-

oe aes BREECHES. Modeled full; h = tw 1. nt ont one a b watch ket; laced below knee. Given for tI new scription and 15 cents (a total remittance of $2.15). Eight-pointed, jeweled center. 1% yearly st sbecriptions and 15 cents. (Total rem nitta: ance * $6. 15. ) — diameter. eons peepend for — only one new year subscription at ree ng Ad KHAKI SHIRT. Has loose fitting rolling collar, two NCY CASE toumsithanat $2. 00), ee eee Stanley bre: ast por kets with buttoned flaps and embroidered “B EMERGE DELTA SPOT LICHT Scouts Ame p~ i over right breast pocket. Coat style; This outfit has proven a very ELECTRIC LAMP haki materia ; po ~pular addition to our first Latest thing in for selling three new yearly subscriptions. (Total re- aid supplies. Packed in pocket- camp lamps. . Has

long distance reflec- tor. A push of the thumb produces a powerful round case 5 x 3'4 inches. Selected materials, thoroughly sterilized, consist of roller bandage anti- septic linen, absorbent cotton, carron oil, arnica, adhesive spotlight with a plaster, liquid plaster, oint- ‘range of 200 feet. ments, surgeon’s lint, mint Average 30 to 40 hours’ continuous burning. tablets, safety pins and book of Sold without battery to prevent damage in ance $6.00.)

No. 1448. ELECTRIC BELT LAMP. rdinary flashlight will do. Can be j coat or fastened to belt, leaving both hands free

Can be set upright or hung from nail. Complete with first aid instructions. Weight, transit. Uses any No. 6 dry battery, which can battery, Prepaid. Given for sending only two new 1 Ib. : : be purchased anywhere. Given for selling only aba ‘i : “ects “ Given (without scissors) for one new yearly subscription and 50 cents (a yearly subscriptions. (Remittance $4.00.) selling only one new yearly sub- total remittance of $2.50), or sent without scription. (Remittance $2.00.) charge for two new yearly subscriptions. These articles are given for securing new yearly Read Every Offer Carefully. Send all orders to Boys’ Life, subscriptions, which must not be your own or : : any renewal of a present subscription. Carrying charges to you are paid by us. 200 Fifth Ave., New York, N. Y.

Page 3

August, 1923 HEN the troop you belong to seems going down hill, Captain Bill will carry you through: When the scoutmaster quits and his place you can’t fill, Captain Bill will carry you through, When the “1 told you so’s” are a hard bitter pill, Captain Bill will carry you through ; When the records are mixed till they look worse than hash, When the treasurer moves out of town with the cash, And it looks as though everything's going to smash, Captain Bill will carry you through | When you go out to camp and it rains for a week, Captain Bill will carry you through; When you find every tent in the lot springs a leak, Captain Bill will carry you through. When the gang gets so blue that nobody will speak, Captain Bill will carry you through ; When the bread all gets moldy and starts to decay, When bugs get in the bacon and snakes in the hay, When ten million mosquitos perform night and day, Captain Bill will carry you through | And when on life’s voyage you bravely embark, Captain Bill will carry you through; Through days that are stormy and nights that are dark, Captain Bill will carry you through; Over breakers and reefs and through shoals without mark, Captain Bill will carry you through ; Through the tempests of passion and whirlpools of fears, Through typhoons of temptation his strong voice will cheer, And through every danger your craft he will steer— Captain Bill will carry you through | Who is this captain, so cheerful and brave, Who, in all danger. yo SY. fellows, suppose a ship should sail out of New York harbor with this for a motto: “*We don’t know where we're going but we’re on our way!”” Noportinmind. No chart. No compass. ship, you know, can carry only a limited supply of coal for the engines and of food for the crew. Such a ship would be likely to wander aimlessly around in the ocean until the fuel gave out and then drift, a derelict at the mercy of the waves. Eh? What did you say? “A perfectly silly thing to do, Cave Scout?” And just think what a chance that ship had when it left the harbor! Think of all the interesting places it could have chosen to visit. Think of all the useful things it could have done, carrying merchandise from lands of plenty to lands of need! Our lives are much like ships; each of us has a life cruise to make. And isn’t it just as silly for a person to start out on a cruise with no port in mind, no chart, no compass as it is for a ship to do so? Youth is our fuel and the sea of life is littered with drifting derelicts, old men and women who have burned up their supply without making rt. But we fellows here in the Cave are just setting sail! hat a glorious chance is ours! All the ports of the world before us! And the days that are ahead of us seem without an Z@l ve = Bovs’ Lif ys Lite THE BOY SCOUTS’ MAGAZINE THE OUT-OF-DOOR ADVENTURE MAGAZINE FOR BOYS In The Scout Cave By The Cave Scout Vol. XIII, No. 8 He Had a Captain In honor of the Shriners who marched through Jersey City last Saturday, Shriner streamers and American flags were strung across the line of march. Some remained up Monday, and the halyards upon which they were hung were sagging from the rain. On his way home from school to luncheon Maz Davis, sixteen years of age, discovered that on Hudson Boulevard, near Harrison Avenue, a halyard had become so loosened that the American flag was lying on the pavement. One end of the line to which the flag and streamers were attached was tied high in a tree, the other end was lied to an electric light pole on the opposile side of the street. Up the tree went Mar. Untying the knot, he wound the rope around his fingers preparatory to taking up the slack. Along the Boulevard at just that moment came . . . anaulomobile. Just as Maz lifted the rope a bit lo tighten it, the car struck it. The nezt instant, his fin- gers torn from his hand and himself torn from his perch in the tree, Maz lay on the ground in an agony of pain. Two molorcycle policemen were passing. One dashed off after the car, while the olher summoned an ambulance and rushed Maz to the hospital, where his dangling fingers were amputated just above the knuckles. “He's a soldier all right,” said a physician who had been giving Mar special allention. ‘He's one of the gamest men we have ever had in here.” “When folks ask you how you lost ’em, buddy, what you goin’ lo say?” asked a sick World War veleran in the next cot. “Say I had’em jerked off by a rope,” answered Maz. “Buddy, listen,’ pleaded the veleran. “Don’t do that. You've got somethin’ belter’n a medal—tell ’em you lost’em savin’ the American flag.” — The World,” New York City. end! But we must beware, for time is a sly thief and steals our fuel before we are aware. Let us choose our ports, each for himself, doctor, lawyer, merchant, priest, artist, artisan, farmer, banker, teacher; then let each of us pre- pare well for the voyage. yes, I know how easy it is to put off this choosing! It does seem that there is plenty of time! But boys, this is true as truth; all ports now are open to us, but as time passes, one by one they will be closed. Unless we act soon we may awake later to the bitter truth that the one most desired of all can never be reached. And suppose that crazy ship I described should set sail without a captain! Imagine it! Even if it had some port in mind it would never get there, for a ship must be controlled. So it is with boys; some set sail with a captain on board and others. without any guide on thebridge. Let’sexaminesome of these cruises. There isn’t a boy here in the Cave who doesn’t know of some boys with scads of money. We think, ‘Gee, but they’re lucky! No work to do, big cars to drive, bully trips to the mountains!"" Yes, they are lucky, if they have a captain in charge of the cruise. Some of them do have, and make splendid trips. But many are in danger. Things are too easy, the sailing too clear. They choose no port and drift along from one pleasure to another. They may always have money, but they miss the most satisfying joy in life, that of having a real mission to pertorm. They end their cruise in mid-ocean, having given nothing of lasting value to the world. Then there are fellows with no money at all. Their ships often go slam-bang into a storm before they are out of the harbor. Some sink at the first onslaught, others barely keep afloat and still others, those with a captain aboard, sail a straight and steady course, and make suc- cessful cruises in spite of all adversity. Lincoln, the rail- splitter, was one of these, and Franklin, who walked the streets of Philadelphia penniless and alone. Edison was once a poor telegraph operator, and the present occupant of the White House was once a printer's devil. “But Cave Scout, where do you get this captain you keep talking about?” ““Eh? Excuse me. Then there are some fellows who start out under the handicap of bad health. Roosevelt as a boy was weak and sickly. Surely his body appeared to be a frail craft for the voyage of life. The doctors said he would always be a semi-invalid. But he put a captain in charge who rebuilt his vessel with a keel of steel and ribs of oak. I have just been reading of a boy, totally blind, who graduated at the head of a High School class of one hundred and eighty-five students. He has a captain in charge who refuses to acknowledge any handicaps! I know of a man who has been a cripple since childhood but who, in spite of this handicap, has acquired a fortune of more than a million dollars. He has just given a valuable tract of land.-to a great university and a million dollars in cash to establish a research hospital for crippled children with the intention of making it the greatest institution of its kind in the world. : “Hey! Tell us about that captain!” Eh? And then there may be some of you fellows who feel that you can not make a successful life cruise in America because you were not born in this country. Fiddlesticks! Thousands of boys born in other countries have become lead- ers in America. Sometimes I think some foreign-born boys have an advantage because they can appreciate better the opportunities offered here. Many have hard sailing, but with a captain in charge they can make port. Let me sug- gest right here that those of you who have not already done so get a copy of ‘The Americanization of Edward Bok.” That Dutch immigrant boy had a captain all right. “CAVE SCOUT!! How about that captain!” “Oh, yes! Excuse‘me! Who is this captain so cheerful and brave, Who, in all danger, has power to save? Come! Ai leader like that is deserving of fame! Well, he’s ours to command—and Will Power is his name! THE CAVE SCOUT. W. G. McADOO Honorary Vice-President WARREN G. HARDING Honorary President WOODROW WILSON COLIN H. LIVINGSTONE WILLIAM H. TAFT President Honorary Vice-Presidents GEORGE D. PRATT Treasurer DANIEL CARTER BEARD Honorary Vice-President and National Scout Commissioner JAMES E. WEST Chief Scout Executive Published Monthly by the Boy Scouts of America, The Fifth Avenue Building, 200 Fifth Ave., New York City 20 cents a copy—$2.00 a year On and after October 1st, 1920, there will be no reduction to members of the Boy Scouts of America, on single subscriptions to Boys’ Lire; $2.00 a year to everybody. Copyright, 1923, by the Boy Scouts of America. Entered as second class matter, July roth, 1912, at the Post Office at New, York, N. Y., under the Act of March 3d, 1879. Acceptance for aw. at special rate postage provi for in Section 1103, Act of October 3d, 1917, June 13th, 1918. FRANKLIN K. MATHIEWS Western Advertising Manager Art Editor FRANK J, RIGNEY Business Director FREDERIC L. COLVER Advertising Manager P. W. iWILLSON Editorial Board WILLIAM D. MURRAY HENRY VAN DYKE FRANK PRESBREY Editorial Staff JOHN D,. EMRICH Circulation Manager H. M. CLYMER DAN BEARD IRVING CRUMP E. O'CONNOR ——

Page 4

imsoO HE menacing baying of the hounds drew nearer. With stern, set face the fugitive, a tall, well- built young fellow of some twenty summers, paused in his flight and leaned awhile upon the naked, two-handed sword which he carried, seeking to recover his lost wind. Save for this one weapon the fugitive was unarmed, and his body was entirely unprotected by any armor. On his head he wore no covering beyond his long curly hair—hair of so light a shade as to appear almost silver in the bright rays of the morning sun that here and there penetrated the network of foliage above him. He was clad only in doublet and hose, the which bore many traces of his hasty passage through the thicket, while his points were but half fastened with a care- lessness that seemed to indicate the hurriedness with which the garments had been donned. His whole appearance, indeed, was that of one who has been rudely aroused from slumber and compelled to flee in haste from a threatening peril, throwing on what few garments come first to hand. And, as a matter of fact, at the troublesome period of which we write, such contingencies were all too common. Although several generations had passed since the Conquest of William, yet even this lapse of years had not entirely succeeded in uniting Anglo-Saxon and Norman into one common nation. Notwithstanding the policy of oppression practised by the Norman conquerors, there still remained a few Saxon nobles who had managed to retain a hold on part of the land which was the legacy of their forefathers, and these few, proud of their descent from the royal house of Alfred, made no attempt to hide their hatred of the Norman Barons and their customs and laws which sought to deprive them of the freedom which was their birthright. The Normans in turn despised the Sax- ons for their bluff, unpolished manners and surly independence, and lost no opportunity of harassing them, seizing upon the slightest pretext that would enable them to attack and take possession of the lands which they coveted. In addition to this the feudal Barons were constantly en- gaged in petty quarrels and minor warfare amongst themselves; and the forests and waste places, which covered a great part of the land at that time, harbored large bands of lawless men— outlaws, driven by the tyranny of their overlords to gain what precarious living they could in this manner. There is little cause for wonder, therefore, in the face of these disturbed conditions, that a man—or woman—should be met with, robbed of all worldly possessions, fleeing from the wrath of a pursuing enemy. ~ =, = LD — Illustrated by Clinton Balmer S THE fugitive rested, his blue eyes roving continually over the green foliage that surrounded him, keenly seeking for any foe that might be concealed, heavy trampling footsteps sounded close at hand, accompanied by the breaking of branches and the eager cry of the hounds hot on the scent. With lips pressed tight in a thin determined line he turned again and began to force his way through the trees and tangled undergrowth, tripping and stumbling, with thorns tearing at clothing and flesh, but ever forcing his way doggedly forward. Presently he emerged into a green open space in that deep forest, in the center of which stood a noble oak tree, with wide-spreading branches, clothed in a wondrous gown of olive and green—a very monarch among trees. As the fugitive beheld this giant of the forest he gave a low cry of grim approval. “*Twere better to meet them here with yonder stout oak to my back,” he muttered, “than to be hunted down like a beast in the forest where there is no room to wield the sword!” Scarce had he leapt across the greensward and taken his stand beneath those spreading branches, than a great boar- hound, with hair a-bristle and eyes gleaming fiercely, sprang from out the trees. As it saw the fugitive standing there tense and motionless like a wild thing at bay, it gave a deep growl and hurled itself with the speed of an arrow at his throat, its red, foaming lips drawn back from those fang-like teeth in a sinister snarl. The fugitive shifted not from his ground, but, placing his feet firmly, swung his great two-handed sword on high. As the snarling beast flew at him he brought the long blade down with a shrewd stroke so that the flat of it caught the brute full on its grinning head and stretched it motionless on the sward. At the same instant the brushwood parted and a second hound leapt into the open, followed closely by half-a-dozen evil-looking ruffians, variously armed, who gave loud cries of satisfaction on beholding their quarry. One of them, a tall, lanky fellow, of a countenance swarthy and pock-marked, who gripped in his hairy hand a heavy spiked mace, seeing the body of the first hound lying on the green, gave voice to a deep.oath. ‘“* May the fiends take yon Saxon whelp!” he roared. “He afts of Vengea ig By Arthur Chapman BOYS’ LIFE hath slain good Grim! May I rot if I have not his craven blood for that dastard’s deed! At him, Boris, and tear him limb from limb!” In a fierce rage the fellow urged the other hound to attack the one who stood there so boldly; but ere the animal could spring one of the other men seized it by the collar, at the same time saying: “Nay, friend Gill, that were not wise, for did not our master bid us take the Saxon dog alive?” He of the lanky form swallowed his wrath. “In troth, thou’rt right, comrade!”’ he growled. Then he turned to the fugitive, who with keen eyes was watching every movement of his foes. ‘Yield you, Saxon,” he continued, “as lawful prisoner to our master, the noble knight Sir Tristran le Loup!” The other, hearing these words, threw back his head and laughed his enemies to scorn. “Yield me?” he exclaimed, and laughed again. “List, Norman dogs. I, Edwine, son of Leofwine the Saxon, bid scorn and defiance to the false knight, Sir Tristran, a traitor and a craven always!” At these bold words a low murmur went up from those grim men-at-arms—a murmur that was half anger and half ad- miration. “By my faith!” cried one, “the whelp lacks not for courage!”’ But the tall, pock-marked ruffian—he who was called Gill— gave a great bellow of rage. “How now!”’ he roared. ‘Dost thou, a stripling, dare to speak thus of a noble Norman knight? Cast aside that play- thing and yield thee, ere I chastise thee as a naughty child ” deserves! For answer Edwine gripped his two-handed sword afresh, and his lip curled in a proud smile that held a wealth of defiant confidence. ; “Come, braggart,”’ he cried, “and take this plaything, and if thou canst then will I right freely give thee leave to carry out thy nurse-maid’s work!” This reply seemed to enrage the swarthy-faced rascal more than ever, and he became almost black in the face as he strove with the anger that night choked him. “Ho, comrades!” he cried at length, ‘are we to be defied by a Saxon cub such as this? At him! He shall know what it means to incur the displeasure of our mighty lord!” So saying the fellow sprang fiercely at Edwine, mouthing fearful oaths, and aiming a sweeping blow with his spiked mace Augusi

Page 5

The Boy Scouts’ Magazine at the Saxon’s arm, hoping to disable him in order that he might be taken alive. Edwine flinched not; but as the rogue leapt forward he brought that great sword sweeping mightily downwards with a strength and skill that many a mature knight might have envied. Swift as lightning was the stroke, and of so great a power that it shore through the Norman’s helm as though it had been broadcloth, biting deep into his brain and stretching him lifeless on the ground. The other five fell back as they beheld that terrible blow that had robbed them of their leader, muttering to themselves that this was no stripling but the evil one himself. EHOLDING their hesitation, Edwine lowered his red- dened sword and leaned upon it, scoffing roundly at the craven men-at-arms. “Out! out!” he cried, voicing unconsciously the war-cry of his ancestors. ‘‘Art so soon surfeited? Where is thy vaunted courage? Come and take me who dare!” The Normans, at this scornful challenge, muttered angrily one to the other, glaring with lowered brows at the dauntless Saxon. But one and all kept their precious bodies well out of reach of that terrible sword. At last the man who held the hound in leash spoke loud and wrathful. “By’r Lady!” he cried, ‘were it not that we were bidden to taken him alive he would not stand there and crow so loud. See, comrades, we be five to one—let us loose the hound and then rush in and take him by weight of numbers!” - This wisdom was received by growls of approval from the others, and wasting not a moment the man loosed his hold on the hound’s collar. With a fearsome growling the beast launched itself straight at Edwine, while the Norman men-at- arms pressed forward, intent on seizing and disarming him while he was occupied with the hound. It was like to have gone hard with the bold Saxon, for he could not hope to have withstood that combined rush; but as jhe swung his great blade once more to fight desperately for his life, there came the sharp twang of a bow-string from the thicket behind, something hummed past Edwine’s ear and with a choking snarl the hound fell writhing to the earth, an ell-long shaft of crimson hue buried in its throat. In the impetus of their advance the Normans hardly seemed to notice the flight of that deadly arrow. Almost before the crimson shaft had reached its mark, however, the bow twanged again and a second missile found a billet in Norman flesh, while a third man went down before Edwine’s sweeping blows. Dismayed at their companions’ fate, and not knowing what new force was ranged against them, the remaining three men-at-arms drew off sul- lenly. At the same time a man, attired in doublet and hose of Lincoln green like unto a yeoman, and bearing in his hand a stout yew bow with a crimson arrow on the string, sprang from cover and took his stand beside Edwine. Then laying hold of a horn that was slung by a leathern baldric across his shoulder, he raised it to his lips and sounded four notes, long and clear. OW the men-at-arms, seeing that their fresh opponent was alone, screwed up their courage once more and began to creep forward warily. At the first movement the newcomer, who had spoken no word, drew his bow to the ear and the leader of the trio gave a gasping cry and pitched heavily forward, clutching in agony at the crimson arrow that trans- fixed him. Flinging down his bow the yeoman leapt forward with a cry of vic- tory, and his short sword flashed as he drew it from the scabbard and engaged one of the wavering Normans. The other fellow, clearly having no stomach for further fight- ing, turned to flee; but ere he had taken many steps, Edwine was upon him, so that he was compelled to take his sword and defend himself, willy-nilly. For a few moments a sharp fight waged between these four, for, truth to tell, now that these Normans realized that they were fighting for their lives, they bore themselves right gallantly, wielding their weapons with grim, silent determination. The yeoman was pressing his opponent hardly, playing his blade with marvelous dexterity. But Edwine was beginning to grow a-weary, and, seeing this, the Norman redoubled his efforts, forcing the Saxon slowly back. Raising his sword the man aimed a fierce blow at Edwine, who hastily flung up his weapon to guard his head. Down swept the stroke, brushing aside Edwine’s weakened defense and causing him to stumble forward on one knee, while his sword was beaten from his grasp. With a shout of exultation the Norman thrust with all his might at Edwine’s unguarded body. Came a loud crashing of branches and trampling of many feet amorigst the undergrowth. A well- aimed shaft struck the Norman fairly so that he rolled over on the grass without a sound, while a score of figures clad in Lincoln green sprang into the open with loud cries of: 1923 “Saint George for Merry England!” Seeing these new and formidable enemies the other Norman turned and fled precipitately, a shower of crimson shafts hissing around him to speed him on his way. Possibly owing to the archers being afraid of hitting the yeoman who was in the line of fire, none of the shafts found their mark, and the Norman disappeared into the forest. Slowly Edwine got to his feet and addressed the yeoman, who had sheathed his sword and was turning to greet the new arrivals. “T thank thee, good yeoman, for thy timely aid,” he said. “Give me thy name that I may remember thee by it. Iam Edwine, son of Leofwine the Saxon.” On hearing this the yeoman’s sun-tanned face lit up with a broad smile of pleasure. ““Now, by my troth!”’ he exclaimed, “right glad am I to have been able to aid thee. Many’s the time the noble knight, thy father, hath given succor to those who like myself have been placed under the ban of outlawry. Dickon O’ the Wold am I called, and these my merry men, the stoutest hearts of the greenwood! But tell me how cam’st thou in this sore plight?” Edwine’s face clouded. “Alas, friend Dickon,”’ he said, “there hath been foul treachery. The false knight Sir Tristran le Loup 4g “The Wolf!” interrupted Dickon fiercely, and the other outlaws murmured angrily amongst themselves and clutched their weapons. “The Wolf! ’Fore heaven! Is there aught of evil that concerns him not? But I pray you forgiveness, fair sir. I was carried away by my wrath. Proceed.” “Know, good Dickon,” continued Edwine, “that the Wolf hath long coveted my father’s lands and the treasures which he fondly believes are hid in our vaults. Yesternight while we slept the traitor seneschal, Gurth, whom we trusted, having drugged the guards’ sack, opened the postern gate to the Wolf and a score of his men. ‘OF TAWAS my brother, Cedric, who first heard the sounds of strife and hastened to my father’s chamber. Pausing only to seize my sword I followed. When I reached the door- way there was my father struggling in the grip of half-a-dozen of the Wolf’s myrmidons, while Cedric was held by another two. Near by stood the false knight, gloating over his act of treach- ery. At the sight of his evil face, friend Dickon, I went as one mad, and sprang at him, seeking only his craven blood. But ere I could reach him several more of his men sprang be- tween us and assailed me. Fora time I withstood them; but Ss Into this fire he thrust a long bar of iron my father, seeing his struggles were. useless, cried to me that I should flee and seek the aid of my kinsman, Alfred of Runeburgh. Loth was I to leave him while I had strength to strike; but he commanded me and so I fled before them. The Wolf, with many oaths, cried to them to take me alive, and so with the hounds they pursued me and would have over- powered me but for thy timely intervention!”’ The Saxon’s eyes gleamed with inward passion as he related his tale of treachery, and the outlaws’ angry murmur rose to a great roar of wrath. Dickon O’ the Wold silenced them with an imperious gesture and held out his hand to Edwine. 3 “Now, indeed, are we comrades,” he exclaimed, “ united by bonds of misfortune! There is my hand, the hand of an honest man and a true Englishman, though an outlaw! And with it goes my pledge and that of my merry men to aid thee in bringing to the dust that butcher knight, whom the foul fiends take!” AS THE outlaw spake these words his eyes flashed fire, and his whole form quivered with the intensity of his emotion, so that Edwine, as he clasped Dickon’s hand in his, marveled greatly. “Methinks, friend Dickon,”’ he said softly, “that thou, too, hast known suffering at the hands of the Wolf.” Dickon O’ the Wold swore a great oath. “Fore heaven!” he cried, “that have I! And of this goodly company there is not one who is not sworn never to cease from warring against the false knight, and all that are of him, while he has strength to string a crimson shaft and draw a good bow!” “What!” exclaimed Edwine, surprised at the man’s ve- hemence. ‘Has thy loss been so great then, good Dickon?”’ Dickon O’ the Wold strove with his passion till the veins knotted on his brow, and the perspiration oozed from him. At last he spoke with a vain attempt to appear calm. “Great!” he cried, “great! Was not my wife slain before my very eyes by the order of that fiend, while they held me fast bound so that I could not raise a hand to save her? Did I not see my child hung up as a target for their butchers’ shafts? Great, say you!” He paused a moment, fighting hard to control himself, and then continued: “What have I to live for now save vengeance? When I ‘have planted three goodly crimson shafts in his vile body, then can I die content, knowing that I have rid the world of as foul a villain as ever masqueraded in knightly trappings!” Edwine listened silently to this tale of sorrow that was so like unto his own. He could see that the outlaw was suffering greatly by the memory of his bitter loss, and, realizing that mere words of comfort were worse than useless, he placed his hand in mute sympathy on Dickon’s broad shoulder that now shook with inward conflict. As Edwine’s gaze wandered over that body of sullen out- laws, men who had known what it was to feel the hand of tyranny, a sudden glow of hope surged within his breast. “Friend Dickon,”’ he said quietly, ‘‘methinks the hour of vengeance has come. Heaven hath delivered the tyrant knight into our hands!” Dickon O’ the Wold started sud- denly as though he had been struck, and gripped the Saxon’s arm in a fierce clutch. “Torment me not with fulse hopes!” he ex- claimed. ‘Words of so great a sweet- ness could never be true ones!” Edwine looked at him with quiet earnestness. “Yet it is even as I say, good Dickon,” he re- plied. “Let thy men gather round so that I may show them the way to their desire!” T a sign from Dickon the outlaws came thronging eagerly round Edwine. Not one but was prepared to go to any length, even to giving his life, that the downfall of the tyrant might be brought about. One and all had felt the searing iron of sorrow in their hearts; had known what it meant to lose those who were dearer to them than life itself; had seen their homes wrecked and burnt above their heads, sons murdered in cold blood and daughters carried off to be- come the sport of the cruel Norman. Small wonder, then, that their faces lit up with hideous glee, and their hard- ened hearts leapt joyously as they saw within their grasp the opportunity for vengeance which they had waited and longed for these many months. “Listen, bold outlaws,” said Edwine rapidly to the silent, expectant throng. “Even now the Wolf lurks within the -walls of my father’s castle, and with him are but a score

Page 6

4 men-at-arms. I know a secret way whereby the castle may be entered and taken ‘by a handful of daring spirits. Say, wilt follow me to free a noble Saxon knight and bring the tyrant low?” A great shout went up from husky throats at Edwine’s words—-a mighty shout that echoed and re-echoed in the greenwood: “Saint George for Merry England! Long live the noble Edwine, friend of all true Englishmen! We follow, we follow!’’ Dickon O’ the Wold spoke no word for a moment, but turned to where his stout yew bow and quiver lay on the With deliberate care he selected three of the Then he flung greensward. crimson shafts and stuck them in his belt. the quiver from him and said with grim calm: “Three shafts only will I take: one for my wife, one for my sweet babe, and one for myself; and may I be branded for ever as a traitor Englishman an I do not sheathe them in Wolf’s treacherous body ere another sun sets!” N THE great hall of the castle which was the home of Leofwine the Saxon, there was a great feasting and merry- making in celebration of the complete and bloodless victory of the wicked knight, Sir Tristran le Loup. The Wolf, as he sat at the head of the massive board that groaned ’neath the weight of meat and wine, drank deep and oft of the cup, and his dark, evil face flushed with rage and disappointment as he bethought him of the defiant scorn with which Leofwine had met him, and of the Saxon’s refusal to reveal to him the whereabouts of his treasures. Evil of face as of heart was the Wolf. His black, glittering eyes glared evilly from beneath bushy brows drawn close to- gether in a ferocious scowl, cold, hard, menacing. hooked nose with its widely dilating nostrils was like the beak of a vulture, while his mouth, large and thin-lipped, was closed in a tight, cruel line. A long scar stretched across his left cheek from chin to ear, a legacy, so "twas said, of the crusades, adding a sinister touch to his already forbidding appearance. He had cast aside his armor, and his massive form was dressed in hose and leath- ern jerkin, frayed and discolored by the stains of his mail. As he sat his long, talon-like fingers tapped restlessly on the oaken board, a plain indication, to those who knew him, of the storm that was brewing within his black heart. At length he turned suddenly to a small, shifty-eyed, cringing fellow who stood at his elbow, and angrily ordered him to replenish the goblet. When this was done he emptied it at a draught, while the man, who was Gurth, the traitor seneschal, retired to a discreet distance. The Wolf, however, waxed more wrathful at this. ‘“*Come hither, varlet!” he roared. away like a fox to its lair?” Tremblingly the seneschal approached, blanching visibly before his lord’s malignant glare. “Hark you, knave,” the Wolf continued. party returned yet with the other cub, Edwine?” “Nay,” faltered Gurth, “an it please thee, my lord, there is as yet no sign of them.” \t this the Wolf broke out into a torrent of fearful oaths, and brought his clenched fist down with a force that made the board to shake. “An it please me!” he fumed. “An it please me! By my hilt! an they have let the whelp escape I'll have them flayed alive! Go, knave, and see if they come yet!” “Who bade thee slink “Hath the ‘ HUS charged the seneschal made haste to get him away on his errand; but ere he could take many steps the tapestries that screened the entrance to the hall were roughly parted, and a man, dusty and panting with much run- ning, entered and stood swaying and gasping before the Wolf, gripping the edge of the table for support. At {the sight of him the Wolf’s « wrath increased mightily. “How now, rogue,” he cried, “where are thy fellow knaves? 3estir thyself and bring hither the prisoner!” — nS “Spare me, good lord!” faltered \ j the man. “The Saxon hath Fd escaped!” “Escaped!” roared the Wolf, springing to his feet with such sud- denness that the great oaken chair crashed backwards to the floor. “Escaped!” “Yes, lord,” cried the man, shrinking away before his master’s anger. “‘It was the lawless men of the forest. We had nigh taken him when they burst upon us like fiends— a horde of them. I alone escaped; the others lie pierced through and through with crimson shafts!” The Wolf began to pace unsteadily across the floor, apparently forgetting entirely the bearer of these bad tidings, His great , The fugitive swung his great two-handed sword on high who, thankful to escape with a whole skin, slunk quietly away ~ and lost himself amongst his drunken comrades at the far end of the hall. “Escaped!” muttered the Wolf beneath his breath. “Es- caped! That means that morning will bring the cursed Alfred of Runeburgh hammering at the gates!” Biting savagely at his lip he turned to a dark-browed, surly-faced man who alone of that motley band was sober. “Quick, Hubert,” he exclaimed, “follow me to the dungeon. That stubborn Saxon must be made to reveal the hiding-place of his treasure!” Rapidly the Wolf strode away, followed closely by Hubert. Down a flight of stone steps and along evil-smelling, noisome passages the pair went, and at last halted outside a massive door, bound with iron, which Hubert proceeded to open with a great key that hung from his belt. Flinging wide the door the two strode into a small dungeon, illumined only by a nar- row slit close to the roof. The walls, to about half their height, were covered with a green moss and slime, while here and there a slight trickle of water oozed between the stones, dribbling slowly down to the foul floor, showing that the dungeon was below the level of the moat. In one corner of this dungeon, fastened to the wall by a heavy, rusty chain, was a man of middle age and noble appearance, who sprang to his feet as the Wolf approached. This was Leofwine the Saxon, and father of Edwine. “What!” he exclaimed scornfully. Dishonored Knight?” The Wolf flushed darkly at the taunt. “Have a care, proud Saxon,” he cried; “thou’rt in my power! Trifle no longer, but speak. Where are thy treasures hid?” Leofwine the Saxon laughed harshly in his beard. “Hearken, false knight,” he said. ‘Here and now I chal- lenge thee to mortal combat, and let the victor take the spoils! What sayest thou? Wilt accept the challenge of a true Saxon knight, or must I brand thee throughout Christen- dom for the false-hearted craven that thou art?” The Wolf took a sharp step forward, his fingers twitching nervously as though he would grip the throat of this man who defied him thus boldly. With an effort he controlled his rage. ‘ “Such boastful threats are of little avail, Sir Braggart,”’ he hissed. “And as for thy brand of cowardice”—the Wolf laughed sinisterly—“ right thick and strong are these walls, as thou knowest, and the loudest cries may not pass through them!” “Art here again, Sir ] POFwinE the Saxon tugged mightily at the chain as he vainly endeavored to hurl himself at the Wolf. “ Brave indeed art Out upon thee for “Oh, thou cunning knave!”’ he cried. thou to taunt one whose arms are bound. a shameless, dishonored churl!”’ At these words the Wolf waxed exceeding wroth. ‘Enough, enough!” he bellowed. “I have thee in my h F ys \ ein . hands, and shalt tell me thy hiding-place or I must find ways to make thee!” Now Leofwine laughed out- right—a scornful, mocking laugh. “Make me!” he echoed. “Know, O most noble and puissant knight, that thou hast yet much to learn. Nothing may force the Saxon to tell that which he desires to be hid!” The Wolf’s eyes gleamed at the scoffing tones of his prisoner. Then his lip curled in a cruel sneer. “Nothing?” he said with menacing softness. “Nothing!” repeated Leofwine defiantly. “Though my body is in thy power and thou may’st work thy fiend’s way BOYS’ LIFE with it, yet my will is mine own and none shall conquer it!” The Wolf smiled sinisterly. “Then if thy will may not be broken through thine own body,” he said, leering evily, “perchance it may through the bodies of others whom thou lovest!” A sudden shade of alarm passed across the Saxon’s face. “What meanest thou—?” he questioned with fear in his voice. “Ha!” the Wolf exclaimed exultingly. “Already thy boasted will power gives! Now we shall see how thou canst stand the test!” With these words the Wolf made a sign to Hubert, who left the dungeon, to return shortly pushing before him the strug: gling figure of a boy of about fifteen whose arms were fastened behind him with cords. As the captive Saxon knight beheld the boy he uttered an involuntary cry and sprang forward, only to fall back when the chain that held him reached its limit. “Cedric, my son!”’ he exclaimed. ‘The saints be praised, thou art unharmed!” “Nay, my father,” answered Cedric boldly, “yon traitor knight dare not stoop to further villainy!” The Wolf smiled grimly. “Dare not!” he cried. as thou shalt learn!” He motioned once again to the dark-browed Hubert, who, losing his hold on Cedric, stepped to a corner of the dun- geon and brought therefrom a brazier in which he proceeded to kindle a charcoal fire. Into this fire he thrust a long bar of iron. “‘And now, Sir Saxon,” said the Wolf, “thou seest this bar of iron which groweth hot in the fire? It is for thy son’s eyes!” “What!” exclaimed Leofwine, aghast. “Here the Wolf knows no master, “Thou wouldst not further dishonor thy knighthood by such fiend’s work!” The Wolf laughed. “That thou shalt see!” he said. “Did I not say that thy stubborn will might be made to yield through the bodies of others? . . . Hubert!” Thus ordered, Hubert seized the boy and held him in a vise- like grip, while the Wolf slowly took the glowing bar from the fire and raised it to his victim’s eyes. “What sayest thou, noble Saxon?’’ he asked, grinning hideously. “Thy treasure or thy son’s sight?” Leofwine the Saxon strove hard to burst the bonds that held him, his stern face grey with anguish for his son. But ere he could answer, Cedric spoke in a voice full of scorn and defiance: , “Trouble not, my father,” he said. “Give not this foul knight cause to boast that he ever vanquished the spirit of a true Saxon! Do thy worst, Sir Dishonored Knight; I fear thee not!” At these bold words the Wolf gave a roar of anger and dis- appointment, and was about to thrust the red-hot iron into an eye of the fearless boy, when there came the sound of rushing feet in the passage without. The door was dashed open suddenly, and the Wolf took in his breath with a sharp hissing sound as he beheld, framed in the opening, the figure of Ed- wine, his great two-handed sword in his hand. Behind him could be seen Dickon O’ the Wold, grim and silent, long-bow slung across his shoulder and in his belt the three crimson shafts of vengeance! AFTER Edwine had enlisted the aid of Dickon O’ the Wold and his merry men, they had without loss of time begun their advance on the stronghold that sheltered their deadly foe. When they arrived before the castle there was not a sign of life to be seen, for, as we know, the Wolf’s party were engaged in their triumphal carousal. Edwine led the outlaws through the secret passage of which he had spoken, and, guided by the sounds of revelry, they had burst with a great rush into the hall, taking the half-drunken men-at-arms entirely by surprise. Some few of them, less fuddled than their companions, realized that they were at- tacked and made a bold dash for theirarms. At a signal from Dickon a deadly flight of crimson shafts went hissing across the room with fearful effect, while the swords of Edwine and Dickon quickly accounted for what others showed any desire for fighting. Springing quickly over the floor, Edwine laid hold of a small fellow with little shifty eyes who was attempting to slink away unobserved in the mélée, and shook him like a rat till his teeth rattled in his head. “ Gurth, thou traitor dog!” Edwine cried in anger. _ ‘‘ Where is my father, and Cedric my brother? Quick! Speak ere I tear thy treacherous tongue from thy throat!” “Spare me! Spare me! good master!” gasped the knave. “They are in the dungeon, and the Wolf with them!” “The Wolf!” roared Dickon, leaping forward and placing his short sword at the throat of the traitor seneschal so that his eyes started almost from his head with fear. ‘The Wolf, sayest thou?” “Yes, in truth, good lord,”’ stammered Gurth. darkly of torture!” “Torture!” cried Edwine in horror. “The false knight would dare so foul a deed! By my hilt! I had not realized his baseness! Quick, Dickon, we must hasten!” (Concluded on page 31) “He spoke August pr 7" 7 i are

Page 7

The Boy Scouts’ Magazine T WAS about four o’clock on a mellow afternoon in early April. The sun was shining brightly, birds sang, and rabbits sported in the undergrowth. Every- thing, so to speak, in the garden was lovely. At a point some four miles from Sedleigh School, in the direction of Lower Borlock, the scenic arrangements were particularly fine. The sun seemed to shine more brightly; rather more birds were singing; there was a slightly more animated look about the increased number of rabbits that sported in the undergrowth. It was a spot where every prospect pleased, and only man was vile. Man was represented by W. J. Stone, of Out- wood’s. He was sitting on a rustic stile, enjoying the sun, listening to the birds, and observing the rab- bits, but—more particularly—smoking. He had not come to that lovely, lonely spot because it was lovely. He had come because it was lonely. Here, of all places, four miles from the school, a man might enjoy his after-luncheon cigarette in peace. It was a pity that there was no faithful friend on hand to watch him enjoy it. It takes two to smoke properly at school—one to smoke, the other to stand by and remark with unwilling admiration, “I say, you are an ass, you know!” He could have wished that Robinson, also of Outwood’s, had been at his side. But Robinson had his duties elsewhere. Robinson had to be at roll-call to answer his name—and Stone’s. So Stone sat on his stile alone, and thought of life, drawing meditatively at his cigarette. He congrat- ulated himself on having chosen not only the ideal spot, but also the ideal time. There was a match on to-day, School v. Town, and all the masters who were not playing golf would be on the touch-line. Sedleigh, as Mr. Downing, the games-master, liked to say, was above all a keen school; and its keenness extended to the staff. It seemed to Stone that nothing could undo him. But Nemesis was lumbering round the corner, in the person, the stout person, of one Collard, the school sergeant. The stile on which Stone sat had just one dis- advantage. It wasa little far back from the road, so that he could not see pedestrians until they came imme- diately opposite to him. Also there was a broad strip of turf between the hedge and the road. Also, again, Sergeant Collard suffered from tender feet. Therefore the sergeant, journeying to the Lower Borlock railway station, walked not on the road but on the turf. Consequently his foot- steps were noiseless, with the result—now we come to the point—that he came into view of the stile, Stone, and the cigarette while all three were in conjunction. Stone was, indeed, in the very act of expelling a cloud of smoke. STONE did what he could. He flung the cigarette into the field behind, and looked at the sergeant with innocent pleasure, as one meeting a friend unexpectedly in distant parts. The sergeant halted. “‘Qo-00-00, yes!”’ he observed. He generally opened conversation in this way. “Lovely afternoon, sergeant,” said Stone. sun is.” The sergeant eyed him sternly. “And the birds,” said Stone. “Oo—oo—yes, you young monkey!” said Sergeant Col- lard. “And the rabbits,” said Stone. The sergeant continued to eye him with his basilisk stare. It so happened that Stone was not one of his favorites. Indeed, between Stone and himself there had long been raging guerrilla warfare of a somewhat poignant kind. It was Stone who, to the great contentment of the school, had bestowed upon him the nickname of Boots. And he considered it derogatory to the dignity of an ex-sergeant of his Majesty’s army to be addressed as Boots by ribald boys. It was not, therefore, with pain that he realized that duty compelled him to report to Mr. Outwood that he had discov- ered Stone smoking on a stile four miles from the school in the direction of Lower Borlock. Pleasure, rather. ““Oo—oo—oo, yes!” he said. “Smoking, eh?” Stone stared. “Smoking?” he cried. “Me?” “Smoking. Contrary to school regulations, as is well known. Young monkey!” “Boots,” said Stone, “you’re delirious.” The sergeant turned a richer purple at the hated name. “Never you mind my boots,” he said crisply. ‘I shouldn’t like to be in yours when I tells Mr. Outwood how you was smoking contrary to school regulations.” “You’re going to tell him that?” “T am going to tell him that.” 1923 ‘Ripping the ““Where’s your evidence?” “Hevidence! Didn’t I cop yer at it?” “Tf you did, why “Cop me at it!” said Stone, amazed. UB 9m aren’t I smoking now? Dash it!” he moaned, “it’s a bit thick. I come here, miles from the school, simply to get away from you and have a little peace, and I’m blowed if you don’t follow me. And not only that, you accuse me, ab- solutely without lies evidence, of smok- Man was represented by ing. - T° co 2 W.J. Stone, of Outwood’s rough on a chap.” “7 --seen " yer throw the cigarette away. There it is behind you.” ‘“‘And you mean to say,” demanded Stone, “that just because I happen by the merest fluke to be sitting on a stile within a dozen yards of a cigarette which may have been there goodness knows how long 4g “Ho! May it? Then why is it alight now?” Stone looked behind him. A thin spiral of smoke was in- deed curling up from the grass. “‘What’s that, then?” said Sergeant Collard, pointing. Stone gave the smoke a careful inspection. “Tt looks to me,” he said, “like a prairie fire. Probably caused by spontaneous combustion owing to the heat of the day.” “Ho!” said the sergeant. “It looks to me like a cigarette thrown away by some young monkey because he was copped in the act of smoking it.” “As a matter of fact,” said Stone carelessly, “I remember now. It is a cigarette. A man stopped here just now to ask the time. I recollect now he threw away his cigarette. So that’s how it was, you see. Now, you see how silly it is to jump at conclusions, don’t you, sergeant?” “ No! ” “By the way, sergeant,” said Stone, “I’ve been meaning to buy your son Ernie some sweets for days. Suppose you take this, and——”’ ’ He fumbled in his pocket. Sergeant Collard snorted ruthlessly. “ Attempted bribery!” he boomed. “Thereby haggravatin’ the offense. Mr. Qutwood shall ’ear of that, too.” Stone gave the thing up. “Oh, get out, Boots,” he said moodily. on the landscape.” For some moments after the sergeant had trudged off, Stone sat on the stile, pondering. It was uncommonly awkward. There was no blinking that fact. Corporal “You're a blot 5 By P. G. Wodehouse Illustrated by Francis J. Rigney punishment, worse luck, was rarely administered at Sedleigh, the headmaster objecting to it on principle. He would not have minded that. It only lasted a few moments, and when it was over, there you were with a clean slate. The punishment for smoking would be either lines to a colossal amount or else detention on three or more half-holidays. To these penalties he ob- jected strongly. He climbed down from the stile, and started to walk towards the school. Life was very gray. The sun still shone, the birds still sang, the rabbits still sported in the undergrowth, but Stone recked of none of these things. He was plunged in gloomy thoughts. OW, I could haul up my slacks with consid- erable vim on the subject of Stone’s thoughts; I could work the whole thing up into a fine psy- chological study, rather in the Henry James style; but what’s the use? Let us, therefore, imagine a Stone plunged in gloomy thoughts for about J three minutes, or four, and then—make it five = —at the end of five minutes hearing the droning +¥"" sound. At first the sound was simply like the note of some distant bee (or wasp). Then it came nearer, and Stone knew it for what it was, the noise of a powerful motor-car. It gave him no idea at first beyond the very sensible one of getting out of the road. He got out of the road, and presently the car shot past—a big, red car with one occupant. Stone watched it disappearing down the road, and was starting once more on his walk when he observed the machine slow down, stop, and begin to back towards him. In a few mo- ments, the motorist, coming within hailing dis- tance, hailed. “T say!” he shouted. “Hullo?” said Stone. The car drew level with him. The driver leaned out. “T say,” he said, “can you tell me the way to Limp- stone?” ““You’re going just in the wrong direction,’ ““You’re coming away from it.” The driver made disparaging comments on the rustic in- telligence. “An old fossil in a smock told me this was the way a quarter of an hour ago.” “You ought to have turned at the bend in the road, where the sign-post says ‘To Sedleigh’—oh!” He gasped. An idea had come to him. “T say,” he added tentatively, “I suppose you couldn’t— what I mean is, if you would let me hop into the car, I could show you the way. I’m going to Sedleigh, and it’s straight on from there to Limpstone.” é “Hop on,”’ said the driver, briefly. been wanting to meet.” “Same here,” said Stone, hopping. The car moved off. ““What sort of a road is it from here?’’ said the motorist, as they turned down the bend. “Quite good.” “Then sit tight. time already.” ’ said Stone. “You’re the man I’ve I’m going to let her rip. I’m all behind E OPENED the throttle. The next few minutes were almost too exhilarating, to Stone’s thinking. The car touched the road here and there, but for the most part it seemed to skim through the air like an aeroplane. Every now and then it would turn a corner on the rim of one wheel. At an early point in the proceedings Stone lost his breath. He had to hold on to his cap to keep from losing that, too. It was with a feeling of profound relief that he observed the school buildings approaching as if on wings. “Hi!” he shouted in his companion’s ear. car gradually lessened its speed. “This is Sedleigh,” said Stone. “Will you put me down here? - Thanks awfully for the lift. You go straight on now till you get into the London road. You turn down to the right for Limpstone.” “Thanks,” said the motorist briefly. “‘Good-by.” From the school grounds, as Stone turned towards them, came an intermittent bellowing, rather suggestive of a deinosaurus in pain. This was the school (“‘we are above all a keen school”’) stimulating the fifteen in its battle with the Town. Just as Stone went in at the gate it declined in volume till it died away in a patter of clapping. Stone knew what that meant. Somebody had scored for the school. He mingled with the crowd on the touch-line, and found Robinson. “‘Hullo!”’ said Robinson. “Stop!” The “‘Good-by.” “ Are you back?”

Page 8

: Th 6 BOYS’ LIFE “Quick, tell me all that’s happened,” said Stone; “who was match finished. You can ask him, if you like, sir. We The effects of sunstroke frequently reappear in after-life, 7 that who scored just now?” talked a lot about ‘the match. I remember, now I come to I believe, and af | “Hammond. Jolly good run. Got the ball from a scrum _ think of it, that we talked about how nearly the Town scored “T saw ’im on that stile a-smokin’,” persisted the seer of | in our twenty-five and nipped clean through. The back _ in the first five minutes.” visions. @ almost had him, but he swerved.” “Tn the first five minutes!” shouted the sergeant. ‘“Oo— “You fancied you did,” said Mr. Outwood. “Probably Stone’s lips moved. He wore an air of concentration. o0o—0o0 yer, you young monkey; I seen you with my owneyes _you were thinking of Stone at the moment——” “Hammond — our twenty-five — back — - “He’s always thinking of me, sir,” said swerve,” he murmured. “Is that the only QTC Stone with an affectionate glance at the perspir- score?” ] nn Papi: | ing warrior. “So far.” Ht | I i | “That is how it all happened,” beamed Mr, cor “ Anything else happened?” HH 3 M Outwood. ‘You see, sergeant, Stone could not for “The Town nearly got over with a forward += SHEET possibly have covered the distance in the time on be rush in the first five minutes. That big chap . foot, so that ay jus with red hair started it.” ag ‘“‘Who’s been doing anything for us?” E WAS interrupted by a knock hit ““Hammond’s been good all through. Has- at the door. One of the maids at sall nearly dropped a goal.”’ entered. fat *“‘ Any of the forwards do anything?”’ “Might I speak to you for a mo- He “Williams pretty hot in the loose.”’ ment, sir?” fat “Thanks.” “‘Certainly, Jane. Excuse me one cal A few minutes later the whistle blew for instant.” fat “‘No-side,” leaving the school winners by a try He went out. There were sounds na to nil. Stone joined the crowd that moved of a murmured conversation in the un towards the houses. His gaze wandered to passage. During the interval Ser- ou and fro. At last he discovered the man he geant Collard and Stone eyed one was looking for—Mr. Downing. another in silence, the sergeant al He trotted up. with something of the Gorgon in “Jolly good game, sir,”’ he said. his gaze, Stone all cheery friendli- we Mr. Downing was in affable mood. The ness. Presently Mr. Outwood came he school had won against a heavier team, and back. Hi the winning try had been scored by a boy in “Certainly, Jane,” he said over wi his house. He beamed upon Stone. his shoulder. ‘Show him in here.” Ww: “Excellent, Stone, excellent,’’ he said. Stone was wondering who “him” in “The team played a good, keen game all referred to, when there came from H through.” Ps” outside the sound of ponderous foot- th “Fine run of Hammond's, sir.”’ Pd steps, and into the room walked a “Very fine. Quite brilliant.’’ policeman, who, having apparently Stone dipped into the coffers of his memory recognized an acquaintance in and produced Hassall. Sergeant Collard, nodded to him, “Good shot at a dropped goal, that one of and stood at ease, breathing heavily. Hassall’s, wasn’t it, sir?”’ Stone looked at the carpet “Yes, constable?’’ said Mr. Out- sa “Very good indeed. It was the only thing wood. “What is it that I can do th to do, and it nearly succeeded.”’ : sitting on that stile at four prompt. I'd LN. for you?”’ It “Tt was an awfully good game altogether,” said Stone. just looked at my watch.” pore The policeman cleared his throat. be “TI thought they were over in the first ve minutes when that Mr. Outwood was plainly puzzled. “It’s like this, sir,” he said. he red-haired forward started that rush.” “Didn’t you have sunstroke once when you were serving Fixing an absolutely expressionless eye on an engraving at Mr. Downing agreed that it had been a very near thing. _in India, sergeant?” asked Stone with friendly interest. “I that hung over the mantelpiece, he began to speak in what Stone, after a casual mention of Williams’s good work inthe seem to remember hearing you tell some of the chaps that was evidently the manner he reserved for giving evidence * loose, went off to his house. you had.” before magistrates. “I ’ad sunstroke, yes,” admitted the sergeant. “But “On the afternoon of the—I mean this afternoon, at five ni UST before tea, as he expected, he was summoned to I ’adn’t this afternoon when I saw you a-sittin’ and smokin’ minutes after four o’clock, I was on the road between Lower ir Mr. Outwood’s study. It was quite a small party. on that stile,” he said doggedly. Borlock and Sedleigh, when I heard a sound, and round the b Sergeant Collard was there, looking stout and important, Stone looked appealingly at Mr. Outwood. The house- corner came dashing a nortermobile.” re but no other representatives of the Sedleigh Smart Set were master, in his motherly way, began to reason with the “T beg your pardon, constable?” Ww present. invalid. “A nortermobile, your worsh—sir. A red one, sir, exceed- Ww Mr. Outwood, that mild-mannered archeologist, peered at “But really, sergeant, I think—surely. You follow me? ing of the speed limit by a matter of eighty miles a hower, h Stone over his pince-nez. He looked troubled. This stile you speak of as having been near Lower Borlock. Why,” he went on, dropping the official manner and speaking I “Stone,” he said. That village is quite four miles from the school. I know from witha touch of human heat, “if I ’adn’t looked precious slippy n “Sir?” said Stone. personal experience. There is a church there, portions of _ it ’ud have knocked me into hash. It was all hover so quick ¥ “Er . which date back to pre-Norman times. I have frequently and such a shock I ’ad, that cop his number was more than t “Yes, sir?” bicycled to it.” I could do. He was off ina flash. The only thing I saw was 7 “Perhaps, sergeant,” said Mr. Outwood, “it would be better “Of course, if I had been there and had had my bicycle, sir,” that there was a young gent sittin’ beside the shovoor with p if you told your story again.”’ said Stone, as one who insists on being reasonable, “I might a red and blue striped cap. One of the young gents from the b ‘“‘Oo—oo—oo, yes, sir,” responded the man of war, amiably. _ have got back in time for the finish of the game; but my bicycle school, as likely as not, I thinks. And, makin’ inquiries, v “In ’arf a minute, sir.” is being mended. Had the fellow you thought you saw, ser- _I finds that the young gents in your house wears red and blue He proceeded to relate how he had found Stone seated on _geant, a bicycle?’ striped caps, sir.” s a stile near Lower Borlock, smoking. “T didn’t see no bicycle.” “Yes, yes; that is so, constable.” t “‘Leastways,” concluded the sergeant, “‘’e’d flung away the “Then I think you will agree, sergeant,”’ said Mr. Outwood, “Why,” said the policeman, for the first time seeing r cigaroot prompt hon seein’ me. Youngmonkey! But I spotted . soothingly, “that the whole thing must have been a mistake. Stone, “same colors as this young gent ’ere ’as on his tie. f ‘im, sir. Prompt.” i And blow me if I don’t think that was the very young V Stone’s face during NY Sis - gent-——” i this recital was a “ ine He lookedat Stone. b study in injured as- ye ~ ee Mr. Outwood looked i tonishment. \ we nt We . at.Stone. Sergeant r “T think the ser- ras he Mou Hel it, Collard looked at t geant must be mis- ‘ oan Wine, Meg tnt * Stone. Stone looked I taken, sir,” he said * Ac eenapene’s MORE. mare ten at the carpet. I with unction. 7 The -silence was \ “Smoking is against broken by the voice ! school rules, and is of the man of war, I bad for you, too.” — raised in a psalm of 1 ‘*Mistook!’’ = we triumph. ] boomed the sergeant. -- = “Sunstroke! Oo— t “Me! Why, I seen ae oo—oo. Yes! Sun- t you with my own stroke? Ho! Young ] eyes. Yes, and talked to you, too.” monk = 1 “Talked to me?” Mr. Outwood was ] “Yes, talked to you. Young monkey!” stil looking at “What time was it?” Stone with eyes from “Yes, what time, sergeant?” interrupted Mr. which the scales had : Outwood. “That is important. I caught sight — No fallen. i of a boy who I am nearly sure was Stone, though ‘ s HE aitniey ‘ S Bs “Well, Stone?” he I had no reason to impress the fact on my a ; Gs memory, immediately after the conclusion of - x ( the football match. That would be shortly WS Yy | after four.” “And fortunately, sir,” said Stone smoothly, “Hello! Are | ‘I happened to meet Mr. Downing just as the you back?”

Page 9

The Boy Scouts’. Magazine MM, CUM F THERE is one thing that a boy hates to do, it is to work. Most boys are born lazy—and then have a relapse. I have watched boys in regard to work and they are a queer bunch. It is interesting to see the changes that come over one of them. At about the age a boy puts on pants for the first time, he simply aches to work. He is too young to be of any real assistance, but that doesn’t hold him back—it just makes him pine to get in on things. When a boy of this age sees his father driving a nail, nothing in the world will do him but that he must help—and he is of about as much help as athird thumb. He begs his father for a whack at the nail; his father tries to send him away, but the boy sticks to his side. He pouts, he pleads, he begs, he spills a few tears. At last his father gives him the hammer and Tommy is happy—now he can work. He takes hold of the hammer and bang! goes his father’s finger. Tommy finishes thumping the nail, but the nail never goes straight; it is pounded and bent sideways until it is as crooked as a fish hook. The father pulls the nail out and looks at the dented place in the wood. “You run on and play, Tommy—that’s a good boy. Have a nice, long play.” But Tommy doesn’t run. He moves off with a speed that would make a snail look like a jack-rabbit. In a few minutes he is back—drawn to the spot as a mouse is to a hunk of cheese. He stands off a few yards looking on; he makes a step for- ward. Then another. His father is sawing a board. He watches his father’s hand moving back and forth. Nothing in the world will do Tommy but that he must saw, too. He edges closer; his fingers twitch—he wants to get hold of that saw handle. “Pa, can I saw the next board?” “No, Tommy, you run on and play.” But Tommy doesn’t want to play. He is at the work age. “Pa, just let me saw a little.” He begs and he wheedles, and finally gets his hands on the saw. He begins to pull and haul. When he has finished the board looks as if it had passed through a Kansas cyclone. It would make an inch-worm dizzy trying to follow it. The board is ruined—the only place that it can be used is on a dog- house and then the dog wouldn’t want his friends to catch him at home. IME passes and at last Tommy is of an age when he can do real work. Then a qteer thing happens. Science has never been able to explain it; learned men have given it up in despair. As soon as Tommy reaches the age where he can be of real help he loses all interest in work. He hates it like castor oil. There are just two things in the world that he wants to do—eat and play. And the only reason that he wants to eat is so that he can play. Tommy is now husky— he can do a lot of work, but the great work-urge has died in him. It has not only died but been buried under six feet of sod. His mother asks him to bring in a bucket of water and he grumbles worse than if he was going to have a molar pulled. His father tries to get him to saw up some wood for the kitchen stove and Tommy almost decides to run away from home—he just sim- ply can’t stand such persecution. His sister wants him to help bring up the lawn swing from the basement and he thinks the world has gone to smash. Tommy now has the “spring fever.”? He gets it in the spring; at thought of work a slight shiver runs over him, but the family think that as soon as summer begins he will be all right. But when summer comes Tommy hasn’t recovered; in fact, he shows a slight setback. Fall comes and he still has it; winter comes and hope pounds high. Maybe he will be able to throw it off—he makes a manful fight. He thinks that in a few more days he will feel like working. Next week—yes, next week he will begin. His parents begin to quiver with excitement. Give him three more days— two more days. The big time hascome. Tommy has won a splendid victory. To-morrow he is going to work; he gets up early, but it has turned warm. Tommy has the spring fever again. . . . That is the reason it is called “spring fever’’—it comes one spring and lasts till the next. And the pains Tom- my will go to to get 1923 2 z= => | -_ ~ cu * — h until it is too late to do ALY out of work! At the mere suggestion of “work” he begins to feel sick at his stomach and has a slight headache. His mother wants him to rake the yard. Monday she begins talking about it and Tommy promises to rake it the next morning. But Tuesday Tommy has a pain in his head, or in his stomach, or maybe it is in his back or knee-cap—he isn’t exactly certain. He just simply can’t work to-day. He’ll do it Wednesday—he says, but Wednesday he forgets all about it; his mother reminds him, but he has his lessons to do. If he doesn’t do those lessons he’ll get into a peck of trouble . so another day goes by. Thursday he is up bright and early— this is the big day. The sun is out; the birds are singing; the whole world smiles; there is nothing to keep him from work—so the family think. But they don’t know Tommy. He can’t find the rake. Something has just - naturally gone and gobbled it up. His mother goes to the woodshed—there it is before hiseyes. Tommy is astonished —somebody must have slipped in and put it there while his back was turned. But it is too late to begin to-day— to-morrow he will clean it up. Yes, to- morrow. Then something queer hap- pens. . « and N THE very next morning—Friday —when he is to go out to work he discovers a sore on his thumb. He ties it with a rag and goes around with a face as long as a yardstick— any work. In an hour the sore is well. Two days later he can’t tell which hand it was on. Saturday morning comes and it is raining. Tommy is as happy as a robin in plowed ground. But does he show it? No, indeed. He makes his father and mother think that he is simply suffering to get out and polish off that yard. The harder it rains the more he suffers. If a regular goose-drowner comes, his father and mother have to beg him not to go out and rake the yard. By Sunday morning it is dried off and he wants to get the work over with. He simply pines to rake the yard, but he has to go tochurch. It’s strange—the very morning he quivers to do the work he has to put on his good clothes and go with his parents. Nobody has ever been able to explain that. Monday morning comes, but the great work-urge which has encompassed him so completely for two days has passed away; he can walk through the middle of the yard and never once think of leaves. The only leaves he can think of have printing on them. Tuesday morning comes. His parents think that there is nothing to keep him from descending upon the yard; he hasn’t an ache ora pain; the sky is cloudless; every yard in the block has been raked; people passing by are beginning to point. The whole family is excited—Tommy is actually going to work. The family gather on the porch to witness the dramatic event. Tommy puts on his old clothes and The great work-urge has died He begins to build a house in-the top of a tree 7 By Homer Croy Illustrated by Bert N. Salg a. goes to the woodshed, but ; he can’t find the rake. His mother comes out and it is hanging on the wall before his eyes. With the 4s basket in his hand and the rake over his shoulder he marches to the far corner of the yard. The rake reaches out, it opens up a path and Tommy sees the green grass growing. He plops himself down on the ground and begins ’ to dig up the grass roots. All of a sudden he has developed a pas- sionate interest in botany. He pokes among the roots; he chases ants; he examines a worm. At last, he fills his lungs, he spits on his hands, the rake moves out. There is a noise; he stops, pricks up his ears—a band is playing; a procession is coming down the street. He gallops off. . . . The next day his father hires a colored man to rake the yard. Then all of a sudden Tommy changes. He does more work than two hired men— so long as he doesn’t think it is work. The difference is that he must call it play. He waits until the hottest day of the summer comes along and is seized with the idea that he must dig a tunnel. The mercury is trying to climb out of the thermometer; the cows are panting; the chickens have their feathers raised and the dogs look like bellows; the men come in from the fields. The only thing moving is Tommy—he’s as busy as a hay tedder. He picks out a clay bank—an ordi- nary dirt bank won’t do—and gets an old tin can and a spoon and lies down on his stomach and goes after it. The dirt is so hard that it would rip a dog’s toe-nails off, but Tommy thinks it’s fine. He burrows like a gopher; the dirt flies—he is having a wonderful time. He is busier than an ant on a hot stove-lid. Oy a T LAST, his mother calls him and tells him that he will have to do a little digging behind his ears. His face looks like a rubber balloon when somebody sticks a pin in it, and when his mother finally squeezes out the cloth and begins to do a little excavation of her own, he groans worse than a threshing machine with a wet bundle in the cylinder. “You’re takin’ the skin offen me,’’ he bellows. “I’m never going to get anything done as long as I live for always havin’ to wash behind my ears.” But the worst blow is yet to come. His mother tells him to go out and bring in a basket of cobs. He looks as if he was going to be shot at dawn .. . life simply isn’t worth while . nothing but work, work, work, no fun at all—just slave, slave, slave. He picks up the basket as if it weighed as much as a corner-stone and starts for the barn. At last he comes back —an inch at a time; he drops the basket behind the stove and flops down on the sofa . . . plumb tuckered out. The next morning he will be out digging in the clay bank as lively as a chipmunk. Then suddenly one day he gets tired of that and drops the spoon and tin can. The next time he sees them they are rusted till he hardly knows them. He now begins to build a house in the top of a tree—especially if it is a particularly high and slippery tree and offers a good oppor- tunity to him to break his neck. He loves it, he dotes on it, and he works till he drips like a shower-bath ... he is having the time of his life. And then his mother calls him to mind his baby sister and he comes down with his face looking like a snow-storm in the Alps. So long as it is the kind of work that he wants to do he’ll work like a fire department answering a third alarm, but if it isn’t something he wants to do it would take one of those slow motion pictures they photograph growing (Concluded on page 29)

Page 10

8 BOYS’ LIFE on | ther in a Whi : four CHAPTER II S h W M ad expectantly. About noon they saw log and brick houses ~ By tep en ° ea er aaa left shore, going up ae eid the river. This pg E days sped fast, and every sunset saw the . was a different sort of town from Pittsburgh. No tte keel-boat nearer completion. At last she was Illustrated by Leslie Crump busy boat-yards were visible, but they caught distinctly given a coat of pitch, and the boat-builder an- the sound of whoops and cheers, and along the high rot nounced that within two days she would be ready Tom felt a huge exhilaration as the prow of the keel-boat _ street a crowd of men could be seen. rate to launch. The Lockwoods, meanwhile, had finished their shot past the lower point of the town, and into the Ohio itself. “Thar they go!’ shouted Rogers, pointing excitedly. As sa preparations for the start. The big draft-horses had been stern of them the morning sum glinted on the mile-wide he spoke, Tom caught sight of two men on horseback, flying nm sold to a freighter for a good price, down the dirt road at a dead run. re and even after paying for his boat More cheers resounded, as the : : Ezra Lockwood’s bags contained riders slowed up beyond the last , several thousand dollars—a consid- scattering houses. gol erably larger sum than most travel- “That’s Wheelin’ fer ye!” adi ers carried in those days. Tom felt chuckled Jake. ‘‘ Don’t do nothin’ 1 badly at having to part with the thar all day long but race hosses!”’ : little Pocono mare, but he had The keel-boat sped on, out of A: known from the beginning that it sight of the town, and now Tom \ must be so, and at least he was stood eagerly by the port bulwark ¥» able to make sure that she went and scanned the river below, R to a good master. After half an hour or so he saw . The rivers had been rising as the what he was looking for—an inward h . snow melted in the hills, and now curving bay in the southern shore. 0d the freshet was nearing its height. “‘There’s the place, Uncle Ezra!” hi Buds were opening on the hard- he called. . wood trees, and the April sun shone “Right.” answered his uncle. : warmly down the length of the “Put in for that cove, below there, ty great valley. Daily now the muddy, Rogers.” 7 creaking wagons came out of the The gaunt steersman appeared b forest, on the Conestoga Road. not to hear. . And daily the boats of traders and “Bear over to the left there, I emigrants swung free from the say!’ Ezra Lockwood shouted. I piers and sailed away downstream. “You'll be too far down if you ; The spring exodus had begun. don’t hurry!” hi It was just twenty days after Rogers looked surprised. ‘‘ That , their first sight of Pittsburgh that ’ere cove?”’ he said—‘“that ain’t * the Lockwoods stowed their cargo no fit place to land—there’s rocks f of household goods, gunsmith’s in the river, ‘long here.” “ tools and provisions aboard the The bearded gunsmith took a good ship Phoebe Ann—she was stride in Rogers’ direction. ‘Put ' named after Tom’s aunt—and that helm over at once,” he or- waited for sunrise to start their dered sharply. ‘‘ We'll chance the - voyage. Tom spent that last night rocks.”” t on board, guarding the craft and With a somewhat grudging air, ' its valuable freight. At daylight the pilot swung his oar at last, and I he was roused by a hail from the dock, and was relieved to see the tall, bony figure of their pilot stand- ing there. Nothing had been heard of him since the day of his first appearance at the clearing, and Tom knew that his uncle had felt some concern lest the man should fail to be on hand. ‘Wal, sonny,” cried Rogers, jovially, “sho’ is a day, ain’t it? Had breakfast yet? I got a fire up the bank here, an’ some deer’s meat a-cookin’.” The boy jumped ashore with alacrity, for the cold air of dawn had given him a keen appetite. As they mounted the bank together Tom was surprised once more at the rapid ease of the man’s limping stride. He might have been made of whalebone and rawhide for there seemed to be no flesh on his spare frame. They crouched beside the smoking venison and fell to with knives and fingers. After the first few wolfish mouthfuls, Rogers turned to the little heap of his belongings which lay by the fire and drew out a tall, slender stone bottle. He took a long pull, smacked his lips and proffered the jug to Tom, who smilingly refused it. He knew something of Pittsburgh whiskey. Now that the pilot’s hunger was appeased and his tongue somewhat loosened, he began to talk. MHair-raising tales of the Ohio, seasoned with strange river oaths, poured from him in a flood. Tom listened and at the same time he watched. There was something disturbing to him in the odd gleam of the man’s eyes, and the flash of his big yellow teeth. And he could not help speculating on the queer angle of the felt hat, which, as before, was pulled down on the left side so far that it almost brushed Rogers’ shoulder. At length Mr. and Mrs. Lockwood appeared on the dock below, and the river man jumped to his feet. As he picked up his duffel-bag, a bundle of striped fur at the end of a chain emerged, spitting, from behind it. “Ha-ha!” laughed Rogers. “I clean fergot to make ye *quainted with this little feller. ‘Gin’ral Wayne,’ his name is, an’ he’s the champeen fightin’ coon o’ the valley. We'll hev to keep him ’way from thet dog o’ yourn, or the Gin’ral’s liable to bite him in two!’ And one side of the leathery face wrinkled in a wink. The Phoebe Ann’s passengers were soon aboard, and without further preliminaries the moorings were cast off. A strong swing on the steering-oar, as she caught the current, sent the craft far out into mid-stream. A little cheer went up from the boat-builders along the shore. At last the travelers had begun the long, final stage of their westward journey. “Give me a hand up,” said Andy’s voice. Tom leaned far over. swirl of waters. Ahead, the mighty curves of the river un- folded themselves steadily, in an ever-changing prospect. HE muddy current ran bank-high between shores heavily wooded with oaks and maples and great, straight-stemmed tulip trees. The speed they made astonished Tom at first. Easily and without effort, the long craft slipped down-stream at a uniform six miles an hour. As he watched the forests glide past, the boy could not help thinking of the weary plod- ding it had cost to come thus far. He had not realized, be- fore, what an advantage the great water highway held over land travel. Then, too, the distances that had to be traversed. Though they seemed to be fairly flying westward, he knew that few boats reached the Mississippi in less than twenty days. Jake Rogers lolled on the sun-warmed deck, astern, one elbow flung over the steering-sweep. He had taken off his coat and rolled up the sleeves of his faded woolen shirt, dis- closing lean, brown forearms, as hard and corded as an iron- wood sapling. His ancient hat, however, still sat rakishly on his head. The man nodded merrily, when Tom went aft to join him early in the afternoon. “Yessir, sonny,” he cried, “‘Ye’re on the river now, sho’ nough! Come back to hev a parley with ol’ Jake, eh?” He paused long enough to direct a stream of tobacco-juice over his shoulder, then pointed a bony forefinger toward the north bank. “Boy,” he said, his voice sinking to a serious and confiden- tial tone, “‘—boy, on that p’int yonder, I seen four men killed once—killed an’ scalped by the Injuns. Thirty year ago, ‘twas, fore Colonel Clark took Cahokia. I dove under the boat, that time, an’ swum clean acrost the river in the dark, with redskins arter me in canoes. Ho, hum! I been up an’ down this river! Yes, sirree!’’ And he swung into the queer, jigging chorus of a river song, slapping his hand on the deck to keep time. Before sunset they ran in and moored their boat on the Virginia shore, opposite the Steubenville settlement. A cooking-fire was built on the bank. After supper the party cat about the blaze for a while, then returned to the boat and slumbered soundly, for the sun and wind on the river had made them all sleepy. Daylight woke them, and as soon as breakfast had been eaten they resumed their voyage. Tom knew that the town of Wheeling was not many miles below, and mindful of Andy Warren, he watched for the place the nose of the boat turned toward the cove. They neared the shore rapidly. The rocks, if any existed, did not interfere with their prog- ress, and in a few moments Tom had clambered up the steep bank, under the giant sycamores. He had half expected Andy to be waiting on the shore, but there was no sign of him among the trees, nor did any sound but the chattering of squirrels answer Tom’s call. There was a gloominess about the place that was depressing. The boy waited a few minutes, then shouted once -more. Finally he turned back to the bank, in disappointment, and started climbing down by the root of a large beech trec. Casually his glance swept upward and he gave a startled ex- clamation. There on the trunk, not two feet above his head, were odd characters, freshly carved in the bark. He drew himself up on a level with the blaze and examined it carefully. At the left was a crudely shaped arrowhead, pointing down- ward. Next came four rough circles. The row of symbols was completed on the right by a deep slit in the bark, into which a splinter of wood had been driven. Peering closer, Tom saw a wisp of something bright-colored pinned by this wedge. It was a tiny lock of vivid red hair. “‘Andy’s!” he cried, and was just about to pluck the splinter from the crevice when something sang past his head, and at the same instant the crack of a rifle was heard. “Quick, Tom!”’ shouted his uncle, “Get back aboard here!” But the boy had already gained the afterdeck in one long leap. “Shove off!” he cried, and within a dozen seconds the boat was once more shooting down the river. HE landing at Sycamore Cove, and Tom’s futile search there for Andy, had consumed the best part of an hour. It was past three o’clock in the afternoon when the Pennsyl- vanians pushed off from shore with the sound of the rifle shot ringing in their ears. Tom found his uncle waiting for him in the little cabin of the keel-boat. There were stern lines about his bearded mouth. “See here, lad,” he said, as Tom entered, “I hope you're satisfied new. The rascals set a pretty trap for you and into it you tumbled, like a bear into a honey-pot. ’Twas luck alone that we were not all killed!” Tom flushed. “No, Uncle,” he said, “TI still think Andy was honest. If you’d seen him, you would, too—” ‘ “Honest!” Ezra Lockwood snorted. “‘ Perhaps that shot was fired in fun, then? The bullet went through the planking here, not a yard from my bunk.” The boy shook his head doggedly. ‘Wait, Uncle Ezra,” said he. “Just before they fired I found a sign from Andy August

Page 11

The Boy Scouts’ Magazine on a tree, there by the water. An arrow pointing down, then four circles, sort of, and a bit of his own red hair, stuck in a cleft. I’ve figured it out and it all seems plain to me. What I think he meant to tell me is that he’ll be waiting four days further down the river. Likely that cove is a land- ing-place for these outlaws, and some of them came there so he didn’t dare stay.” “Huh!” replied his uncle. “Well, we’ll have no more running ashore and risking our necks for the scamp, at any rate. To tell you the truth, I think him aad his gang no better than a crew of pirates.” Tom swallowed his feelings and climbed to the after-deck where he joined Jake Rogers. The lanky helmsman was whistling with the greatest cheerfulness. “Wal, Tommy,” he chuckled, “I told ye no good’d come o’ goin’ ashore in that forsaken cove. Better take ol’ Jake’s advice arter this—hum-te-tum-tum-teedle-deedle-tum-te-teedle- dee—’” and he swung into the chorus of one of his endless boatman’s songs. : The sun sank lower and gilded the reaches of the river ahead. A few more miles they slipped downward, then put in for a landing. Their camp was on the Ohio shore this time. “Bank ain’t so steep. More trees to tie to,” explained Rogers. It was a wild place, and Tom, lying awake forward, where he slept with Bunker and Flynn, twice heard the scream of a catamount, hunting in the woods far away. The sound made him shift uneasily in his blankets, for it fitted in with his thoughts. He wondered if Andy had reached the new ren- dezvous, four days down the river, or if the lad was even now lying by a tiny fire somewhere in that vast wilderness between. The faint, far-off screech of the panther came again, and Tom shivered as he fell asleep. i WAS broad daylight when Brad Bunker shook him awake. Already the boat was in motion and the crew had eaten breakfast. Tom got a bite for himself and took up his station in the bows where he could watch the panorama of the river. ““We’re comin’ into the Long Reach, now,” sang out Rogers from his post at the stern. “Eighteen miles, she is, straight— *thout a curve. Islands in the middle. Main channel’s on the right.” ‘ Tom, looking ahead, saw a great sweep of water opening out before them. The river was very wide here—nearly three miles, he would have guessed—and stretched away southward as far as the eye could see. It was dinner-time bcfore the keel-boat had floated through the lower end of the Long Reach. As if to make up for its good behavior, the Ohio now twisted into sharp ox-bow curves, one after another, that continued for a number of miles. The current switched from side to side of the river, running deep and swift along the outer bank at every bend, and Jake Rogers, by the stern- oar, was kept on the alert to hold the craft in the full sweep of the channel. Several times even his dexterous steering was barely successful in keeping the boat out of the angry eddies and whirlpools that edged the current. They covered more than twenty miles of this wild part of the river in a scant three hours. The sun was still fairly high when the prow of the keel-boat swept around a great point, and Tom, posted as a look-out, cried that he saw a broad stream running into the Ohio from the North. “The Muskingum, it must be,” replied Ezra Lockwood. ““We’d best put in and spend the night at the Marietta settle- ment, for I want to buy powder and fish-lines.”’ The boat was run closer to the right bank, and in a few moments lay moored with several other craft, to the one rude dock that formed the little town’s water-front. As soon as the ropes were made fast, Tom took his rifle, called to Cub, who was eager- to stretch his legs on shore, and walked with his uncle up the main street of the settle- ment. There seemed to be a considerable crowd of people in and about the log house which served as a general store. Among them, as Tom approached, he noticed at least a score of tall men dressed in deerskin hunting-frocks and fringed breeches like his own. Most of them wore the customary coon- and squirrel-skin caps, but one great, broad-shouldered fellow had adorned himself with a headgear of bearskin, and another had on a cap of wolf’s fur with the ugly black snout and inch-long eye-teeth grinning wickedly above his keen, tanned face. This man, slighter of build than some of his fellows, but with an erect, soldierly carriage, was bartering furs for flour and pork, as the Lockwoods entered. While they stood waiting for the storekeeper to be free, the huge man with the cap of bearskin came up, grinning in friendly fashion. “Howdy, trav’lers,” he said. ‘“ Ye got started early, didn’t ye? We aim to push off ’fore the rush starts, too. How fur ye goin’?’” “Missouri,” replied Tom. “Where are you bound?” ““We’re headed that way, too,” said the giant, “only we’re a-goin’ up the Missouri River, into the beaver country— trappin’. We're long hunters from the upper Muskingum. Most of us was raised round here from childern. But it’s gittin’ too full o’ folks, up the river, thar.’’ His face clouded and he shook his head. ‘‘ Two new settlements up thar, ’thin thirty miles of each other! Dunno what this here country’s a-comin’ to.” ’ 9 HERE was real distress in the man’s face, but it cleared, after a moment. ‘Wal, we’re a-goin’ on West, whar the crowds won’t spile the huntin’,” he said, more cheerfully. “That ’ar feller—’’ his voice dropped, respectfully, and he nodded toward the man with the wolf’s head on his cap— “that’s Buckeye Ben Chandler. Call him that ’cause he kin shoot a deer through the eye, every time. Ben’s the leader o’ this here expedition. Two keel-boats an’ thirty men, we’ve got.” The Muskingum men’s chief had now finished his negotia- tions with the storekeeper and Ezra Lockwood went over to make his purchases. “Here, Ben,” called Tom’s big friend, “here’s a youngster that'll be a woodsman, some day. He’s goin’ to Missouri, too.” The face under the wolf’s teeth smiled, as Buckeye Ben drew near. He looked at Tom with searching gray eyes. “Yes,” he said at length, “looks like a real ‘long hunter.” His eye fell upon the rifle in the crook of Tom’s arm, and he took a step nearer. “That’s a good gun, boy,” he nodded. “Lockwood make, ain’t it?” “My uncle made it,” said Tom, proudly. Lockwood.” “You don’t say!” exclaimed the hunter, eagerly. “Why, I been carryin’ one o’ his rifles for years, an’ there ain’t no truer shootin’ gun ’twixt here an’ the Mississip’ than ol’ Sal, is ther’, B’ar?”’ He addressed the last question to the big man beside him. “‘She sure is a nice shooter,”’ the latter replied with a grin, “but—wal, ye know I’ve allus kinder stood up fer my Ol’ Jonathan Ames, here—” “Come outside, then—come outside, an’ I’ll prove that my rifle kin spit lead further an’ straighter’n any gun that ever come out o’ New England.” Chandler started toward the door, followed by half a dozen cheering hunters. ‘‘Come on, boys,”’ someone called, “‘ Buck- eye Ben an’ B’ar Hanson’s goin’ to shoot.”” The huge fellow in the bearskin cap winked at Tom. * “ Jes’ said it to rile him,” he chuckled. ‘Now ye'll see some fun.’”’ And he went to join the group outside. Two of the hunters were already ‘pacing off a distance. They stopped and one shouted back, “ Here’s two hundred.” “Make it two hundred an’ fifty,’’ answered Buckeye Ben promptly. Tom watched them add fifty more yards to the range, then set up a piece of shingle against a tree. It was a nearly rectangular bit of wood, perhaps eight inches high by six across. At that distance it was not much more than visible. (Continued on page go) “He’s Ezra — Daily now the muddy, creaking wagons came out of the forest, on the Conestoga Road. 1923 a ae

Page 12

EITHER mythical nor modern giants “have anything on” Kenneth Hill. It might even be said of him that he is David and Goliath rolled in one. With the greatest ease he can be the boy David, with the stature and ways of other boys, or a towering giant full sixteen feet in height. What is of even greater interest, he is using his accomplish- ment to earn his way on trips about the country and through preparatory school and college. Of course, Kenneth’s extra height is secured by the use of stilts. The ones he uses the most are ten feet and six inches to the foot-holds, the tops above extending to the knees where they are securely strapped. He can even walk on a pair fourteen feet high, but they are not practical because his weight is too great to be held at that height with wooden stilts. And, think of it!—he never uses a balancer. By the movement of his “feet”? and the shifting of his weight, he Years on stilts boy and through college by walking on stilts By Leroy W. Hutchins maintains his balance for hours at a time. have given him dexterity, balance, strong arches—and nerve such as few men possess. In mounting the stilts, he is obliged to use a box car, garage roof, porch roof—any place that is high enough. To get on his Jong pants, he draws them up over the stilts, fastens the stilts to his legs, and then “hooks up” the pants. This fixes him onto stay. It is interesting to note, though, that he has learned to fall without injury. He falls straight forward, describing a full arc, and lights on his knees with his body bent back. Great little stunt that in itself. You may wonder how he came to jearn so unusual a sport. Ina way, he did not. When, as a youngster, his mother tried to put a stop to it, he walked at night. A fall over a wire decided him to win her interest in the sport so that he could engage in it in daylight, and ever since she has been a willing, though, we may guess, a sometimes worried, mother. For Kenneth does not know the meaning of fear. A bucking bronco, swimming and diving stunts, tricks on stilts—it’s all pure delight to him. You may now imagine, and you will know as you read on, that he is a real King of Boyville. is earning his way on trips about the country his knee on the cement terrace, cracking the patella. Yet, although he was “put on the shelf” for six weeks with his leg in a plaster cast, he did not miss any of his school work and he learned to walk on his hands on his crutches. Jolly oh, can you beat him! ‘But what’s the sense of it all?’ some practical person will want to know. All right. He earns money by it. Sensible y life doesn’t appeal to him. Instead he has only looked on stilt walking as a rare sport and a means for earn- ing money for his present. needs. His first pay was twenty-five dollars a week and expenses, and he has frequently earned ten dollars a day and expenses. At other times it averages more by the job. But whatever it is, he knows that he is “on his own.” He says, “Father knows that, if I knew he would send me money every time I go broke, I’d quit and holler for help whenever the going gets rough. But he knows I know I’ve got to stand on my own legs, and it’s been a good thing for me. I’m convinced that if a man really uses his head and whatever powers he may have been endowed with there’s always a way out when things get black. “To show you how it works: One day I lit ina town with 39 cents, my ‘legs,’ and no job. I could just barely eat a noon meal, and then I was broke. I grinned at a sign painter, told him my story, and assured him I’d have money before dark. He staked me to a white card bearing the words, ‘I want a job.’ With this on my back, I got on my ‘legs’ and began walking the streets. Inside of an hourI was adver- tising a show for a theater, and that night I had ten dollars and a contract for three days—thirty dollars and ex- | ( UST a bit more about those stilts be- fore we lose ourselves in the “wild stuff.” He has always made his own, even when he was a small boy. At first they consisted of tin cans tied on with cord. Gives an idea, doesn’t it, that he just naturally “had it in him.” Then when he got in high school and manual training he began to construct real ones. He made them of four-ply wood and put two-inch rubber tips on the bottoms. And, of course, he has tried them of various lengths, even adopting a five-foot length for certain stunts. These five-foot ones he straps on the same as the others and on them he dances, skips and kicks to his heart’s content. He leaps on one stilt, using the free leg to balance. He oes up and down stairs on one stilt, hopping, and takes off his coat, hat and vest while in action. He has even hopped more than a hundred feet without stopping. Try it on one of your own good legs! But his stunts on the high stilts are far more daring. Ina college Snake Dance he has walked over two hundred men as they wound about single file, the men going one way and he the other. On race tracks he has let horseback riders and even a racing automobile pass through between the stilts. In doing this he has taken his position, making due calculations for a fall in case one of his “pins’’ was hit, and then “let ’er come.” You can imagine the roaring waves of applause from the grand- stands when the car shot through. And you must know that he can never stand perfectly still and keep his balance. Therein lies the trick, and in stunts like the automobile, the danger. The largest thing that Kenneth has ever walked over was elephants. Maybe the giant pachyderms do not look so large to this boy giant as they do to us pygmies! As to climbing on the big stilts, he has walked up a fire escape and strolled around on the roof of a four-story building. What next, you may gasp; and doesn’t he ever fall? Listen to this one: While a student in a military academy he jumped down six cement steps— backward! He did it several times successfully, but as so often happens with all of us, he did it once too often. On land- ing he lost his balance and in turning to fall forward he struck penses. Oh, I believe ina man advertising what he can do all right, if he can do something well.” But Kenneth does not consider that stilt walking would be worth while as a business, chiefly because he cannot walk every day. The wind and air currents above often make walking dangerous, even impossible. He can never tell at street cor- ners just how the wind will strike him. Once he was thrown against a lamp post because of a sudden puff. Another time a strong wind storm came up so suddenly that he barely reached a nearby telegraph pole, escaping a serious spill, and he clung there while the crowds ran for shelter. Spb just think of the sensation of bal- ancing or swinging along more than ten feet in the air. Kenneth says that when under way it is much like flying, and that it is especially inspiring and exhilarating when in the country. The momentum gained when under full swing seems to / carry him along with great ease. At one Kenneth Hill in some of his “stunts” and practical enough, isn’t it? What’s more, he uses the money to pay his way in school. And a third good reason is that he enjoys doing it. It is play for him. The money comes from advertising various things. Here’s a sample. In ,Selina, Alabama, he dressed in skirts, full length, and a picture hat, to make a lassie seventeen feet tall. It was for the purpose of drawing crowds to the play, “‘So Long Letty,” and the house was packed for every performance. He has twice walked in New England and other eastern states fora shoe company. He has advertised for lumber companies, state fairs and many other businesses. Circuses and carnival companies have made him offers, but the idea of that sort of The Best in the World “ The sin is not in failing, but in not trying again.” The best in the world may sometimes lose, Steady of heart and eye) Go down for the count before the blow Cowardly dealt from above or below, Everything vanished and nothing to show For the years gone by. The best in the world may meet defeat, Beaten on every side; But the best in the world will fight again, Terribly, quietly (sorrow or pain) Laugh at the jeer that the fight is vain— For the best have pride. The best in the world have guts and grit, Pride that is brawn and brain; They know that a man may sometimes fail; Dreams may die and his hopes be pale; But brave are the best. they refuse to quail, And they win again | Epmunp LEamy. = —— time he walked fourteen miles in four hours. Another time he undertook to _walk thirty-two miles, but an accident to one of his stilts caused him to stop after covering eighteen. Motorists stop their cars and stare as if they doubted their eyes when they cee him swinging along a country road. And it is funny to see people on city streets when they first notice two sticks walking along. Their eyes travel up and up until they see the boy perched atop, and their mouths are apt to open wide. The commonest and most tiresome expression of greeting is, ““How’s the weather up there?” As to contributions. . . ah, prick up your ears . . . people below throw anything and everything up to him, especially candy and peanuts, even ice cream. He says, “It seems as though everybody is ‘for’ me. Very few ever have tried to make trouble—although they could easily enough. Men seem to be thinking, ‘What if I were up there in that fellow’s place.’ And that makes them considerate. Kids are either too scared or too loyal. And women are usually too astonished.” As to interesting and novel experiences, he has had many. He has eaten meals from second-story windows, and has even been shaved with his head stuck in the window of a second-story bar- bershop. Once while he was advertising a Y.M.C. A. circus a young lady, chancing to glance out of a second-floor window, fainted away at seeing a boy walk past, apparently in mid-air. Are these experiences of any value to him? This is what he says: “These sticks are playing a pretty tall part in my life, giving me self-confidence and a little business experience which ought to help me in later years. And walking ’way up here over people’s heads while everybody invariably steps aside for me gives me a sort of buoyancy of spirit that doesn’t leave me when I’m down.” Perhaps “buoyancy of spirit” may keep this King of Boy- ville head and shoulders—yes, and feet, too—above his fellows when he gives up stilt walking for the bigger things of life. Watch for him swinging by. Auguss swe bro his =a a ee a er ee ee ee. ee |

Page 13

The Boy Scouts’ Magazine RED MILLER rode up to the log cabin that was the summer camp of the G Bar G horse ranch, his horse in a lather of foam and sweat. “What’s the great excitement; Utes broke out again?” inquired Dick Wilson, his companion at the camp. “A grizzly’s killed old Trojan,” Fred replied, ‘‘and chased me half a mile when I took a crack at him with my six-shooter— it was just my luck not to have my rifle along. Saddle up quick—maybe we can catch it at the carcass.” The two boys were herding more than a thousand mares and colts, divided into bands of fifty or so, each with its stallion for guardian and leader. Trojan had been one of these last, a vicious brute given to madly attacking, with pounding fore feet and snapping teeth, any animal that came near his charges, so that even the herders approached him cautiously, ready to beat him off with the butt of a quirt, or even to sénd the smoke and flame of a revolver shot into his face, though the object of his rush would be the horse and not the rider. The mares were ranging on the great plateau which lies between the upper Rio Blanco River and the valley of the Grand in western Colorado, a tableland of open parks knee-high with grass, and groves of quaking aspen, pine and spruce, which at that time swarmed with game. Trojan had already killed a mountain lion that had crept up on and pulled down a young mare, rearing and smashing down on the big cat with both front feet, then pounding it to bloody pulp, and had on two occasions run down and crushed to death small bears that he had caught in the open and overtaken before they could climb a tree for safety, for a big fifteen- hundred-pound range stallion is a savage and reckless fighter and more than a match for any predatory animal except the great grizzly of the Rockies. “Biggest bear I ever saw,” Fred told his companion as he hurriedly saddled a horse from the couple of extra ones always kept in the corral for emergencies while the rest of the remuda were grazing, “big in the body as Trojan. I ran onto the mares this morning, but Trojan wasn’t with them, so I scouted and come on what was left of him lying near the edge of the timber with the bear tearing at the carcass. WhenI was about fifty yards off the bear saw me and stood up on his hind feet-— didn’t seem scared a bit—and I'll bet he was twelve feet high. I couldn’t get any closer—Jackstraw was having a fit—so I cut loose at the bear’s head. He let out a yell, swiped at his neck with his paw like he was brushing off a fly and here he come—maybe you don’t think he made Jackstraw scratch dirt for a quarter to keep out of his way. I sever thought a bear could make that good time.” HAF an hour later they were in sight of Trojan’s band of mares, still nervous and restless from the fright they had received when their protector was struck down. Some were grazing with quick bites at the grass, then jerking up their heads to gaze around with dilated nostrils, others not even quiet enough to do this, but watching the fringe of the forest with staring eyes and ears pricked forward, snorting with alarm at every flutter of a bird, the little colts crowding close against their mothers, which instinct told them was the safest place. “Trojan’s just around that point of timber,’ Fred said a little farther on, and leaving their horses the two slipped quietly up to where the edge of the trees jutted out into the grass land. Screened by the trunks they looked eagerly. Two hundred yards away lay the dark mass that was the dead stallion, but no grizzly met their gaze. “Guess he néver came back after running me—went somewhere to have a sleep,” Fred said, and they went on. The bear had torn open the flank of its kill to make a meal, but the head and neck were untouched other than by the claw marks where the death blow had been given, the upper part of the skull and last joint of the neck being crushed, mute evidence of the fearful force a grizzly can put into a stroke with its fore paw. “T guess Trojan ran at the béar with his head down, stallion fashion, and the bear rushed and smashed him down before he could ‘ear and strike,” Dick reasoned, “because I con’t 1923 An hour before sunset the boys left camp believe even a big grizzly would be feeling any too good if Trojan landed on him square.” “That’s about it,” Fred assented, “and the next job is to get the bear. Once they get a taste of horse meat they’re likely to keep right on killing, and he might get more of the stallions—some of ’em are pretty near as bad about fighting anything that shows up as Trojan was.” “We might lay for him over in the trees—he’s sure to come back,” Dick remarked. “Too far for good shooting if he comes after dark, which he’s apt to do—he must be pretty near full judging from the hole he’s made in Trojan—and won't want any more to-day,” Fred objected. “Then what’s the matter with lying right here by the car- cass?” Dick asked. “Like that old trapper told us about. He said if you did that the bear wouldn’t scent you but would come right up till you could almost jam your gun into it before you pulled trigger, and the flash and report would scare it so bad that if it didn’t drop it would leave on the high jump and you could trail it up next morning by the blood.” Fred grinned. ‘If he’d chased you like he did me maybe you wouldn’t be so anxious to get close,’ he observed, “but it might work at that—the trapper said he’d killed ’em by the dozen that way and never had any trouble. And two of us with these 45-70’s could sure jar him up—those big bullets hit an awful jolt.” “All right,” Dick told him. “Let’s take the mares and throw ’em into Towhead’s band—he’s got the smallest, and they’ll scatter and the wolves get some of ’em if we don’t.” AN HOUR before sunset the boys left the camp, with a lunch and a blanket each tied behind their saddles, for at that altitude, ten thousand feet, the nights were chill. As they rode through the:parks the night life of the wild was beginning to -stir with the lengthening shadows. Foxes barked from the ridges, and once a timber wolf howled, the blood-curdling, long drawn out wail filling the air. Deer in the red summer coat were coming into the open—does and their fawns mostly—for the bucks, their antlers still soft in the velvet, as yet kept to themselves in secluded spots until the delicate horns hardened with the coming of the fall frost and the velvet covering was ready to be rubbed off against brush or tree trunk. Here and there little bands of cow elk with their calves were 1 By William Wells Illustrated by Sidney Reisenberg feeding, and they saw three great bull elk stalking single file along a game trail, their enormous horns nearly full grown, swaying ten feet in the air as they walked. A little farther on they came on a brown she bear with her three cubs, one jet black, the other the same color as the mother— for the so-called cinnamon bear of the Rockies is nothing but a color phase of the black, and the cubs of one litter may run all shades from black to light yellow— industriously tearing up fallen and rotten quaking aspen tree trunks to get at the grubs and insects within. As she worked, the cubs, the size of a collie dog, interspersed their nosing among the crumbling frag- ments in search of tidbits with mimic fights, standing on their hind feet to box as expertly as any human being, or rolling over and over locked in a wrestler’s hug, growling ferociously. When the old bear saw the intruders she stood erect to get a better view, then dropped and loped away through the trees, looking like a bounding brown ball, the cubs scuttling at her heels. ‘ Leaving their horses securely fastened in a clump of trees a quarter of a mile away, the boys went forward, carrying their blankets and heavy repeating rifles. Creeping up to the point of trees through which they had looked in the morning, they came in sight of the dead horse, hoping that the grizzly had already returned; but there was no movement at the dark blotch that lay in the gathering dusk. Wrapping themselves in their blankets they lay down one on each side of the carcass, their rifles covered with a fold to keep off the heavy dew, and so arranging the covering that it could be instantly thrown off from both the rifles and them- selves. For a long time they lay there listening to the sounds of the mountains at night, the who-who of the great horned owls as they paused in their hunt for mice, snowshoe rabbits or grouse to perch on some treetop for a space, answering one another, or the sudden thumping of light hoofs as feeding deer fled in terror from prowling cougar or wolf. Once, faint and far off, they heard the crash and agonized cry, cut short, as one of the great cats made its lightning-like rush and brought down its quarry. HE short summer night was not dark—they could see for some distance—but the Big Dipper had swung part of a quarter circle before their vigil was rewarded. Then, with- out a sound, the great bear loomed out of the gloom under the nearest trees, coming toward them as silently as drifting smoke. Neither of the boys stirred until the bear was within a few steps, but at the first movement as they brought their rifles up the big beast stopped with a growl rumbling deep in its throat. Then the rifles roared, the flash showing the grizzly with its ears laid back and upper lip wrinkled, baring the long white fangs, the little eyes red in the glare, but when the momentary blindness caused by the blaze had left the boys’ eyes the bear had gone as silently as it had appeared. Both had jerked the levers of their rifles the instant after they had fired, snapping a second cartridge from magazine to chamber, half expect- ing a savage charge, but there was no need—the old trapper had been right. Dick drew a deep breath. ‘‘Wasn’t he a whale!” he ex- claimed. “If I'd had time I’d have been too scared to pull trigger, but I just pointed at the middle of him and let go.” “T tried for his shoulder,” Fred told him, “but it’s all guess- work shooting at night when you can’t see the sights. The main thing is to hold low—you’ll overshoot if you aren’t careful.” : ““You’d have to be awful careless to overshoot that bear— he’s bigger than a house,” Dick answered. “Let’s go back to the horses, build a fire, eat a bite, and snooze till we can see to trail. Old Eph’ll be bleeding some with the holes those slugs made in his side—we couldn’t miss at that short range.” With the first light the boys were back, following the tracks the ponderous bear had left as it made off through the tall, wet grass, plain enough even if it had not been for the blood drops thickly sprinkled on leaf ana stem. The trail led across the park and into a belt of lodgepole pines standing only a few feet apart, the tall, slender trunks rising thirty feet without a branch to where the plumy tops met in a thick green roof

Page 14

12 overhead. There was no undergrowth, the ground carpeted thick with the fallen brown. needles into which their feet sank without a sound. Here the track was hard to follow in the dim light, the footprints only faint impressions and the blood drops, now becoming scant as the first rush was be- coming clotted, visible only at intervals. Step by step they stole forward, one on each side of the trail, rifles ready, eyes alternately on the tracks and searching the pillared columns ahead for the slightest movement that would herald the ferocious rush of a wounded grizzly at its pursuers. In a couple of hundred yards they came to where the wounded beast had lain down, and here two blood-soaked spots in the pine needles indicated the location of the bullet holes. “Shot in the shoulder, and in the body well back,’’ Fred whispered. ‘He won't go far hit that bad,” and with re- newed caution they kept on. A short distance farther and the trail led down into a hollow in the center of which stood a clump of thick spruce rising from a mass of willow bushes— sure indication of water. The boys looked at each other meaningly and their hearts beat more quickly—here the grizzly was almost certain to have taken refuge. The tracks pointed straight for the thicket, but it would have been the height of folly to have gone after the bear, and they circled the covert, stepping lightly from tree to tree, alert for any movement in the brush, and watching carefully for any sign that the bear had gone through and kept on. But a complete circuit revealed ‘no outgoing tracks, though not the slightest sound showed that their quarry could be so close at hand, for the thicket was not more than fifty feet in diameter. Cap'n Bolo’s Earrir F OLD Cap'n Bolo, the Portu- guese, weren’t a pirate he should have been one, for he surely looked the part. Bare feet, loose black trousers held up by a red sash, blue shirt open at the throat, a face of leather criss- crossed with seams and scars and wrin- kles and covered with astubbly gray beard, _ a big curved nose, a wide mouth, iron- gray hair that swept his shoulders, and two black little eyes like a couple of pol- ished shoe buttons on a fur rug—there you are; shake hands with Cap’n Bolo. Yes, there you are, except for one thing—the captain’s gold earrings. aboard the Limping Dove had stolen them. The old man looked across the ship’s cabin at Dave Nash and Hudson McRea. “Had ’em a minute ago!” he cried in his shrill voice: “Listen tothat! Listen to that!’’ Dave and Hudson grinned at the captain’s parrot, which, perched on the back of a chair, had just put his two cents into the matter. “They’re stolen!’ cried the captain, bringing his bony hand down on his knee. “Stolen!” echoed the parrot. Cap’n Bolo whirled. ‘Zanzibar? ’em, Uncle Gabriel?” ‘Zanzibar!’ repeated the parrot and then winked solemnly nt the two boys. In a flash the old captain was out of the cabin. Dave and Hudson, both suddenly grave, followed him. “My land,” whispered Dave, “Zanzibar was in here only five minutes ago. If he took ’em, the cap’n will just about kill him!” “Good night!’ said Hudson. “I hope he didn’t.” On deck the two boys paused. Except for the captain’s shrill voice for’ard the day was still—yes, still and blue and hot. The waters of the Caribbean shimmered and sparkled in dead calm; the gray spotted canvas of the sails hung like great folded curtains; tar bubbled and oozed from every crack in the schooner’s deck. It was a day to lie in the shade and sleep, if you could—and Cap’n Bolo had lost his earrings! , In a few minutes the old man reappeared, followed by the less important members of the crew—Zanzibar, the Las- car; Hop Slop, the Chinese cook; Argonne Johnson, a negro who had fought the war as a stevedore at Brest; Murphy Someone , “Find Zanzibar!” Ye say Zanzibar took ‘Do you suppose he’s dead, hurt like he is?”” Dick breathed, but hardly had he spoken than a crash of dead branches and a savage snarl caused them to bring their rifles up with a jerk. Following this came the splashing of water, then silence again, broken by the chatter of a pine squirrel that had suddenly discovered the intruders. When the squirrel ceased its racket the boys, listening now with every sense alert, could at last make out the sound of the grizzly’s heavy breathing. “Lying in the water,” Fred whispered, “and that means he’s pretty sick. Let’s find some stones and throw in,” and a short search disclosed the outcrop of a ledge of rock; but several of the fragments tossed into the thicket brought no result but angry growls and the tearing of brush in the ani- mal’s teeth. ‘He must be so far gone he can't get up,” Dick said at last, “and I’m going to crawl in and try to get a shot at his head without his seeing me. Get behind a tree and be all ready to slam it to him if he comes out after me, for I won’t stop for more than one shot,” and dropping flat he wormed in under the brush, holding his rifle carefully so that no leaves or twigs should clog hammer or sights. For a few feet he could see nothing, then the brush shook not ten feet ahead and he froze into immobility. Ina mo- ment the willows trembled again, and he caught a glimpse of a patch of dark fur. For an instant he was tempted to drive a bullet into it and bolt for the open, then he noticed that a short distance to his left the brush was thinner, and inch by inch he slid that way, holding his breath as he did so. From his new position he could see nearly the whole length of the great brute as it lay stretched out on its side, only the head being hidden. The slow heave of its side showed that it still ) es ¢ The less important members of the crew Duffy, the two-fisted mate; Nils Erickson, the Viking; and a scrawney no-account little man with a dirty face. The im- portant members were already on hand; there were Zanzibar’s three cats, Christopher, Girard and Elmer, with their heads together as usual near the fish-box; Nero, the boys’ brindle bulldog; Papa Joffre, the negro’s red rooster swaying from side to side even though the vessel was perfectly still; and Uncle Gabriel, now perched on one foot on the captain’s shoulder. With such a crew, is it any wonder the Dove limped? 1 “Now, men,” Cap’n Bolo began, and his thin lips parted over his yellow teeth, “me, I’ve lost something!” “Listen to that!’’ screamed Gabriel. Zanzibar scowled at the bird; there had been a great deal of love spilled between the two ever since the Dove had limped out of Rio a month before. Unconsciously Uncle Gabriel’s head jerked sidewise as he remembered the box on the ear the Lascar had given him one day while the captain was ashore. The Lascar glanced down at the scar on the back of his dirty hand that the parrot had presented him with one day when the captain wasn’t ashore. “T’ve lost something,” continued Cap’n Bolo, looking straight at Zanzibar, ‘‘a pair of earrings, and I’m going to have ’em back! Who’s got ’em?” “Zanzibar!’’ shrieked the parrot and then because he hated anything that belonged to the Lascar turned toward the three cats and added for spite, “Scat!” All three jumped apart and then settled back slowly into conference. At another time it would have been funny, but this was a serious occasion. Everyone knew how the old man prized those earrings, the gift of a certain dusky queen in the South Seas; and everyone knew what a bewhiskered Tartar he was when roused. Jind ’em, the ship stays right where she is. BOY’S LIFE breathed, but believing it nearly dead the boy lifted his rifle and rose slowly, ready to draw trigger the instant that he could line the rifle sights on the grizzly’s head. But a clump of willows hid his target and he took one step to the left. As he did so the bear’s head came up, it saw him, and rising with incredible speed and agility it reared to its full height and lunged at the boy with a roar that made the woods ring, its tremendous forearms tipped with six-inch claws far above his head. Never stopping to take aim Dick pulled trigger, knowing only that his rifle was peinted at the oncoming bulk. “TI told Fred I’d only stay for one shot,” he thought absurdly as he whirled and leaped for the open, smashing through the willows as if they had been paper, the enraged grizzly at his back. Twenty feet from the brush he heard the stunning report of Fred’s rifle, instantly followed by another, and a bellowing roar of rage from the bear. Catching at a tree with his left hand he spun around it, seeing as he faced about the bear turning to charge at a cloud of smoke, just then shot with a spurt of flame, rolling up from the tree behind which his companion stood. The bear’s head was broadside on, and the boy drove bullet after bullet at it as fast as he could jerk lever. At the first shot the bear staggered, recovered itself, then pitched forward as one of the heavy slugs struck the fatal spot at the base of the ear, and lay there, vapor jetting from a bullet hole in the shaggy side as the lungs still pumped. Fred came through the smoke. “With a grizzly fora starter I'll back you against any foot racer that ever ran,” he remarked, grinning. ‘When you came out of that brush you were taking twenty feet to a step.” By Russell Gordon Carter Illustrated by John R. Neill “Zanzibar,” said the captain, ‘you were in my cabin just before I missed ’em. I ’spect you took ’em!”’ All eyes were on the Lascar, dark and silent and villainous- looking. The mate advanced a step and, clenching his two fists, glanced inquir- ingly at the captain; whereupon Argonne and Hop Slop backed away, and the negro rolled his big eyes, though from the way his fingers were twitching you might have thought he wanted to roll some- thing not quite so round. Nils scratched his shaggy blond head and produced—an idea. ‘“Cap’n,’’ he said, wrinkling his heavy brow, “‘a bird now—he bane no evidence—never.” “Sea lawyer!” cried Uncle Gabriel. Cap’n Bolo glanced at the fellow and then turned back to the Lascar. “Search him,’ he ordered—and Murphy Duffy grinned. But a search—a quick one because of Zanzibar’s scant apparel—revealed only a knife, and the mate scowled in dis- appointment. “Like as not now, cap’n,’” he said, “the spalpeen’s hid ’em somewhere.” “In his shoe mebbe,” Argonne whispered to Hop Slop, though how he had arrived at that conclusion is hard to say; the Lascar never had worn a shoe in his life. Hop: Slop grinned and winked at the two boys; he came from a long line of fun-loving ancestors. “See here, Zanzibar,” hid?” “No,” replied the Lascar, which was half the extent of his English. “Well, then,” Dave exclaimed suddenly, “will you help hunt for them?” “Yas.”’ And that was the other half. “One moment,” said Cap’n Bolo; “the lad is right. We'll all hunt. But I want to warn ye all here and now, if ye don’t We'll not put into said the captain, “have you got ’em N’Orleans without ’em!’’ Argonne looked crestfallen; his long fingers were still twitching nervously. “One thing more,” continued the captain, “if we don’t find ’em, Zanzibar takes—what’s—comin’—to him!’ The old man pronounced the last words slowly, ominously. Nils muttered something about the “thing not being lega!,”’ though he made sure this time that neither the parrot nor the August the cor his the eve anc a on. ok ae oe

Page 15

The Eoy Scouts’ Magazine Portuguese heard him. Like the rest of the crew, he was a bit afraid of both birds. Meanwhile, Hop Slop, who had been scrutinizing the parrot keenly, suddenly poked Argonne in the ribs and shook with silent mirth. Hop Slop enjoyed a joke more than he enjoyed fan tan or chop suey; but what was he laughing at? “What you-all grin like dat fo’?’’ demanded Argonne. “You’ funny-bone must itch you somethin’ scan’lous!”’ “Polly-birdie, me laffee at him.” “Death!” shrieked the parrot, and the negro’s eyes were a study in black and white. “Polly-birdie,” he repeated. “How come?” HE search that followed was something that the two boys never would forget. It began with the cabin. Cap’n Bolo led the way, and all the crew, including the dog, the cats and the rooster, followed. And wasn’t it hot, though! Argonne confided to Hop Slop that it was almost as hot as on the day his company had captured Montfaucon. They looked in all the bunks, and Nero tried to bite his initials impartially in every pillow. They looked in the sea chests, and the three cats, which loved to snoop outside conference hours, got inside and almost lost their tails when the lids fell. They examined the table and the carpet on the floor, and Argonne’s rooster crowed too soon at least seven times. “That bird won’t crow any more,” said Hudson, “if he doesn’t keep from under Argonne’s feet.” “T ook out, Zanzibar!’’ cried Dave as Uncle Gabriel made a slash at the fellow. The Lascar jumped away and scowled first at the parrot and then at Hop Slop, who was shaking all over like a big mound of lemon jelly. “Outside!” said Cap’n Bolo at last. “Outside!” shrieked the parrot just to show that the cap- tain meant what he had said. And then “Scat!” he hissed again, and Hop Slop squeaked with laughter as Christopher, Girard and Elmer jumped a foot off the floor. On deck again, the captain chose a coil of rope and sat down in the shade; the parrot hopped to his shoulder and, by standing on one foot, tried to make people think he was a stork. The search on the high seas continued. Hot, oh, my! The heat waves rose in layers above the blistering deck. The odor of tar and creosote and hemp hung over and round the vessel, and the glare of the sun on the water was blinding. It was too much for the cats; they soon gave up hunting and went into conference beside the fish-box to make sure that at least no one would steal the fish. It was too much for Papa Joffre; he stepped gingerly across the deck as if he feared he might slip on the tar and be fried alive. Finally he flew to the top of the fish-box, where with eyes closed he swayed slowly from side to side. And it was too much for the sailor with the dirty face; once out of the captain’s sight, he lay down with his head on a bag that had contained coal—which didn’t help his face any. But the rest of the crew, with Nero in the lead, continued to hunt, and a big white gull that had settled on the masthead screamed encouragement. From stem to stern they went under the fierce blazing sun, and all the while Hop Slop chuckled to himself. “Watch that Chink,’”’ whispered Dave. “He knows some- thing, all right. Do you suppose he’s got the earrings?” “Wouldn’t be surprised,” said Hudson. “Look at him now. What’s he up to?” The cook had made his way to the fo’castle, where he paused. “All gone!” he cried—that was as near as he could come to the negro’s name. “Come here fastly!” And as Argonne and the rest hastened to join him, he said: “Me havee idea. Learrings might fallee in dlink. No goodee hunt for them. No?” “Yas,” said the Lascar—which left everyone a bit bewildered. “Say, Moon Face,’’ roared Murphy, “if you dén’t have any better ideas than that, keep that slit o’ yours shut! The earrings didn’t fall overboard! They’re here somewhere!” The Chinese glanced round elaborately and then, shaking his head sadly, mopped his brow. “No see um,” he said. FEW minutes later Nero spied the gull on the mast- head and then, sitting down near the pin-table, raised his head and howled, as if he knew the bird had the jewelry safe under his wing. For the next half-hour he continued to howl as if Rome were blazing. Nero had fiddled away ‘enough time in fruitless 1923 search; now that he had treed a gull he meant to stick to his post and not let the bird come down. Instead, however, he stuck to the deck, and it was all that Dave and Hudson could do to pry him from the oozing tar. “Hot doggie!”’ said Hop Slop. “Now he gottee something to howl for.” What with the howling of the dog, the screaming of the gull, the occasional shrill nonsense from Uncle Gabriel and the heat of the sun, the deck of the Limping Dove was any- thing but a quiet sector. No wonder Argonne frequently mumbled to himself about “going over the top” and longed for the cool trenches of northern France—which he had seen only in the New Orleans newspapers. It was a sweltering, sweating, angry crew that trooped for- ward at the end of a long, vain search. ’“The gang’s all here—even Dirty Face!” cried the parrot. Cap’n Bolo glanced up from whetting his caseknife on his belt. What a fierce- looking old sea-dog he was at that mo- ment! No wonder the men were silent before him. His black eyes were blaz- ing, and his mouth was a hard straight line. “Well!” he hissed, and the word seemed to shoot forth like a high- powered bullet. A moment of silence, and then Mur- phy Duffy mopped his forehead and replied, “Cap’n, sir, we’ve searched the Dove inside and out, and we can’t find ’em.” The captain tried the keen blade of his knife on his thumb and glared at the Lascar. “ Zanzibar,’’ he cried, “me, I give you one more chance! Confess or—” He paused impressively. And then Nils took his courage by the back of the neck. * “Cap’n,” he said, “some of us, like me an’ Argonne an’ Dirty Face an’ Hop Slop, think Zanzibar ain’t never took the earrings. We think maybe they bane fall overboard.” The old man sprang fiercely to his feet, and his face was dark with rage. ‘You take sides with Zanzibar, do you!” “Mutiny!” screamed Uncle Gabriel. “Mutiny! Where did I put my hat?” Indeed at the moment it did look as if there might be some- thing worse than mutiny, for the old captain was advancing slowly toward the group. And just then Dave found an idea that saved the day, hot as it was. “(Cap’n Bolo,” he said, “wait a minute. Hudson and I are only cabin-boys, but we’re Americans, you know, and we like to see fair play. Here’s what I suggest. Give Zanzibar a fair and square trial aid “‘ Another sea-liar!” screamed the parrot. “A fair trial,’’? continued Dave. “I'll be counsel for your side, cap’n, and Hudson will be counsel for the Lascar. Let Hop Slop be the judge.” “A bright lad,”’ said Murphy enthusiastically. “Fair an’ legal!” exclaimed Nils with a furtive glance at the parrot. The rest of the crew nodded approval—all except the Lascar, who wasn’t quite sure what it was all abvut. The old man hesitated. At heart he liked to see justice “Had ’em a minule ago” All the while Hop Slop chuckled to himself done; moreover, he was fond of the two boys. At last, he said: “A’ right. We'll hold a trial.” So there in the Caribbean, on the deck aft of the cabin, t’:e strangest court in the world went into session. Hop Slop, the Celestial, got as close to the sky as possible by squatting cross- legged on top of the cabin. The Lascar, looking more villainous than ever, stood with drooping shoulders in the center of the deck below. Cap’n Bolo and Dave sat on a coil of rope at the left, and Nils and Hudson sat ona box at the right. Between them and a little way back sat the jury—Murphy Duffy, Argonne and the man with the dirty face. Behind Hop Slop the rooster was still swaying from side to side, sound asleep. Nero, close to the negro’s feet, was biting tar from his tail, and the three cats were still in secret conference near the fish-box. Uncle Gabriel flew to the boom overhead and, still on one foot, made insulting remarks at Zanzibar and the three cats. It was a colorful scene. Hop Slop struck the roof of the cabin several times with his left sandal. “Silence in the courtee room!” he squeaked. “Say, where does the Chink get that stuff?’’ inquired the parrot mildly. “Plisoner,’’ continued the judge, “he chargee with stealee captain’s learrings. How he plead? Guilty or not?” “‘Noo,”’ said the Lascar, at a word from Hudson. “Belly well,’ continued Hop Slop. “Go to it—Marquis of Queensberry rulee.” And then the fun began. Dave sprang to his feet and gave the evidence for the prosecution. At twenty minutes to eleven that morning Zanzibar had entered the captain’s cabin with fresh water. Five minutes after he had gone out the captain had missed his earrings, which he had been about to polish. No one else had been inside the cabin all morning, except the two boys and & of course the parrot. “Gentle- » men of the jury,” Dave con- cluded, “you have heard. Who took the earrings? Would you accuseme? WouldyouaccuseMc- Rea? Gentlemen, there is onlyone conclusion: the thief is there be- fore you—Zanzibar, the Lascar!”’ “Ha!” said the captain ap- provingly. A moment of silence, and then Argonne whispered sorrowfully: “Tt sho do look bad fo’ poor Zanzy!” “Scat!” shrilled the parrot, and the three cats sprang apart and then went abruptly into conference again. At that moment Papa Joffre swayed too far to port and toppled over on his side. ‘Ma land!” (Concluded on page 29)

Page 16

EADS of perspiration stood out on John Kendricks’ forehead not because the day happened to be par- ticularly hot, but because, be the truth known, John Kendricks was afraid. He who had two medals bestowed on him for exceptional bravery felt sick and cold. He suffered from two distinct fears at the same time. One was an anticipating physical fear of a dreadful, threatening, unknown horror that assumed monstrous proportions in his nerve-wrecked mind as he gave way to his own fanciful imag- inings. The other, and to him the greater fear, was the fear of being afraid. John Kendricks had until now prided himself, with a pardon- able pride, on fearing nothing. His medals, certificates and the testimony of his many admiring companions bore witness to the fact that cowardice and he were as opposite poles. Yet now he was faint with fear. To his credit be it said that he was exerting his utmost efforts to conquer this dread. “I am not afraid. No, John Kendricks is not afraid,” he emphatically told himself over and over again. Then that chilling dread of the unknown would fiercely seize him and he, despairingly, as though to lessen somewhat what he felt to be the awful disgrace of cowardice, would groan, “But this is different.” Could any one of the many people who witnessed his super- heroic efforts on the occasion of the big circus fire see him now, he or she would not believe the evidence of his or her own eyes. For the benefit of any readers who may not have been around on the occasion of the conflagration the story of John’s heroism, as reported in a local paper, is given here as follows: 3 LIGHT that shall shine down through the ages to be, was lit last night in our town. No, it was not the lurid light of the spectacular and devastating inferno whose leaping flames seemed almost as though they would sear the south side of the summer moon in spite of its protective moisture-laden clouds. Nor was it the light that, for miles around, illumed the farms and homesteads, causing roosters to crow loudly, the deluded birds being under the impression that they were greeting the roseate dawn of another day. No, the light that shall shine is the light that shall be forever reflected from the stories of the dauntless heroism of the people of our own town, a town, by the way, that was last night put on the map by being almost burned off it. “This paper, proud as it would be to give in detail the many accounts of individual heroism, has, unfortunately, only eight pages on which to record. It cannot, however, in fact would not even ever dare to go to press again, did it in this issue fail to specially mention the almost super-human courage of one of our own boys, a boy born and bred but a stone’s throw from the office in which this paper is printed. “People of Middleburg: hats off to John Carter Kendricks! John, we salute you! But for you this office might be to-day, with the rest of Middleburg, nothing more than a black smudge on the fair face of our beloved country! “John Carter Kendricks, Eagle Scout, senior patrol leader and regular fellow, with the help of his trusty troop, by cool courage alone, averted what possibly would have been in the annals of Middleburg its largest and last calamity. By the orderly precision in which he marshaled the town folk is Is ‘In this short space Ss ~ éS i S By Francis J. Rigney With Illustrations by the Author he prevented a panic that threatened to turn into a mad- dened, murderous riot. It was John Kendricks who, when the fire-fighters were crashing their way through the raging inferno, remembered a lone acrobat who was suspended upside down high in the air, held by but one leg which was caught in a mass of wrecked apparatus. The unfortu- The frenzied brute, in a _ des perate effort launched iat another attack nate acrobat was forgotten even by the circus attendants, who were overwhelmed both by the surging crowds and the sud- denness of the conflagration. His cries for help were drowned in the general pandemonium. John’s skill with a rope saved the man. John threw his scout’s rope to the performer, who succeeded in grasping and fastening it to a lower hanging trapeze. It was John who climbed upand released the acrobat. It was John who directed the scouts that rescued an unlucky clown from under the débris of his own trick automobile and who rendered first aid to the sufferer. It was he and his companions who were first to give the alarm, call the brigade and long-distance phone to the hospital almost as soon as the kerosene glare lamp, the cause of all the trouble, exploded. “All of these and many other stirring and heroic deeds of John and his troop pale, however, into insignificance when compared with John’s own personal reckless daring and Spartan courage, for John, alone, caged a huge, frantic and ferocious lion! , “Tt happened in this way. The members of the orchestra in trying to get out found their way blocked both by their own band wagon and masses of fallen canvas under which they would have to struggle. By a concerted effort they sent their wagon crashing backwards. Now, an unfinished circular barred cage was being set up for the big lion act and the lion’s wagon cage was drawn close by. Into the boarded end of the lion’s cage crashed the band wagon, bursting a gaping hole in the woodwork. The lion was out in aflash! In the mélée the lion-tamer was knocked down, his head sticking against one of the iron wheel rims. The one man who could do any- thing with the ferocious beast was rendered unconscious. It so happened that at this moment a group of school children were being conducted to safety, past the unfinished circular cage, by John and two of his fellow scouts. Not ten feet separated them from the liberated lion, Fortunately the animal in its new-found freedom was dazed for a fraction of a second. of time John Ken- dricks made up his mind. He sprang toward the huge brute! “To save others he actually offered himself in sacri- fice! The lion, so suddenly surprised, quicker almost than the eye could follow, bounded backwards from the awkward posi- @. sa tion in which it had sprawlingly iffere BOYS’ LIFE landed from the cage. Its backward leap to intended position of advantage brought the beast between the wheels of the wagon. John sprang forward again—modestly he told our reporters that ‘it was just luck,’ but we are convinced that it was remarkable presence of mind that made our hero spring against one of the sections of the circular cage. It banged down, almost decapitating the monarch of the jungle! The lion with remarkable agility backed again. He was now under the wagon,a prisoner! His prison gate, the unsupported cage section was, however and indeed, very frail. John Ken- dricks could not keep it there should the animal charge, but another eagle-eyed scout who had followed John’s actions slammed down another couple of sections in quicker time than it takes to write it. “ Presence of mind again—John and Jim seized a heavy tent- pole and drove it through the bars of the lion’s prison just as the lion, realizing that it was trapped, leaped forward. The pole shortened his distance so that he was unable to use his tremendously forceful spring, but when he landed he certainly made that pile of shaky bars rattle. There was no other exit for him, an upset aquatic tank barring one end of his prison and a pile of debris blocking the other. Back of the lion was the weakened spot, only a thin partition of boards separating the brute from the fleeing crowd of children. John Kendricks in a second reached the unconscious animal-trainer and searched him for a gun. Sure enough, he found it and got back to position close against the bars. The lion with a tremendous roar dashed toward him, but the scout patrol leader aimed and fired. The frenzied brute, in a final des- perate effort, launched another attack, but John’s second shot finished him. The huge animal, mortally wounded, did, however, succeed in overturning the loose bars, the sections coming out with him. John was pinned underneath and the lion sprawled on top, thrashing madly around as he died. “John was no sooner rescued by scout Jim and some of the circus men than he was off again to the fighting front, directing and helping in rescue work. He even saved a poor little monkey and a couple of seals. Burns did not stop him, but, in saving the monkey, he sprained his ankle. That was when most of the trouble was over and the fire was under control. “Our reporter interviewed him in the hospital this morning. Cheer up, John, Middleburg is proud of you and there is a gold medal awaiting you on the day when you come out, which we hope will be soon.” A™ this is the same John who is now pacing nervously up and down, looking agonizingly towards a flight of stairs down which he might escape and telling himself over and over again, “But this is different.” Who would think that this was the same hero who, on the memorable oc- casion of the breaking of the big dam above the town, rose as it were on the crests of the surging waters to a high pinnacle of heroic fame? It was he who, when word was tele- graphed to the town that the dam was giving way, suggested to and helped two quarrymen to blast away a huge boulder, a glacial visiting card, as it were, that had remained precariously balanced from time immemorial on the edge of a small incline situated about half-way between the town and the dam. The rock was so located that when it fell it could only go one way and that was in the direction of the (Concluded on page 51) John Kendricks, too, became an unwilling voyager August

Page 17

y t n S $ $ l ; | The Boy Scouts’ Magazine T WAS a time when sailormen On deck, aloft, below, Were fearless men, courageous men, As I would have you know; And all this happened to me, lad, A long, long time ago. One unforgotten day was wrecked The Lily out o’ Clyde, And every man save me was drowned; I mind me o’ me pride That I of all that ill-starred crew Was spared by storm and tide. Then on the sailless, open sea For many a day and night I floated on a piece o’ spar With never land in sight, But I was gallant-hearted, lad, And would not quit the fight. Not even when the slimy things That crawled the oily seas, The legless things, the finless things, The things of deviltry, Sought hard to sink the trembling spar And make a meal o’ me. I kept tight hold and druv ’em off, The crocodiles and seals, The octopuses and the sharks, The swordfish and the eels, I knocked their brains out with my fists And kicked them with my heels. By Edmund Leamy illustrated by John R. Neill And after seven days and nights “T am a sailor of the sea Of conflict with this band, I fell asleep and woke to hear Surf beating on a strand. The saints be praised! Before me eyes, A fathom off was—land! Wot seeks to rest awhile Upon this earthly paradise, In other words—this isle, To meet with charming monkey-folk—”’ And then I smiled a smile. Now you have wished for many things ““You’re welcome, Mister Sailorman,”’ Like any other lad, And you and them have gained and lost, Been merry and been sad, The tall, grey monkey said. “The trees shall be your canopy, The earth shall be your bed. But you nor none, as I was then, Once came another sailor here, Will ever be as glad. Alas, now he is dead.”’ I crawled ashore and at a spring And all the monkeys laughed again I quenched me burning thirst, From that day when the ship went down I’d starved, this drink—me first! I drank, and drank, and drank, and drank, Till I was fit to burst. Most horrible to hear, And one baboon with loud guffaw Gave out a hungry cheer, A chimpanzee licked of his chops And fixed me with a leer. And then I cast about a bit— The tall grey monkey took me hand, But said he not a word, A land of paradise, Of flowers and trees and soft green grass, Unfolded ’fore me eyes. I climbed a palm-tree, I was on An island of great size. And almost in me stout young heart A terror feeling stirred, When low above me proud raised head There flew the Woofis bird. “Catch hold!” He cried and lowered a claw, “Catch hold, oh, sailor brave, If you would ever.sail a ship, And crest a white-capped wave! Catch hold, for courage I admire, — And you I fain would save!” The earth was still, the sky was still, And silent the lagoons, When suddenly and up to me Came marching in platoons Orangutangs and chimpanzees, Blue monkeys and baboons! They all joined hands and laughed and sang, I raised a hand and clutched a claw, And danced me feet about, They filled the air with merriment And laughing scream and shout. Then one tall monkey stooped and said, “Well, well, who let you out?” And none too soon I wist, The monkeys made a dive for me Concertedly, but missed! The Woofis spread its stately wings, Its talons pierced my wrist. Away and high and far away The Woofis bird bore me. “‘Oh, Sailorman whom I have saved, I take you out to sea, The marrow froze within me bones, Me hair stood on me head. I wondered if it was a dream, If I alive or dead. But, “‘Come now, answer, answer me!”’ That you may once more sail a ship!” The tall grey monkey said. The Woofis said, said he. “They breed too few such men as you That I should let you die Upon a beach for monkey food Beneath the tropic sky. “‘T’m glad I found you, Sailorman!” “I’m pleased you did,” said I. This happened me, as I have said, A long, long time ago, When sailors were courageous men Aloft or down below. And so I fixed him with me eye And to him answered so: Then lo, as night was coming up And gleamed a single star, He swept across the lonely sea And dropped me out there, far. “‘Good-bye!”” The Woofis said as I Climbed on a drifting spar. I swooned and slept, and then awoke. Upon the morning sea A ship bore down, she lowered a boat, They came and rescued me, And gave me grog and brought me home, And here, well, here I be. He rolled his sleeve. ‘‘See there, me lad, The talons of the bird! They made the scars that there you see. . .” But laughter in me stirred. “Tt happened long ago,” he roared," “You would not doubt me word!” ’ “Those marks a dog’s teeth made,” I said, “As much too well you know! And once you swore you’d yarn no more, That lies were mean and low!” “Oh, that,” said he, and winked at me, “Was a long, long time ago!”

Page 18

H, HA, Pigsqueak Swink has his glove in his hip- pocket and the old baseball cap on his head that he got from a kid who got it from another who got it from somebody at the baseball park for taking a pair of shoes to the cobbler. It’s got a Tiger’s D on it, and Pigsqueak thinks he’s a ball-player. But he isn’t. All he can do is squeal and climb. He can climb, though. He can climb up a trolley-pole with just his arms and legs; and once he would have been electrocuted if a policeman hadn’t yelled at him and made him come down in time. Then the policeman licked Pigsqueak’s legs with the strap on his club, and Pig- squeak yelled so you could hear him three blocks. And he thinks he’s the leader of the gang, too. But he isn’t that, either. Well, he takes out a lolly-pop and pulls off the paper and begins to lick the lolly-pop, a red one. His friend Peas Bartholomew is there. “Gimme a lick,” says Peas Bartholomew. Sometimes they talk in rhyme. “How long you stick!’’ says Pigsqueak. ‘Gimme a taste?”’ says Peas Bartholomew. “‘No time to waste,” says Pigsqueak. But Pigsqueak didn’t get that lolly-pop from Joe Mar- goozulus. He doesn’t dare go in Joe’s place by this time; none of the gang does. Joe’s so mad at them he’d tie them in a knot. Only the truck drivers go there, and big people. And even the truck drivers have to behave, because Joe’d eat them up. You'd think a big fat man with a stomach like that couldn’t do anything; but Joe’s as strong asa bull. One time two truck drivers got down and were having a fight in the street, and Joe rushed out and licked both of them. He doesn’t like fighting. That’s what he’s always fighting for, he says, to stop fighting. That’s why he won’t let any kids hang around his place even if they’ve bought cones and pop and everything else. That’s why he aia chases them all off their ey diamond behind his f place. They yell and j fight so that it’s a oN shame, he says. Why, ett Xs, nobody can practise or het “ anything. OE’S name isn’t Mar- goozulus; it’s some- thing else; the kids just made that up because it sounds like Greek and they were mad. And Joe is a Greek. He’s got a nice place, too, right there on the edge of where the big dump used to be. There are big fields there now, though, and a street full of trucks and cars and automobiles; it’s just before you get to the viaduct. Joe’s place is a pretty big one, with fruit and flowers and vegetables that he keeps nice and cool, and pop and ice cream; and the front all open; and he wets the walk and the street with a hose or a sprinkling-can. He’s got a fine green-and-white awn- ing, too. He lives there alone behind his shop. Well, now, when Pigsqueak was sit- ting on the curb with his glove in his pocket and his cap on his head, and Peas was sitting there beside him with his red-and-blue skull cap, another kid came along and said, “‘ Hello, ball- players!” and laughed. And another kid, who was mad at them, came along. He didn’t say anything till he’d got by; but then he turned around and yelled: “Some ball-players to youse! Why don’t you play Whitey’s gang? They’d clean your clock!” And pretty soon a big fellow came along with a milk bottle and says: ‘Say, why don’t you guys play that bunch from across the tracks? They’d show you a trick or two!” And an- other kid, that was big enough to lick Pigsqueak and Peas, says: ‘“‘They’re ascairt!”’ Pigsqueak and Peas just got up and walked on, but they didn’t like it. This gang of Fatty Whitey’s lives over on the other side of the viaduct and the tracks, and they’vé got a team; but they’re tough. Every time they play you -they lick you besides. If they beat you, they lick you for being Willie-boys; and if you beat them, they lick you for that. But they don’t get beaten often, because they can play ball as well as they can fight. They’re older than Pigsqueak and his gang, too. “We ought to give them a challenge, though,’’ Pigsqueak says. ““Yes,”’ Peas says. ‘‘Maybe you want to get your block knocked off. I don’t.” “Well, everybody’s hollering at us all the time,’’ says Pig- squeak. “They say we can’t play ball and are ascairt, too. How do you like that?” “T don’t like it,” says Peas, ‘but I can stand it. It’s better than a clubbing.” “Ho!” says Pigsqueak. And then he says: ‘“ Well, we could give them a challenge to play over on our di’muns; and before we'd played long Joe-Margoozulus would come out and chase us all home, and then they couldn’t lick us. That’d be playing ‘em, and we wouldn’t get licked, and nobody could say we was ascairt, either. Heh?” And he gave one of his squeaks. ’ EAS didn’t say much, but it seemed like a good idea. And Pigsqueak rushed off and went down the street and under the viaduct and out of sight among the people and the street cars and the trucks. After a while Péas saw him rushing back. “TI give ’em the challenge,” he says. ‘‘And we’ll play to-morrow afternoon. Now we'll get up our team. We'll get Mike McCarty and Boob Botts and Ernie Zabo and some more guys.”’ And they started off. They went up that street beside the old dump near St. Francis’s Church and over that way. The truth was, they wanted to go around by the Carnival first and see if there was anything to see there. The Carnival didn’t run in the afternoon, but there might be something. They gave Joe’s place a pretty wide berth, for he looked especially fierce that day. Even the truck drivers seemed unusually quiet as they listened to him. He was scowling with those black eyebrows of his; and his black hair and mustache were stick- ing up morethanever. There was a motorcycle policeman there too, talking and eating peanuts. Pigsqueak and Peas went around and over to the Carnival. It was all shut up, but they happened to be in time to see a colored fellow getting Hail Columbia from one of the bosses for letting a monkey get out of his cage. The colored fellow claimed he didn’t let the monkey out, but the boss said he did. They had caught the monk just in time and were chucking him back in the cage. “Ah don’t care what you say,” the colored fellow was saying, “because Ah’ve done quit anyhow, and Ah’ve got a bettah job than this; but Ah didn’t let him out! He got out hisself.” “Got out himself!” says the boss. “I'll watch him and I’ll bet he won’t get out!” But the funny part of it was that all the time they were yelling at each other with their backs turned, the monkey was reaching out his paw and twisting around and taking out the pin that held the door shut. But he put it back again when he saw Pigsqueak and Peas watching him, and they only looked at him and didn’t say anything. Then they went on and looked at a snake box that was airing in the sun, and watched a fellow making lemonade. He didn’t make it of lemons, though; he poured some powder stuff out of a box into a barrel and poured in pails of water, and then he put in ice and some pieces of lemon. Pigsqueak and Peas found Botts and Mike and Ernie Zabo and a few more. There were only six or seven altogether, and they were a little doubtful, but they all said they’d play. They were sick of having everybody say they were afraid of Fatty Whitey’s gang. HAT night Pigsqueak and Peas were all right; they thought everything was ar- ranged; and next morning it wasn’t so bad, though they began to be a little skittish; but He watched Pigsqueak come up BOYS’ LIFE By S. S. Dunne Illustrated by Bert N. Salg by afternoon, when things began to happen, oh, baby! they were scared stiff! It seemed like the hottest and noisiest day that ever wa: in that city; it seemed as if that diamond with the tin cans and burdocks and pieces of broken glass had never looked so grim; and it seemed as if the street cars and trucks and auto- mobiles had never banged down that brick street and under that viaduct so distractingly before! There were people everywhere, and it was some kind of a holiday in some of the shops too, so that there were lots of big fellows and men around just looking for something to look at, and they all laughed at Pigsqueak and the rest and told them what they’d get. And Whitey’s gang seemed to show up all of a sudden an hour before anybody expected them, and there seemed like a thousand of them, all with bats and gloves, and some with baseball shoes and caps, and some with long pants, and all yelling and ‘laughing and chewing tobacco. They weren't afraid of anything either; and they’d look Pigsqueak and his gang right in the eye and sass them and yell and spit. Their feet made a noise on the sidewalk like a lot of horses. They wouldn’t wait long either. They got around Pig- squeak and Peas and the few they had and began to step on their feet and yell: “Well, come on, get the game a-going! We ain’t going to wait all night! Start ’er off! Let’s go!” “We ain’t got enough men,” says Pigsqueak. His voice was'‘so little and his mouth so dry you could hardly hear him. He looked around, but he didn’t look at anybody, and none of his gang looked at him. “T ain’t going to play,” says Botts. “I got to go.” “Come on and play!” says Pigsqueak, more frightened than ever. “T didn’t say I'd play,” says Botts. “You did, too!” says Pigsqueak. ‘“‘Didn’t he, Peas? Ast Peas!” But one of Whitey’s toughest guys, named Young Heinie, who's almost twenty years old, just sticks his face in Botts’s face, with a big chew in his cheek, and says: ‘Ha, you’re ascairt! You better be. You’re ascairt to play; but you better be ascairt to quit!” “T didn’t say I wouldn’t play,”’ says Botts. And all of Whitey’s gang began to laugh. HEN they all started to yell: ““What do you want to be giving challenges for if you ain’t got enough men? Pick up some men, or play with six! Jest get her started, that’s all!” Then a kind of an older kid that was standing in the crowd says to Pigsqueak, “I'll play with you.” And another one says, “‘So’ll I.” And another one says, “I will, too.” ‘All right,” says Pigsqueak. Nobody knew these kids, but there was nothing else to do. Some of Whitey’s gang looked at the new kids doubtfully and says: “It’s a wonder you wouldn’t play with your own men’’; but they all rushed out on the diamond just the same, and began knocking the tin cans and rubbish out of the way and getting the pieces of brick fixed for bases. People who saw them out there with their bats knew there was going to be a game and turned off to watch it. Lots of trucks and auto- mobiles stopped by the curb so the people could see. And some truck drivers came out on the field. From the way things looked, if Joe Margoozulus didn’t come, it was going to be all off with Pigsqueak and his gang. They kept looking over toward Joe’s as if it were a life- saving station and they were a ship going down off shore. You saw the back of Joe’s place from there, with boxes and stuff piled around, and the brick chimney sticking up. It had only one story. They wished Joe would come before the game even started. But there wasn’t a sign of him. In fact, they had watched the place all the morning as closely as they dared and had hardly seen him. Joe had come out in front only once or twice. He must have been doing his housework in the back part. Pigsqueak always wanted to pitch and be boss; and—well, he pitched—for a few minutes. Ernie Zabo caught; and the rest played different positions, with one of the fellows they’d picked up on third, another in right field, and the third in left. “Play ball!” says a big fellow who'd said he’d umpire. Well, it was too late to back out then, and Pigsqueak had to pull up his pants, get on his glove, and go out to the box, while Ernie got his mask on. But the first one Pigsqueak threw was wild, and the next one too; then there was a foul; and then the fellow batting knocked it over by the railroad tracks for a two-bagger. Everybody was up and yelling, but the next batter only happened to hit one right into Mike’s hands that he hung onto and made a double play with; but it was so hot it pretty nearly took Mike’s hands off. And the third batter just trickled one down to first because he was trying to knock the cover off it. But Whitey’s gang only yelled: “Ha, ha! Horseshoes for youse guys!” and trooped out on the field. And, say, if that pitcher of theirs didn’t have steam! He fanned one man; and the next oné didn’t have time to get out of the way, but got a crack in the ribs so hard he could August hard foote and pop- That ther Pigs shov they

Page 19

The Boy Scouts’ Magazine hardly get to first. And then the catcher caught him flat- footed off the base while he was standing there rubbing himself and bending over. The third batter could hit only a little pop-fly that one of ’em caught. And the next struck out. That was three out. ND, oh, sunshine! if it hadn't been for the three fellows that Pigsqueak had picked up, there wouldn’t have been any game at all! Pigsqueak and his gang wouldn’t have had a show! But those three fellows could play, and they did play. Pigsqueak was taken out in the > “Ah’ve done quit anyhow’ third inning when Whitey’s gang had got about fourteen hits and ten runs altogether and all the people were yelling and laughing and saying: “Why don’t you take your pitcher out?” “How can we?” says Botts, who was mad because he had got into the thing at all. “He’s the captain and manager. He give the challenge.” But when the first picked-up kid had caught a long fly and then another had got a man out all by himself, the two of them says to some of Pigsqueak’s gang: ‘“‘Why don’t you let Bert pitch?” “‘Who’s Bert?” says Mike and Ernie. And the two motioned over to the third kid. “Yes, let Bert pitch,” says one of the men who was looking on. And some smart guys began to yell: “Let Bert pitch! We want Bert!” Finally Pigsqueak was induced to go to third—he wouldn’t go in the field—and the other two pickups came in to the in- field, and Bert pitched. And he held ’em. He could pitch, and he held ’em. And by and by he and the other two each made a hit, and Ernie made one too, after Mike had got a base on balls; and among them they got back some of the runs that Whitey’s gang were ahead. It began to look more like a game. In fact it got to be quite a game. But, oh, moonlight! what good did that do? It only made things worse! Because, you see, if Whitey’s gang won from you, they’d beat you up; but if you beat them, they made it still hotter for you. And now they were getting mad because they’d thought they were going to beat Pigsqueak’s gang easily; and here he’d put in ringers and it looked as if he might beat them. It seemed as if they’d be beaten and cheated too. They didn’t have it in for the ringers themselves so much, because they didn’t know them and thought maybe they belonged to some big gang or some school and could get you into trouble; but they did have it in for Pigsqueak and the rest. If Joe didn’t come! He seemed like the best friend they’d ever had. But he wasn’t coming! Five innings had been played; six; the crowd was making a racket you could hear all over the west side; but there was no Joe! And all the time the pickups were bringing Pigsqueak’s gang closer and closer to a tie score. Pigsqueak and the rest didn’t dare throw the game outright because of the pickups and the crowd. But “We'll get you after the game!” Young Heinie kept saying on the side. And “Youse thought youse was funny wit’ ringers,” says another. And, “Wait; we’ll rub the fur offa your heads,” says a third. Poor Pigsqueak! His: own gang was mad at him too. “You got us into this,” they said; “get us out! Where’s Joe Margoozulus? Some scheme you made up! Wait!” When seven innings had gone past, Whitey’s gang was only 1923 three runsahead! Then eight innings were gone and they were only two runs ahead! Ninth inning, and they were only one run,ahead! Well, Ernie went to bat then, and he struck out. And Peas went to bat, and he struck out. It still looked safe yet when Pigsqueak came up, but with all of ’em yelling: “Here he is!” ‘Hit ’er out, Squeak!”’ “How you feeling? Wait till after the game!’’ and “Oh, Squeak!”’ the first ball pitched took him in the leg so that he let out a howl. But he got to first; and then Bert come up, got ofie strike, and hit the ball out to the railroad tracks for a home run. Poor Pigsqueak legged it for second base in a conniption fit, and then there was nothing for it but to go to third and then home with Bert right behind him. So two runs were in. And Pigsqueak’s gang were one ahead! Well, Whitey’s gang came up for their last bat, but they couldn’t do a thing. The first man struck out shooting at Bert’s fast ones, and the second made a hit. But the third only knocked a high foul that Ernie caught. And though the next got a base on balls, the fifth just rolled one down in front of the plate, that Ernie managed to get and throw to Pig- squeak, who was standing square on third base and hung on to it. The side was out! And then, oh, boy! ‘“You’re a smart guy, Mr. Squeak! We'll squeak you!” ‘‘Let’s ">? at em! Come on, gang! Whadda yah say! “‘Youse will play ringers, heh? “4 But then—— ANG-BANG! Bang-bang-bang! Bang! There was something going on at Joe Margoozulus’s at last all right! In fact there was so much going on that you could hardly follow it. Pistol shots! Powder smoke! Yelling! Running! Thumping! All at once! The back door burst open and the barrels and boxes began to fly! And pretty soon out of the mix-up came a small thing dressed in white and scooted over the open field with big jumps toward the crowd. Then out comes Joe Margoozulus running like a deer with his white apron streaming behind, shooting his pistol as he runs. And after Joe comes a policeman with his pistol in his hand, running and yelling too. A whole string of truck drivers and other people came after the policeman; they went pouring in at the front of Joe’s place and out at the back and across the dump. They got to the crowd on the diamond‘in a jiffy and went through it as if they were playing football. But the crowd only joined in and forgot the game and the fight and everything else. Clatterty- bang, the whole business rushed for the railroad tracks after that white thing. “What is it?” gasps somebody. “Son-of-a-gun!”” Joe yells. “Geev-a da underwear! Geev-a da shirt!’ And bang-bang-bang! goes his pistol. “Look out for the crowd!” yells the policeman to him. But “Head that monk off!’ he says. “Keep him away from them poles!” But it would have taken faster runners than any in that crowd to head off what was wearing Joe Margoozulus’s under- wear just then. He went straight for the railroad tracks and got through the board fence like a shot, and up the embank- ment, and over the tracks to some new bright wooden poles thirty feet high that had just been put up. And though the pole he picks didn’t have any iron footholds on it and only two cross-bars on top, he went up it all the way as if it were a ladder. And there he sat on the highest cross-bar, arranging © his clothes and looking up and looking down, blinking his eyes and scratching himself sort of anxiously. The very monkey that Pigsqueak and Peas had seen at the Carnival! The underwear and shirt fluttered in the wind. The sunshine played on him as if it were proud of him. 17 OWN under the pole the crowd was gathering, with Joe Margoozulus explaining in fury and shaking his fist at the monkey on the cross-bar. A ‘“‘He swipe-a da underwear,” Joe was shouting, “da silk shirt, da shoes, everyt’ing! Yesterday night, no, night before yesterday, he come t’rough the window! Is hot. Swipe-a my best suit! In the morning I think it isa burglars. I call-a cops! Find nothing. Last night I watch. Early this morning when it is light I fall two minutes asleep. He sneak-a in t’rough the window, take-a my best shoes; twelve-dollar shoes! Broad daylight! I don’t see him. I watch all day. Don’t go from shop! Cop, my frient here, come too. We watch. In after- noon I sprinkle my pavement. Cop in store. I can’t even chase kids from field before crowd come. Son-of-a-gun comes t’rough back window; put on my underwear and silk shirt! But I see him! I chase him! When I got you in my hant,” yells Joe frantically at the monkey on the pole, “I punch you eye!” “Who owns that monkey?” says the policeman. “T do,” says the Carnival man, who has come up panting and sweating and pretty scared. “He gets out of his cage, officer. I watched him.myself. I saw him, and I run till I almost dropped, but he got away from me.” “How you geet me my shirt, my underwear, my suit, my shoes?” yells Joe, grabbing the Carnival man. “T don’t know how,” says the Carnival man, mopping his face with his handkerchief. “‘He won’t come down now till he gets good and ready, I’m afraid.” “Yes, and you don’t even know where them clothes and shoes are,” says the policeman. “Yes; and underwear small t’ing!” yells Joe. “Shirt I want! My sister send it from Pensacola with initial on sleeve! And suit, seexty dollar! Shoes, twelve dollar!” ‘Well, don’t get sore, brother,” says the Carnival man, scared and wiping his face some more. Then the policeman wipes his face, and a good many in the crowd wiped theirs, for they’d all run and it was so hot. But when they looked up, there was the monkey reaching around and drawing up the tail of Joe’s shirt to wipe his face just as they did. Joe dances. “You son-of-a-gun!”’ he cried. “I pull-a you ear when I get you! I club you nose!” ‘“‘Call the fire department,” says someone in the crowd. But just then the monkey wiped his face so hard he tore the shirt a little. And he seemed to like that, for he looked at the tail in his hand, pulled it some more, and then reached around and got his finger in the tear. “‘Fire’ department!’ yells Joe. ‘‘Before fire department come, shirt be in da pieces. Geet-a it now! Geet-a da monk! Geet-a da shirt!” ““But how?” says the policeman. “You'd have to climb and get him,” says the Carnival man. “‘He’s scared, and he won’t come down with all this bunch here.”’ “Well, I’ll get him!”’ says Pigsqueak. “You?” they says. “Sure!” he says. “Yes, he can climb!” yell some of the kids. And before they’ve got it out, Pigsqueak is on the pole and up the pole out of reach; and you'll have to admit that he can climb. Right up that bare pole thirty feet with just those skinny arms and legs. “Come back,’’ says the policeman, “‘before you break your neck!” But “Goup! Go up!” yelled Joe. ‘‘Geet-a da shirt! T treat-a you right!” And “Hooray for Squeak!” yells the crowd. “Stay with it, Squeak! Good boy, Squeak! Atta- boy, Squeak?” “Take right hold of him,’”’ called the Carnival man. “He won’t hurt you if he thinks you mean business and won’t hurt him.” And no more he did. Sitting there, he watched Pigsqueak come up, watched him arrive, watched him get his legs around the pole so he could let go with his arms. And then he let Pigsqueak strip the shirt off him and put it in his pants pocket. The monkey acted just as if he was kind of scared too, and wanted to be saved. Once in a while he looked (Concluded on page 42) 399 i) Pistol shots ! Powder smoke! Yelling! Running!

Page 20

HE east-bound “accom- modation” rounded a sharp curve, at the same time whistling for Bab- cock’s Gully bridge. Young William Taylor rose with the brakeman, and stepped out on the rear platform. Following in his father’s footsteps as a railroad man, he was night towerman at Number Eighty, and every evening he took the accommodation down from Pemberton, returning by it on the morning run up the line. ““How’s your folks, Fox?” asked the brakeman. “About the same,” replied the boy. ‘Mother isn’t really so sick, but the least little thing seems to upset her. She worries a lot, and most of the time it isn’t really necessary. We may not be rich, but we aren’t in line to starve to-morrow, or go to the poorhouse, either.” The brakeman nodded. He knew, as did every man on that division, how Old Foxy Taylor had been killed, and how Young Foxy, as they called him, had stepped in to take care of his mother and sister. The boy had been plucky beyond words, and the job at Number Eighty was his first reward in the way of recognition from the “ road.”’ “And that reminds me,”’ continued Foxy, “that I owe Alex Dumont five dollars. Will you see him to-night?” “Yes,” replied the brakeman. “Then would you mind giving him this five-spot from me, Mac? His trick changes Friday, and I won’t see him for a week or ten days.” “Sure thing,’’ said the brakeman. “‘I’ll be glad to be guardian of five whole dollars for a whole evening, with no chance to spend it. It’s the only way I ever will manage to keep any money,” he added with a grin. As Foxy held out a crisp biil, the train shot out onto the bridge, and a smart breeze blowing in the comparative open of the Gully whisked the paper out of the boy’s hand, and sent it fluttering out of sight. The brakeman was stupefied, but like a flash Foxy was past him and hanging perilously far out from the bottom step of the coach, searching the air with eager eyes for his departed money. As the train slowed down, he thought he caught a glimpse of it fluttering far down, over towards the opposite bank. “Gee, that’s too ba—,” began the brakeman, but Foxy smiled as he swung expertly off, “T’ll find it,” he interrupted. “Tt wasn’t your fault.” “What was old Mac so sorry about?’’ asked Cramer, the day towerman, leaning out of the tower window. “T was handing him a five-dollar bill to give to Alex Dumont for me to-night, and the wind blew it down into the gully.” “That’s hard luck,” sympathized Cramer. can find it?” “T’ll sure try, you can bet,’’ said the boy as he set his lunch box on'the steps. “How’s everything?”’ “Oh, all right, Lovell says’’—(Lovell was one of the night operators in the chief dispatcher’s office at Selton, an important junction city a few miles westward)—“that the President’: special is due to pass through hereabouts sometime to-night I mean the President of the United States. He’s hustling back to Washington from a speaking tour out west, to meet some big foreign guys.” “Must be great to be President—special ’n’ everything,” said Foxy. “But say, if I don’t get after that five dollars I lost, I'll never find it. I'll be back soon, so go ahead when your } taxi comes along.’”’? With which he ran down the ‘tracks and turned into the path beside the bridge pier. Cramer’s taxi, meaning the local freight that slowed down every night to pick him up, was not due for twenty minutes. He could take about half an hour, Foxy thought, before he would have to get back to the tower. ABCOCK’S GULLY was not particularly deep or wide, but on account of a swift stream running through it, the railroad engineers had decided to bridge it rather than build an embankment and culvert. The bridge itself was a single- span affair, supported at each end by a solid concrete pier. All over the sides of the gully grew a rambling mass of bushes, tall grass, and small trees. Foxy slipped and slid down to the bottom, crossed the creek and after taking his bearings as well as he could, began to hunt for his precious money. It was like looking for a needle in a hay stack, but five dollars is five dollars the world over. Fifteen minutes of scrambling around brought no result save scratched hands and mosquito bites. He was about to give it up as hopeless when his eye caught a glimpse of bright green up under some bushes at the foot of the bridge pier. Hurriedly the boy climbed closer. Sure enough, there it was. But when at last his fingers closed on the prize it was hard and stiff, and several jerks were necessary to bring it out to where he could examine it. Instead of a five-dollar bill, it was a green cardboard tag of about the same size, bear- ing the inscription—Selton Electrical Supply Company—and the address of that concern. The torn end showed where it Lad been attached to something by a heavy cord or wire. Foxy parted the bushes once more and stuck his head close up against the rough concrete of the pier. There, resting in a “Think you i —well, with whatever was | inside. It wasa — Foxy Taylor, Towerman o hollow t th and By George Cawthorne mien cael structure, was a Illustrated by Joseph St. Amand a wooden box, its lid stenciled with the same inscription as the tag. bridge supports. Foxy tried the lid of the box, but it was tightly nailed; neither could he budge it from its resting place against the pier. Letting the bushes fall back again into place over the box, he stood up and looked at the bridge. There was no doubt in his mind what he had found. The box had no business where it was, and wires from anything so placed certainly meant electrical connection with as to contrivance to blow up the bridge. But why blow EA Areud ‘up a bridge? To wreck a train probably. Well, why wrecka train? THE PRESIDENT! Like a blow in the face the realization of what he was up against came to Foxy. Here, away from everything, some one was planning to plunge the President’s special, with all its human freight, into Babcock’s Gully. It was just the place for such an act,.and the chance of detection was almost nil. Only by the accident of losing his money had he stumbled on the plot. What should he do? At this moment the freight train pulled slowly out across the bridge over his head. Foxy jumped, and all thought of his lost money gone from his mind, began to climb the bank with all possible haste. The freight meant that Cramer had gone, and he must return to the tower at once. First, though, he must trace those wires, and then make a report to the divi- sion superintendent’s office at Selton. T WAS twilight when Foxy-walked out on the bridge and found where the wires from the box below were carried up the bridge structure and along under the ties to the bank. From here they led up through some loose shale to a point behind a large jutting rock well above the roadbed. The wires ended in nothing, being simply twisted around a stick, but the insulation had been carefully cut away, and the ends were bright and clean. The job had been a recent one. Anyone lying behind the rock could see the bridge for its full length, and still be in a position to retreat from the railroad track through a patch of woodland to the Selton highway a mile or so beyond. With an auto- mobile hidden near the road, thought Foxy, it would be a simple matter to get away. Pemberton was nearest, about six miles westward by the road; the first village to the east was Merton Center, about nine miles. The Pemberton road continued on to Selton, less than an hour’s ride. By this time it was practically dark. As Foxy hurried back across the bridge he saw dark clouds piling up in the southeast, and a cool, fitful breeze blowing in his face prom- ised a hard rain before morning. On the other side he Two wires led from holes in one end up along the face of the pier, to one of the BOYS’ LIFE Feeling lighted the siding switch- lamps, and then ran up the steps to the tower. The door was open. As _ he stepped through he was caught from behind, swung around, and dealt a stun- ning blow on the back of the head. A million specks and flashes of light drove before his eyes, and the clicking of the telegraph instruments on the desk was drowned by a terrific roaring in his ears. He stumbled and sank limply in a heap on the floor. Dizzy, groggy, with a dull pain across his eyes and a sharp one stabbing at the base of his skull, Foxy muttered a few disconnected words and rolled his eyes at the light above the desk. The place seemed familiar to his vague glance, but it seemed so queer to be on the floor instead of seated before the desk, or leaning on the switch levers. Gradually his brain began to clear, and for the first time he took note of two men, masked to the eyes, who stood regarding him silently. The sight of the masks, and the discovery that he was bound hand and foot, brought the mind of the boy back with a snap to the point when he had started in through the tower door. Why had he been knocked out and tied up this way? As if in answer to his question, the instrument on the desk began to click again. JB-JB-JB it called. One of the men turned, threw the switch, and answered. Immediately the sounder began its message: E-a-s-t-b-o-u-n-d-:-s-p-e-c-i-a-l- c-a-r-r-y-i-n-g- P-r-e-s-i-d-e-n-t -a-n-d -p-a-r-t-y - w-i-l-l1-p-a-s-s- S-e-l-t-o-n-t-e-n-t-h-i-r-t-y-t-o-n-i-g-h-t-. Automatically the clicks of the sounder registered in Foxy’s seething brain. Ten- thirty to-night. TEN-THIRTY TO-NIGHT! It seemed that he was hearing them over and over and over. Valiantly he struggled to get a grasp on the situation. What was to be done? What could he do? Nothing! And yet it was right up to him alone to stop this. intended crime. The boy looked more closely at the two. Both were of medium height and build. Both wore dark clothes; slouch hats, with the hand- kerchief masks, totally concealed their features. The man who had leaned over to O. K. the message about the special now straightened up, and addressed the prostrate Foxy. “Young feller, you’re lucky to be tied up—’cause you might be dead. So don’t worry. Just stay put there, out of sight, don’t raise no rumpus, and you’ll come out ’thout more’n a sore head.” Then to his companion, “C’mon.” August The E oe 6 we SB Oo eS CP _., — = te

Page 21

The Boy Scouts’ Magazine under the ties he found the wires They dragged Foxy aside and went out. As they stepped past the boy’s face the man behind trod on the heels of the man in front, and Foxy saw the bottom lift of a shoe heel drop off and slide under the opened door. Neither of the men noticed this, ‘ JP JB JB-IB. Insistently the telegraph sounder called. A pause of thirty seconds, then—JB-JB-Jb-JB—once more. Foxy strained at his bonds. JB-JB-JB-JB—perspiration poured from him. Thirty seconds more—it seemed like thirty minutes to the trussed up and helpless:'lad. JB-JB-JB-JB— It was no use. It was no use. He lay still, breathing heavily. JB-JB—he must get loose,—but HOW? A happy thought came to him. If he couldn’t get free, he could perhaps get up to the desk and reach the key some way—-send a message! Rolling over a couple of times he hitched himself up against the switch-lever base. Bending sideways he slid down on his face, between the handles. By a mighty effort he could just hook his bound wrists, up and backward, over one of the pro- truding clutches. The strain of pulling himself upright nearly tore his arms from their sockets, but he accomplished it. JBJBJBJBJB—swiftly the signal was now being given. The operator at Selton was wondering why Foxy did not answer. The boy leaned forward and threw himself at the end of the little desk. He had WON! Squirming across, he lay at full length and his swollen head fumbled for the key. JBJBJB-J— the signal was interrupted. Frantically Foxy threw the switch and worked his own key. Only the click of metal on metal came. The line was dead—the wires had been cut! For some moments he lay perfectly quiet. Bitter disap- pointment had taken all his courage from him. Beaten by a few seconds! It put him up against it for fair. If he could not get free now, and stop this horrible thing—! The thought set him working once more at his bonds. Swiftly his eyes darted around the little room—nothing that could cut. He tried to remember what was in the desk drawer, in the shallow cupboard under the lantern rack. Joy! There should be some old tools in there! Painfully he slid to the floor and tolled over to the cupboard. Fingernails broke, but the door came open. A hammer—some old rags—a FILE! Foxy tolled doggedly back to the lever base. It took precious minutes but the file was finally wedged where it would hold. Rub, rub, rub, and pray for just a few moments more time! At last! A swollen hand went into his trousers’ pocket, and the pocketknife made short work of the cords on his ankles. The boy stood up. He was sore all over, dirty beyond words, but he was FREE. To be absolutely sure, Foxy tested the line again, in both directions. It was dead all right. Well, that was no more than he had expected. He knew that the tele- graph wires were strung across the gully from: poles. This 1923 Teply came. T-h-a-t- was a precaution so that the line would be intact in case the bridge burned or fell. He would have to find the break and establish Ae communication with Lov- ae, ell at Selton. What would he need? One of the in- struments from the old box of extras, a little wire for emergencies, his knife, and batteries. Ripping the batteries from the case under the desk, Foxy wound a length of wire around them for easy handling. A hurried test proved the first dirty and battered instrument he grabbed from the old box to be in working order. Elated and determined he opened the door a crack and slid quickly out. The night was inky black, and although he had not noticed it before, a driving rain was pelting down. It was just the thing for him. The darkness and noise would serve to cover his movements from his two enemies. Foxy turned off to the right immediately he reached the pierhead, and followed the creek bank as closely as he dared, in the darkness, to a distance where he guessed the line came over. Then he turned back into the brush and began to feel for anything he could lay hands on which seemed big enough to be a telegraph pole. It was a blundering job at best. He fell into hollows, stumbled headlong into trees, tore his hands and clothes in the tangled bushes, and lost more time than he felt he could afford. Only the noise of the rain drowned the crashings he made. At length his outstretched hands grasped a tree whose trunk felt smooth. Yes, it was the pole at last! Now to climb it. He put his instrument and batteries close beside the base of the pole, and started up, taking the wire looped over his head. Roxs as a rule can climb almost anything, but Foxy thought he would never get up to the cross trees of that pole. The rain made it slippery going, and he was dead tired from the physical strain and mental excitement. His hands, from being tightly bound, and the trips he had made across the bridge, were so lame and sore he could scarcely maintain his grasp. As he neared the top, something brushed the side of his face. Clinging with both legs and one arm, he managed to catch hold of it. It was a strand of wire. A tug brought a little slack, and succeeding tugs brought more, until he thought enough hung down to reach the ground. Thena final effort at climbing brought him to the cross- trees, and he re- trieved the other strand. Sliding down was an easier job than going up, but he almost fell on his instrument at the foot of the pole. Foxy thanked his stars that this misfortune had been spared him. Wires out, peeled, and hooked up to the batteries and key—the soaked and tired boy threw the switch and called Selton. Half a dozen calls he sent, and then cut out and waited. Ina moment ortwothe y-o-u-F -o-x-y- w h-a-t-s-m-a-t-t-e-r- t-h-o-u-g-h-t-w-i-r-e- d-o-w-n-h-a-y- This was. too much for Foxy’s patience. He a One of the men turned, threw the switch, and answered 19 promptly switched in and out until Lovell stopped. T-a-k-e- t-h-i-s-c-a-r-e-f-u-1-1-y-n-o-t-i-m-e-t-o-r-e-p-e-a-t-t-w-o- m-a-s-k-e-d-m-e-n-t-i-e-d-m-e-u-p-c-u-t- w -i-r-e-s-p-l-a-n- w-r-e-c-k- s-p-e-c-i-a-l- a-t- b-r-i-d-g-e- f-l-a - g- h-e- r-a-t-S-e-l- t-o-n-s-e-n-d-p-o-I-i-c-e-n-h-e-a-d-o-n-e-x-t-r-a -p-i-l-o-t-d-o-t-h- On the instant Lovell began to cut in and out wildly. Foxy threw the switch and crouched to catch the faint and irregular clicking. S-p-e-c-i-a-l-p-a-s-s-e-d-j-u-s-t-b-e-f-o-r-e- y-o-u-c-a-l-l-e-d. Passed Selton! And the Pemberton office closed for the night! Foxy was trembling so that his hand could scarcely work the key. O-K-i-t-s-u-p-t-o-m-e-w-i-l-] d-o-m-y-b-e-s-t-t-w-o-m-e-n-p-r-o-b-a-b-l-y-h-a-v-e-a-u - t-o- p-h-o-n-e-p-o-l-i-c-e-S-e-l-t-o-n-a-n-d-M-o-r-t -o-n-k-e-e-p 1-0-0-k-0-u-t-a-l-o-n-g-r-o-a-d-I-c-a-n-i-d-e-n-t-i-f-y-t-h-e-m. Twenty miles or a little less—that meant about fifteen minutes. With right of way over everything, the special should be doing better than sixty miles an hour in spite of the rain. Foxy sprang to his feet and crashed back to the gully. As swiftly as possible he wormed his way through the under- growth to the bridge. The only course left open to him was to cut those wires. After that ? Down on his hands and knees between the rails of the eastbound track he crawled carefully out upon the ties. Without mishap, but drenched to the skin and with sore knees, he reached the point he desired. Feeling around under the ties, he found the wires and pulled up a little slack. With his knife he broke the insulation and managed to cut it by shutting the blade a few times with the bare wire across the handle. Then he carefully bent both ends back out of touching distance. For safety’s sake the other strand was treated likewise. HROUGH his hand, resting on the heavy steel rail, Foxy felt a vibration. The train was coming. He turned and crawled back a few yards. The vibration grew, and a slow rumbling note became audible over the steady downpour of the rain. She was traveling fast. A hoarse whistle sounded just around the bend. Too late. He would have to crawl to the nearer end. But he couldn’t! The headlight beam from the engine would expose him to the men in hiding behind the rocks. He would have to stay on the bridge! Edging over, Foxy stretched himself flat on the rail furthest from the east- bound tracks. He wedged his feet between the rail and the guard joist, and stuck one arm down, getting a grip around a tie as well as he could; with his other arm he shielded his face and head. He was safe all right, if he could manage to hang on. But was he? Suppose that he had not found all those wires? Suppose the loose ends should touch and make a con- tact from the vibration now shaking the whole bridge! Foxy shivered. With a thundering roar the engine took the bridge rails. The structure rocked and shook. A blast of air envel- oped the clinging boy, nearly tearing him from his position. _ A hail of cinders, dirt, mud and rain pelted his back and legs. Desperately he ing the suction which threat- ened to draw him under the flying wheels. ' As each truck took the first bridge-rail joints, Foxy’s face was pounded on the smooth, wet steel beneath never realized that a bridge was such an elastic thing! Unconsciously he counted the shocks. Hehad reached ten and was barely able to hold himself flattened out, when the vibra- tions suddenly ceased, the thunder in his ears diminished, and he realized that the last car had passed safe- ly over the bridge. For a moment or two he lay quiet, thankful to have _ escaped injury, and then pain- fully and stiffky crawled over to the opposite ares tracks. The rails were (Concluded on page 38) SONORA SR ELIE IP 92 EDs aN, hung to the timbers, resist-, him. He had. Tee =

Page 22

. OME on up here!” lsieuten- ant Harold Carr gritted the words as he threw his weight onto the control wheel and pulled it around a full revolution. Slowly the big plane responded. T he seventy-five-foot span of wings resumed a position parallel with the somewhat indefinite horizon, only to jerk over to the opposite side as the big twelve-pas- senger transport struck another bump. The pilot gruntedand whirled the wheel in the oppo- site direction. The plane was skim- ming a westerly course over the center of the State of Missouri, the rolling hills of which were less than a thou- sand feet below. Occa- sionally the pilot would decrease this distance slightly in order to keep just beneath the puffy layer of rain clouds. Ever and anon the ma- chine would plunge into the bottom of a lower He peered over the side of the cock pit hanging cloud than the rest and Carr’s already smarting face ~~ the cabin and the seat taken by his captor, whom the pilot would undergo a bombardment of stinging raindrops. The air was extremely choppy, and the usually stable air- plane was tossed about like a cork, in spite of the roaring strength of its two four-hundred-horsepower motors. Although the time was November, and, in addition to being damp, the weather was snappy, small streams of perspiration made their way from the edge of the pilot’s helmet, to be washed away by the rain, the exertion of flying the big machine in the rough weather was so great. ARR was in an unpleasant frame of mind. To begin with, he had eaten no lunch and it was past two o’clock in the afternoon. The machine had left the ground at Ranston, Illinois, at eleven and the pilot was tired as well as hungry. Secondly, the weather was decidedly unpleasant; and thirdly, the cargo was undesirable in the extreme. In the cabin behind Carr were eight prisoners. They were handcuffed and sat in two rows of four, facing two armed guards. They were desperate men convicted of serious crimes and were on their way to the Government prison at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas—the destination of the big plane. To add to the general discomfort of the trip, the rain was accompanied by a strong wind from the West which rendered the progress of the machine comparatively slow. The brown width of the Mississippi was barely a hundred miles behind in spite of the fact that three hours had elapsed since the trans- port took the air. Indications pointed to an equal lapse of time before the big machine could span the State of Missouri and land at its destination. The clouds became thicker. There were fewer lulls be- tween the volleys of stinging raindrops. Carr turned to the mechanic who crouched low in the seat by his side. “Think that the storm will become worse, Wilson?” he shouted above the drumming duet of the motors. The mechanic smiled and shook his head. “It doesn’t mat- ter. You can get us through all right.” Carr smiled at the exhibition of confidence and checked his course. Then he peered over the side of the cockpit at the ground, searching for a new landmark. And in that instant things began to happen. The pilot felt himself sharply nudged in the side and turned suddenly. Then, in stricken surprise, he stared motionless. The mechanic was pinioned in his seat by two khaki-clad arms which reached from the small passage from the rear of the seat leading to the cabin. Another arm, the hand of which grasped an automatic pistol by the muzzle, hovered above Wilson’s head for a brief instant. Then it dropped. Carr felt rather than heard the impact, and the mechanic collapsed limply. The pilot dared not leave the controls to aid the luck- less man and could only wait helplessly. The pistol changed ends and the muzzle came to within an inch of the pilot’s face. Motions, which he could not but comprehend, bade him con- tinue his course. The unconscious form cf Wilson was dragged roughly into recognized as Mike Smedley, who wasen route to Leavenworth for a life sentence. What had happened? How had the prisoners overwhelmed the guards? These. and a dozen other questions flashed through Carr’s brain. Smedley’s next action answered him. The ex-prisoner reached for the small pad on the map-case in front of the pilot. “Head for Omaha—’”’ he shouted. With the pistol menacing him Carr had nochoice but toobey. Smedley leaned toward him. “And tend to business. I know this country and you will fly that course or die! We don’t intend to be recaptured or led into a trap—”’ The speaker smiled grimly. “One of your good guards fainted awhile ago. Must have had air-sickness. He fell right across me and I took his gun. The other guard could not shoot for fear of hitting him. He came too close and I busted his head open. Then we took his keys and released ourselves.” There was no mistaking Smedley’s sincerity. Sick at heart, the other held the plane on the new course. He could do nothing else. The map in front of him was complete and had many courses marked on it. One was the course from Chilli- cothe, Missouri, to Omaha, and from that Smedley roughly checked Carr’s reckoning, doing his figuring on the small pad which he had taken from the map-board. He wrote down the figures ‘‘ 298” on the map. “Fly that course,”’ he ordered. ‘We do not intend to go clear to Omaha. I'll tell you when to land.” The ex-prisoner watched the compass closely. The machine plunged into a tuft of clouds and Carr lost all sight of ground. The mass of watery vapor was so dense that the pilot could barely make out the form of Smedley, sitting beside him. He felt the muzzle of the automatic, a chilly reminder of his condition, against his cheek, however. LYING automatically, Carr racked his brains in an effort to solve his problem. But he could not see a possible way out of the predicament. The result of his thinking brought only a fuller realization of his situation, a sense of failure that was sickening. When the plane finally emerged from the clouds, Carr found that he had lost his sense of direction and that the machine was headed south. It had skidded around while in the cloud and the compass was spinning drunkenly as the natural result. Wearily the pilot banked the transport around and headed it northwest. Then, in a flash, a solution came to him. His pulses quickened and his weariness dropped from him like a cloak. The Martin climbed slightly higher. It struck the clouds again, thick, dark, and full of stinging raindrops: Minute after minute passed before it emerged, and when it did, the compass was spinning as before, an intentional skid being the cause. Finally it straightened on the course. Smedley looked at the ground. A puzzled expression overspread his face and he leaned quickly over and studied the compass, but could BOYS’ LIFE By Mather Brooks Illustrated by Henry A. Botkin * not find anything amiss. The lubbers line rode squarely over the figures, 298. He shook his head and looked at the map. At last, apparently satisfied, he sat back in his seat, never relaxing his watch of the pilot. Another hour, a mix- ture of rain and fog, passed. Holding the wheel with one hand, Carr shifted his posi- tion slightly, resting his right arm upon the edge of the cockpit. Instantly the pistol menaced him. “Just resting,” he shouted in explanation to Smedley. “You need not worry. I’m taking you where you want to go.”’ Slowly, and with in- finite care, Carr moved his right elbow over. At last it touched a round knob, the pear- shaped grip of the pilot’s radio key. The instrument was in a secluded position and was so placed for use in emergencies only, as the main key was in front of Smedley, who, fortu- nately for Carr, had not noticed the movement of the latter’s arm. After a lapse of five minutes, Carr swung his right knee and, as he had planned, struck the catch of the drum on which the antenna was rolled. A slight rubbing against his knee told him that the drum was revolving, letting out the two- hundred-foot antenna. It seemed like an age before the ces- sation of motion told that the wire was out its entire distance. Carr’s problem now was to put the set in operation. He reached nonchalantly forward and tested the four switches of the ignition system, which stood side by side on the instrument- board, one by one, cocking his head to one side and listening carefully to the motors, so that Smedley could not mistake his intentions. Then, calmly, though his heart was pounding, he flipped the tiny tumbler switch that sent the current from the air-operated generator on the landing-gear through the vari- ometer. Smedley evidently did not understand the significance of the maneuver, for he permitted it. Then Carr settled tack ia k::3 seat, stifling a sigh of relief. N THE hour that followed Carr retained his odd position, controlling the plane with one hand, though his left arm and shoulder ached, his right hand, meanwhile, resting inno- cently on the edge of the cockpit, but the elbow was twitching steadily the entire time. At last, and it seemed to the tensely waiting pilot that it would never appear, the sluggish expanse of a river appeared through a rift in the clouds. “The Missouri!” Carr shouted to Smedley. “We will soon be there.” As the river was left behind the pilot permitted the big machine to climb imperceptibly until it practically immersed itself in the clouds and the ground was scarcely discernible. Suddenly he caught a fleeting’ glimpse of a red roof. One of the motors sputtered. Carr seized the opportunity. “Out of gas,” he yelled to Smedley. ‘Got to land quick!” Without waiting for a reply and expecting every second to receive a bullet from the automatic, the pilot threw his entire strength into the control wheel, whirling it to the left and bringing the ailerons over their entire distance. The big wings dipped, banking vertically. A quick movement of the rudder dropped the six-ton weight downward in a breath- taking rush. The maneuver was a complete surprise to Smedley and instinctively he grabbed the side of the cockpit. Carr’s pulse sung, for he knew that the ex-prisoner dared not use the pistol now, even though he so desired, for fear of en- dangering his own life. The ground shot up. Closer and closer it loomed. With a shudder Smedley closed his eyes. The motors roared briefly, and with a jerk the big plane came out of the side slip and skimmed the ground. Then it settled solidly. Smedley recovered himself and climbed over the side before the machine had lost its momentum. He jumped, only to trip and fall headlong into a mud-puddle upon striking the ground. To his complete surprise, his arms were seized and he was jerked to his feet to look into the faces of two armed khaki figures. “We are glad to see you, Smedley,” greeted one of his cap- tors. “You are just in time for supper.” The dazed and surprised prisoner noticed that the transport (Concluded on page 31) August The dub

Page 23

~ Os = 7k OH oe VS The Boy Scouts’ Magazine William L. Finley Of the National Association of Au- dubon Societies for the Protection of Wild Animals and Birds Illustrated with Photographs ILD birds are like sensitive people. You must approach them in the right way. Easily they become self-conscious or terrified and fly away. In our Western states the callousness and greed ‘of man are, to some extent, responsible for the fear manifested by our native birds. For years previous to the Roosevelt administration, these wild birds had no safe place in which to breed or to pass the winter. Hunters tracked the snowy egret and killed the mother birds for their feathery crests which were in great demand among milliners. Roosevelt, who was a true lover of all wild creatures, had, at the request of the Audubon Society, a vast tract of land set aside in Southeastern Oregon as a homeland for the birds; and since then, all the states have passed laws prohibiting the killing of wild birds for their plumage. The shooting of egrets is particularly brutal; and some years ago so many were killed that this beautiful bird was almost exterminated. In the breeding season, the parent egrets grow long feathery plumes on their backs; and later when the young can take care of themselves, the plumes drop out. With the parents killed, the baby birds starve in their nests, or fall from the trees in their weak search for food. Now, however, there are thousands of birds in the Malheur Lake Reservation in Oregon, where man seldom intrédes. Al- though this alkaline area is unfit for farming it furnishes an ideal and safe retreat for winged and feathered creatures of the whole West country. During a recent trip to the reservation, our outfit consisted of two tents and an umbrella tent (the use of which I shall ex- plain later), a motion picture camera, several thousand feet of film, and a still camera and plates. We were also well supplied with fishing tackle. It was a five- hundred-mile journey, but we learned some- thing every mile we traveled. Our route took us up the famous Columbia Highway, which runs through the great gorge of the Columbia River, and as in many places, cut right through the cliffs of the Cascade Mountains, high above the river; and one looks down upon the beautiful stream through cathedral windows hewn from the solid rock of the mountains. Our route took us through the barren sage brush country of Eastern Oregon, where the ot a, % 5 BE a ae tee sake EL. Be ee NE a only shade for the traveler is an occasional, solitary juniper tree. That first day we Ww ; ° ; r which to camp; but night overtook us, and Lake) we had to make a dry camp in the sage- Taking stills in a cormorant colony. Lake) brush desert. These are young half-grown birds Young Willet, a wader of the Malheur Marsh (Malheur Lake) The next day we pushed on to the Des- Colony of White Pelicans showing blind to right in which camera men hid to get Canvas blind used to get motion of still . chutes Canyon, where the river has cut a gash into the earth two thousand feet deep. Crossing the canyon, we were again on the desert. Two days later, we came to the John Day River. Several days of tramping over the desert brought us to Canyon Creek, a tributary of the John Day River; and after two days of fishing we pushed on to the head of Can- yon Creek, crossed the divide and came upon the wide marshes of the Malheur. At the edge of the marsh, where the water had receded, we ran through the tules to a little pool. Tules are a variety of bulrushes that grow in marshes in our Western states. In the pool, we found a Western Willet, so we stopped to take his picture. He was a little nervous, but he saw that we didn’t intend to harm him, and finally let us photograph him. Malheur Lake itself is a wide, shallow, alkaline body of water, surrounded on all sides by tule marshes where birds 1923 pictures ‘ ‘ Half-grown Pelican (Malheur Lake)— A large colony of Gulls and Peli searched long for a little stream, beside Goat Bee Heron (Malieur Lake) i aaememcaciimasassinyy The White Pelican at home (Malheur Great Blue Heron (Malheur Lake) Malheur Lake Young Avocet, a. marsh wader (Malheur William L. Finley and umbrella blind used in getting motion pictures life photographs Courtesy of Bray Studios breed in’ immense numbers during the summer-time. In addition to the birds, swarms of mosquitoes. abound; and they made our task a not entirely pleasant one. They fol- lowed us not only into the marshes, but also into the open country. i= first experience was with several families of ducks that tried to outswim our boat. But when we over- took a flock of ducklings, they dived and scattered. Thou- sands of ducks are raised here in the marshes. As we rowed around to visit other colonies of birds, they came forth to meet us, curious as to the kind of beasts we might be. We came upon a colony of Farallon Cormorants, or “shags,”’ nesting in the floating tule islands. These birds are often called “nigger geese” in the South. They are very awkward on, land, but are excellent swimmers and divers. The cor- morant makes its nest of grass among the tules. Some of the nests held three or four blue eggs. In others we found little cormorants with smooth hides, naked as a black kid glove. In these nests the half-grown birds stood up and “huffed” at us to drive us away by jabbing with their bills. Near the cormorant was a colony of white pelicans. These two species are good neighbors, each taking a part of the island for its nesting place, and neither poaching on the other’s preserves. When we came to the pelican colony, we found hundreds bunched together in one place. The pelican is a very sociable bird; and our boy immediately began to make friends with some members of the colony. They let him approach and feed them; and soon the boy (Concluded on page 48)

Page 24

Phen 1 cmnetpse coe We and Our Work The subject matter of “Our Farms and Farmers” is taken for the most part from Joseph French Johnson's new book, “We and Our Work.” The editors are grateful | to the author and publishers, Boni & Liveright, for the use of this material, and to Donald F. Stewart, Editor, The American Viewpoint Society, for its preparation. ee | neon rwsn

ANY city people still think of farming as an occupation car- ried on in old-fashioned ways by men of little intelligence. The European peasant when coming to America does not always give a willing ear to the invitation to become a farm laborer. He does not know that there is a great difference in the ways of farming between our country and most of Europe, and that it re- quires much knowledge of machinery, bookkeeping, breeding, marketing, selec- tion of seed, and changing of crops. Agriculture experienced but few changes from the beginning of the Christian era to the opening of the nineteenth century. In 1800 the soil was still tilled with a wooden plow, as it was 2,000 years before. Other tools used on the farm were similarly simple and backward. But remarkable progress has been made during the last century. A farmer who died in 1750 would hardly know his way about a modern farm if he could be called to life again. The story oi: American farming, since the first home was built in the wilderness by an early colonial, is not only a record of constant progress, almost equal to that of manufactures, ur Farms an Drawing by Hanson Booth

An Early American Home Hewn out of the Wilderness

© American Viewpoint Society BOYS’ LIFE Farmers

A Wide Difference The men who stay on the farm must know many things. They must be not only mechanics, salesmen, buyers, planters of crops and breeders of animals, but managers and cap- italists. It is this combination of qualities which separates the Amer- ican farmer from the European peas- ant, and which gives him the high social standing he justly deserves.

and eventually the combined machine which cuts the grain, threshes it, and puts it into sacks. The harvesting of corn was once a great problem on the farm. It had to be done in the fall after rain and cold had set in, and it took several weeks of heavy work to cut the corn by hand, carry it to the shock, and then six to eight weeks or more were required to husk it. Sore and bleeding hands were a common occurrence. Now the corn harvester and the shredder perform these tasks in a few days, and one of the hardest tasks of the farm has been made easy. Other Labor-Savers There are many other labor-saving machines for the farmer. The feed for cattle is cut, ground or crushed by machinery. In the house there are washing machines, separators, churners, vacuum cleaners, and often acetylene generators for lighting, if electric light is not to be had from a near-by village. Even cows are milked by machine. Automobiles are found on pretty nearly every farm in the Middle and Far West. The farmer is now using al- most as much machinery as_ the manufacturer.

but full of romantic interest owing to its conquest of nature. Theodore Roosevelt's story of “The Winning of the West” would lack many an in- teresting chapter if he had omitted the advance made in farming in the last hundred years. Machinery on the Farm The success of new machinery for manufacturing purposes necessarily called attention to improvements needed in agricultural tools. Jn 1797 Charles Newbold, of New Jersey,

square meals a day.” nation on the globe. June is the first month for harvesting crops. This work continues until the ‘frost is on the pumpkin and the corn is in the shock.” A Self-Sustaining Nation The city produces no food. Our cities, both great and small, are at the mercy of the farms. The inhabitants of New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston—any large city— would starve if foodstuffs, grown on the farms, were cut off for ten days. Naturally, then, farming is the most important industry in America, and America is the most important farming country in the world. America produces within its continental area practically every kind of food desired by the housewife in the preparation of her ‘“‘three ** America comes nearer being a self-sustaining country than any other The Chemist Helps Science has also become an im- portant item with the farmer. The old method of sowing any kind of crop into any kind of soil has practically disappeared. The chemist of a near-by agricultural school is always glad to examine the soil of a farm, and tell the farmer what crop is likely to be best suited for any part of it. He will also give advice as to the rotation of crops, because to raise the same plant re- peatedly on a piece of land is likely to ‘

patented the first cast-iron plow ever made. But farmers were afraid to use it for fear that it might “poison the land.” This fear was soon proved a superstition, and various minor improvements were made. A real change came with the “Oliver chilled steel plow,” which appeared in 1870. A great variety or plows have since been devised which are adapted to every kind of soil. The form of power has changed greatly; instead of oxen or horses pulling the plow, the gang plow drawn by the modern tractor is now in use on all large farms. The seed is no longer put in by hand but by machinery. The seed drill is now in universal use. For breaking up the clods and pulverizing the soil various kinds of harrow are used, and for hoeing the corn, the hoe has practically disappeared and has given way to the cultivator. The harvesting of the crops is no longer done by hand. The old-fashioned sickle is now used only for cutting weeds in corners of the yard. The cradle for harvesting wheat was the first step in breaking away from the old system; it was invented in 1794. In the course of time came the grain mower, then the self binder with its bundle carrier, impoverish the soil. Rotation of Crops Plants, just like animals and men, vary in their needs; one will need more iron, another more carbon, still another more lime. By changing the crops every few years, better harvests can be secured and the soil be kept in good con- dition. Our cotton planters soon found that their soil became poor and the crop small when they planted cotton year after year on the same land. They did not know what to do until the chemists told them to put in a crop

AGRICULTURE,ONEOF THE OLDEST INDUS- TRIES IN THE WORLD, has made remarkable progress in the last few years. Thts is, in a large measure, due to the many LABOR-SAVING ma- chines that have been invented to do the work on the farm that was formerly done by man or by the domesticated animals of man. This remarkable photo- graph shows tractors drawing machines used in PLOW- ING, BREAKING, and PULVERIZING ground, and PLANTING the seed.

fy pies cis, Bee a ete uN A < ~e v ~ . . oP Pi,

“] wh

Page 25

The Boy Scouts’ Magazine “PLANT WIZARD,” has not only produced a new variety of wheat, but many new varieties of fruit and vegetables. THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT, PARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE and the State Govern- ments, employs CHEMISTS and BIOLOGISTS and many other experts to advise and asstst the farmer. é **; eee § é pen i aero $a Sem. : This apple tree looks lopsided, and it does not belie 1ts looks. On one side, fine apples grew. THAT side was sprayed for San Jose and other insect diseases and for other enemies of fruit trees. Fine apples grew on the sprayed limbs. Runty, worthless fruit grew on the unsprayed branches. Chemicals are largely responsible for the abundant harvests of remarkable fine apples on the markets of the United States. ¥ of corn or clover every few years. The advice was taken, and good results have been obtained in most cases. Many soils are rich in vegetable matter, but they lack, for instance, lime for the production of good crops. d which has been left uncultivated for thousands of years usually has a deep deposit of decayed vegetation; all it is some mineral substance, and lime is frequently the one particularly needed. Farmers have often spent considerable sums to supply this material by buying bone or other fertilizers. Chemistry has taught the farmer that he can supply his own need by using certain stones and shells which may be found near his farm, if not on it; crushing them, and letting the air, moisture, and tempera- ture do the rest. The Biologist Also Helps Biology has had a great influence on the improvement of farming. By the proper selection of seed, by study of the needs of particular plants in regard to soil, moisture, and average temperature, the increase in certain crops has been remarkable. The experiments of one plant breeder at the University of Wisconsin, extending over ten- years, re- sulted in an increase in the nation’s barley crop to the value of $12,000,000 a year; wheat and corn were also improved to the value of from $10,000,000 to $15,000,000 a year. What is perhaps more important is the gradual exten- sion of the area on which certain cereals may be grown. , for instance, has always had a comparatively limited range. By careful selection its range has been extended from the northern temperate zone to Nicaragua in the south and to Alaska in the north. The United States made a good bargain in real estate when it bought Alaska from Russia in 1867 for $7,200,000. That country was thought to be nothing but a field of ice and snow, with occasional chances for salmon fishing and seal catching. We not only have mined much gold there, but have found vast forests of great value, and have discovered that many places are suitable for farming. Since 1912 the valley of the Yukon River has yielded wheat, potatoes, turnips, alfalfa and other crops. Arid Land Grows Wheat Another extension has taken place in the so-called dry or arid regions of our own West. There are vast stretches of land in Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, and parts of California, where the rainfall is very small. By careful selection of wheat it is now possible to raise large crops on these formerly useless lands; the quality is excellent, and especially suitable for the manufacture of macaroni. Everybody has heard of Luther Burbank, the plant wizard. He has developed many new varieties of flowers and vegetables. In 1922, at the age of 73, he succeeded in developing a new variety of wheat which, if as successful as his other experiments, is likely to prove a great boon to our farmers. The contributions of the biologist to farming may be better realized by a reference to d tic animals. The United States had in 1919 more than 200,000,000 farm animals, and in addition probably an equal number of poultry. The value and usefulness of this enormous quantity of stock depends on certain qualities it possesses, and these differ according to species and breed. The most valuable qualities of live stock are usually found in se- lected specimens of the various standard breeds. One would naturally expect this, because the breeds were developed and perfected to meet definite, useful purposes. Breeding of Animals Thus, in horses we have the familiar breeds for racing, draft, saddle, and others for general purposes. Other kinds of live stock have likewise many classes serving special purposes. The cow may be selected for richness of milk, like the Jersey; or for quantity, like the Holstein. Hogs are usually bred for ready fattening. It is of the utmost importance that these different breeds be kept free from intermixture, otherwise their good qualities may be lost. The breeders of different live stock have learned from biologists how to improve certain qualities in a breed by proper mating, in and out of the breed, as the case may require; and by selecting in each case the strongest and healthiest specimens for mating. —— 23 STUDY THESE DRAWINGS CAREFULLY and note how conditions of living have improved on the modern American farm. MACHINERY has done its full share to improve these conditions. The modern farmer lives in a modern home EQUIPPED WITH ALL CONVENIENCES. The TELE- PHONE, the RADIO, the PHONOGRAPH, the PARCEL POST, the RURAL FREE DELIVERY, have brought him next door to the world. His children attend the CONSOLI- DATED PUBLIC SCHOOL, equal in many cases to the school tn the city. In the Year Book of the Department of Agriculture for 1919 the statement is made that if our farmers paid proper attention to the breeding of their live stock and poultry, they could increase their wealth by about $2,500,000,000 a year, or about $400 for every one of our 6,326,000 farms. Sup- pose, however, that this estimate is too high, and that only $1,000,000,000 could be added to the farmer’s wealth by a little more attention to the breeding of live stock and poultry; the gain would still be considerable. War on Pests Another service which biology has rendered to agri- culture consists in the control of various insect pests, such (Concluded on page 49) THE FARMER OF TOo- DAY enjoys practically all the comforts of his brother in the city. Indeed, he enjoys many more! The farmer must know many things. There are about 31,400,000 men and women engaged in farming. These own or work about 6,326,000 farms. The average acreage per farm is 748. According to the Government estimate, the value of farm crops and live stock produced on our farms for -192T was almost TWENTY BILLION DOLLARS. 1923

Page 26

Blue Hole an “Simon Peter saith unto them, I go afishing. They saith unto him, We also go with thee.” HEN Tom and Hiand I fished off the board rafts in Ohio we fished for channel-cats, “white bass,”’ buffalo and occasionally yellow bass and paddle fish. When we fished off the log rafts in the Licking River we fished for mud-cats and channel-cats and caught many gars that we were not fishing for. When we fished in Bank Lick we fished for “‘ Bank Lick bass,’’ probably the calico or straw- berry bass. When we fished in Brookshaws Pond and the other ponds made by filling the streets in on low ground and leaving a hollow in By Dan Beard With Illustrations by the Author the middle of the square, we fished for “pizen” cats, in other, words, bull-pouts. On rare oc- casions in fishing off the wharf-boat where the ferry landed, just below where the suspension bridge now stands, we caught splendid strings of jack-salmon, known in the East as wall- eyed pike. Sometimes we caught “New Lights,” known in the East as crappies, a fish that was supposed to have made its appearance in that neighborhood at the same time that the people who belonged to a religious society and called themselves New Lights. We knew nothing about pickerel, trout or black bass. Some of them may have inhabited some of the waters, but I doubt it; we never caught them and we never saw them; but the “little pickerel’’ are, never- theless, said to be common in the Ohio. One gloriuus day my picturesque and distinguished daddy sold some paintings, and he felt rich, so like the real artist that he was he immediately sought some way of spending that money to delight the family, and took us all up to Yellow Springs, Ohio. My! but that was a parad‘se for a nature- loving boy. Such lovely snakes! black snakes, ring snakes, garter snakes; also mud turtles, soft shell turtles, rock bass, mud-suckers, and thousands of all kinds of birds. Then there were so many interesting water plants in the clear streams unknown to Kentucky muddy waters. The old yellow spring boiled up in the center of a pool and gilded all the tin dippers with a substance that had the sheen and color of real gold. But that did not interest us half as much as did the skunk that came into the hotel cottage where a sick boy lay and ate all the fried chicken while everyone sat around breath- less and spellbound, afraid to move. Or the great hay pile in the barn where both girls and boys turned somersaults down from the loft to the floor below, or the kingfisher with a broken wing which rewarded all kindhearted people who wished to mend his wing, or feed him, by slicing their fingers with his saw-like bill. Oh, those were glorious days! I simply hated te go to bed at night for fear I would miss something. ’ that they could hit regardless of season and with- ‘you don’t believe it, try it—so when I saw a jay "THEN our long hikes to Blue Hole “The gypsy taint was in my blood The message cheats me still; Yet J believe that Paradise Is just beyond the hiil.” That delightful, mysterious pool which nestled in the cleft among the rocks below an old mill with a big water-wheel. Rumor said that there was no bottom to the pool, and we believed the rumor. I believe it now, and I think I would be tempted to thrash the man who would shatter my faith and prove to me that Blue Hole really had a bottom to it like any other pool. Glory be! I can smell the pine now, I can see the moss on the rocks dripping with moisture, the luxuriant growth of ferns, the old red fox stealing along the rocks upon the opposite side, and our Man Friday catamaran made of logs moored to the shore, the raft which we rowed and from which we swam and fished. Mother always used to make me promise, when I went swimming, not to go over my head, and I religiously obeyed her commands, but somehow or another when we took our fishing rods and went to Blue Hole she forgot to say anything about it. Tom was with me, but poor Hi, he had to stay at home in Kentucky while Tom and I dived into that deep water and swam around experiencing a joy and happiness oniy to be duplicated in Heaven. “When I look into a glass I see a fool; But I see a wise man When I look into a pool.” Under an overhanging rock, in the deep blue water, lurked the biggest rock bass I had ever caught, but we never took any fish back to the hotel to be spoiled by professional cooks. No sir-ree! we cooked and ate them on the shore of Blue Hole, where I learned lessons in the culinary art and fire-building which I have been teach- ing you boys and your fathers for the last forty years. General Smith’s son had a shotgun, and in those days everybody shot any wild creature out restriction of game laws. It was a mur- derous and thoughtless way of doing, but I have since learned that it hurts one’s head to think—if bird roosting on a pine tree I took aim at him and fired. The bird fell at my feet; then for some reason I felt sorry and realized that only a live bird is charming. Nobody had ever told me that it was wrong to kill needlessly. Nevertheless, when I picked the poor dead thing up to admire its beau- tiful plumage I sadly handed the gun back to General Smith’s son and many years elapsed before I again fired a fowling piece. There was an old fellow at the mill who taught us how to make wire snares with which to catch mud-suckers. Tom discovered a big mud-sucker in the bottom of a brook where the stream meandered through the meadow, so I fixed the copper noose on the short line to my pole and carefully slipped the noose over the sucker’s head down to his fat waist without disturbing the stupid fish. With nerves tense and all excited I gave a mighty jerk, BOYS’ LIFE ait Casting the noose came up in the air, caught on a branch overhead, but to our amazement it contained no fish. The commotion stirred up the mud in the bottom of the ~ stream, and as soon as it settled we saw the poor old © sucker cut as neatly in half as if it had been done with a cleaver by a butcher. A BUTCHER is a bloody sort of a fellow, but blood always seems to have a fas- cination for small boys and Tom and I played a bloody game. We would each wade into that muddy stream, then shout “all out!” after which we would sit on the shore and pull the leeches off our legs, bloodsuckers we called them. The fellow who had the most leeches won the game. I don’t know what our dear mammas would have thought of this game, or even our daddies, and we never learned their opinion, the incident was not mentioned when we reached home. Since those days, when Tom and I had such glorious times, I have fished from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from away up in the Hudson Bay country down to the toe of Florida. I have caught big trout, small-mouthed black bass, regular sockdologers of over six pounds, but somehow or another, although I have enjoyed myself and enjoyed the open, the sounds of the wilderness, the roaring of the torrents, the whispering of the pines, the talking leaves— Yes, somehow or another, to use a homely expression, the cookies never taste like those that grandmother made. I have used the fly, I have used bait, I have used all the different sorts of lures, and when bait casting came in I took that up too, and now I must tell you something about it. For bait casting one uses a much shorter and stiffer rod than that used for still fishing or fly-fishing (Fig. 11). In selecting such a rod pick one about your own height. The whole art in bait casting consists in having a good reel and AGOOD THUMB. I suppose you think your thumb is al] right, but what I mean is a well-trained thumb. You will note in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 that the thumb is holding what we term the spool (that is where the line is wound on the reel), and the speed with which the line unwinds from the reel when the bait is cast is regu- lated entirely by the pressure of the thumb. Fig. 3 shows the short hold, Figs. 1, 2 and 4 show the long hold of the thumb, but this is a matter you must regulate yourself by experience. Practise until you acquire the best and most convenient way of governing the line with your individual and particular thumb, which is probably different from the other fellow’s thumb—no two fellows’ thumbs are alike. You need a reel that will run freely and smoothly (Fig. ro), not necessarily a very expensive reel, but it should be what is known as a multiplying reel; a quadruple multiplier is best. Keep this in good order, take it apart, clean it and oil it and be as careful of it as you would be of your watch. Use a line about twelve pound breaking weight; do not try a clumsy line—you need one that will work free; and if you are real fishermen you will take great care of your line and dry it after each day’s} fishing. Nobody but a dub, a tenderfoot, cheechako, will leave a wet line on a reel all night. Such treatment rots the best of (Concluded on page 45) CS 1 @m- = SUL he Ove 7. vou Augusi ec ee

Page 27

The Boy Scouts’ Magazine 25 192. IN A FLASH HE HAD SIDE-STEPPED THE BLOW “Fast footwork wins! A lunge forward and a straight left from the shoulder. Two hundred pounds of muscle behind that blow— yet it misses! The faster man has side-stepped it like a flash and while his opponent is recovering—lands squarely with the punch that wins the battle! Fast footwork! It counts not only in boxing, but in every game you play—tennis, base- ball, basketball, track. That’s one of the reasons why ath- letes and coaches wear and recom- mend Keds. Keds are built so that they actu- ally develop strong foot muscles— just as throwing a baseball develops the muscles of your arm. Every step you take in Keds brings all of these foot muscles into play. No muscles are cramped or interfered with. That’s why just wearing Keds around helps you develop foot strength and speed. Thousands of boys who play on teams are wearing Keds all summer. Keds are not only more comfortable, A Keds model that is popular for general wear as well as for games but they develop your feet for fast footwork in all kinds of games. Why you should look for the name Keds Keds are made with tough rubber soles that are unusually pliable and springy. The rubber is a specially high grade grown on our own Sumatra plantations. The uppers are made of fine, selected canvas and are strongly reinforced. You'll find Keds will stand up under the hardest wear—on the tennis court, or climbing over rocky trails, or patch Keds Trademark Reg. U. S. Pat. Off. In nearly every sport champions say y99 breaking through the roughest wood paths. There are many kinds of Keds— high and low, brown and white. You can get them with corrugated soles, or smooth soles or suction soles. Keds, of course, vary in price ac- cording to type. But no matter what kind of Keds you buy, every pair gives you the highest possible value at the price. Remember—while there are other shoes that may at first glance look like Keds, no other shoe can give you real Kedsvalue. Keds are madeonly by the United States Rubber Company. If the name Keds isn’t on the shoes, they aren’t real Keds. Our new Handbook for Boys is full of interesting information on camp- ing, radio, rules for games, etc. Sent free if you address Dept. M-4, 1790 Broadway, New York City. United States Rubber Company A sturdy sport model. Lace to toe, athletic trim and ankle They are not Keds unless the name Keds is on the shoe Photo by Paul Thompson

Page 28

Radio Questions and Answers I HAVE started reading Boys’ Lire and have read your articles on radio. Could you answer some questions for me? I have a one- bulb (WD 11) Clap-Eastham set using two 2214 B batteries and three Red Seals and Stromberg-Carlson phones No. 2-A. 1. Is there a better bulb that runs on a dry cell? If so where can I get it and what is its cost? 2. What are the best dry cells and B bat- teries? If I cannot get them from my local dealer where can I get them? 3- What are the best phones? ; 4. Can I puta variable condenser on the wire before’ it gets to the set and would it help tuning? What is the condenser? 5. I want to add one bulb to my set. Could you draw me a picture diagram of the hook-up as it would look with my set? What trans- former and bulb would be best? 6. Where could I sell some of my extra apparatus? I have The Radio Amateur’s Handbook by A. Frederick Collins which I am using as a text-book, but I thought you would, have later information. 7. I also would like to add three honey- combs. How would I connect them and to what? What size and make are best? 8. What loud speakers are best that cost about $5? 9. Are there any things that you can suggest that would make my set as good as it could be when I add one more bulb?>—William Speer. I know of no better dry cell bulb than the WD rr. I do not like to recommend any particular make of dry cell as superior to any other, or of phones, either. If you write to one or another of the established electrical houses located in ~—_ ca Aerial Lead in By Thomas N. Wrenn With Diagrams by the Author c2 No taps 43 pledle a tT frumary C1 43 Frolor SCCORAATY or Tichler Ltwind mag more lurns Shurel uithe condenser C2, BOYS’ LIFE Nut-Shell Radio Sheets No. 3—Tuning to New Wave Band. With the new wave-lengths it may be necessary for owners of sets to change their variocouplers or other inductances. An inductance carrying 90 to 100 turns with taps every ten turns and a 43-plate variable condenser (C1) should suffice for the wider wave band. For circuits employing a sec- ondary as well as a pri- mary, the secondary may be shunted with another 43-plate condenser or may be rewound with smaller wire (No. 26). If a tickler is used the tickler may be shunted with a 23 to 43 plate variable condenser. mary and the secondary honeycomb coils to receive between 200 and 700 meters? Are fixed crystal detectors as efficient as the ordinary type of crystal detector?—Louis Anderson. I would place about 80 turns on the pancake coil and 50 on the secondary with 43-plate condenser in series. A hook-up for this set using crystal detector is shown in drawing “F,” and for a tube set (regenerative) in drawing “G.” Two 14-inch coils connected in series are not 23 Plale UYariable Condenser New York you may obtain catalogues, etc., giving prices of various makes of B batteries, phones,-and so on. Yes, a variable condenser (23 to 43 plate) usually helps when put in the wire leading to the set. A condenser is a device for storing electrostatic energy. The ordinary variable cordenser is made of alternate interleaving metal plates which can be moved “in or out”’ at will. You need no transformer with a single tube set. I do not know where you could sell extra apparatus, though the newspapers sometimes contain ads. which might direct you. Mr. Collins’s book is a good one. New devel- opments are being made all the time, of course. If you have-not made a set I would advise leaving the honeycombs alone for the present. Here is a hook-up you can use to advantage. How many turns should I wind on a 2-inch pancake coil form for the primary to receive between 200 and 7oo meters? How many on the secondary? What is a good hook-up using these coils with a crystal detec- tor? With a single tube? Are two )-inch coils connected in series the same as a 1-inch coil? How many turns of 14-inch copper ribbon should be wound on the primary of an oscilla- tion transformer to permit close tuning on 200-meter wave? How many on the secondary? Where may I get the address of the nearest government office where I may take the exami- nation to become a wireless operator? How many turns should constitute the pri- the same as a single 1-inch coil, though there is not a great difference. he primary coil of an oscillation trans- former ae 200-meter tuning has about 4 turns ribbon or copper tubing 34 inch apart, 8 inches in diameter. Secondary 8 or 9 turns, 34 inch apart, 6 inches in diameter. Secondary gives Vv PAD pet % tieatn F- vartable Couplireg ae Zap every /0 Curns ib og wo for cate = ols wilh cr adeleclsr iia sharper wave when loosely coupled. For tun- ing to given wave-length, a wave meter is necessary. Tune open circuit first, then the closed circuit, and then vary the coupling between the two. Write to your district radio inspector for information on transmitting set and license. Honeycomb coils DL 75 for primary, DL 50 for secondary with condenser in series are commonly used for wave range up to 700 meters. For 200 meters advise DL 35 for Arrow at X’ trdicales variable coupling x 7Gp every JO furans Hook up for Fancake cords ~ for audiore fbe L primary, DL 25 secondary, condenser in series. Fixed crystal detectors cannot be said to be as permanently efficient as ordinary type of crystal detector. LEASE send me information to build a loose coupler-base 20 inches long by 6 inches wide; primary tube 8 inches long and 4 inches in diameter; secondary tube 6 inches long by 34 in diameter. I want to use 26 gauge wires—Clyde De Lawder. The loose coupler is more or less obsolete, though it is by no means inefficient. The drawings herewith, Figs. 1 and 2, show the general method of construction and the hook- up. In Fig. 1 “P” is the 8-inch tube and is wound evenly for 4 inches (in a single layer) with wire. It is customary to use about No. 20 wire for this coil, though No. 26 will do in a pinch. The rod “R” carries a slider “S” by means of which contact is made with the ground connection. The 6-inch tube, marked “K” in the drawing, carries the secondary winding-—a single winding 4 inches long. This winding is tapped every 20 or 25 turns, the leads being carried inside the cardboard tube to switch points marked. “S” mounted on the circular wood front. These points are con- nected to the phone circuit by a switch arm marked “SA.” The ingoing end of. the sec- ondary winding passes to the detector and from the detector to the phones. The sec- Ss R G BOYS’ LIFE ondary slides in and out of the primary along the rods “SR” and in this way the coupling is varied. A full description of this apparatus would require more space than we can give it. Up. AY - Fig 2 == K PB less you are familiar with radio receiving equipment or have a particular reason for employing a loose coupler would advise the use of a vario- coupler, or a two-slide tuning coil, for both these are easier to make and the variocoupler is quite as efficient, if not more so, on short waves (360 to 400 meters). G | = Witt you please answer the following ques- tions in the radio column of the Boys’ Lirr? First, is a license needed to transmit CW, using a UV200 detector tube, with a key or microphone in the ground circuit? Where is a vernier condenser connected so as to act as a vernier to the main antenna condenser? How can a modulation transformer be ‘made, to work with the transmitter mentioned above? What must be done to procure an amateur operator’s license? I live in the northern*part of Wisconsin, but I have only had ‘stations in this state twice. I operate a-one tube set, and nearly every night I get such stations as KDKA, WOC, KSD, WLAG, WOS, and many others. Could you explain why I should get these stations, and not those in my own state?— Puitre WERNER. A license is needed to transmit CW. The connections for a vernier condenser were shown in the March number of Boys’ Lire. To make a modulation transformer is more or less of a task. It should be made as follows. Bind a bundle of annealed iron wires to- gether so as to give a stack about one-half- inch in diameter by about five inches in length. Take two wooden blocks four inches square and in the centers bore one-half-inch holes. Thrust these two blocks on the ends of the iron core—one block at each end—and fasten with shellac or in any other way so the ends are tight. Lay several layers of tire tape around the core for insulation and on top of this wind about 150 turns No. 20 double cotton covered wire, insulating the layers from one another with paper and shellacking each paper. Bring the ends of the wire through the wood end blocks. This is the primary winding. Cover this winding with more tire tape and on top of the tape lay a couple of sheets of so- called paper muslin thoroughly shellacked. Now wind thirty times as many turns for the secondary as there are turns on the primary. In this case, 30x150—4500 turns. Use No. 36 enameled wire for this latter winding. In- sulate each layer with a piece of paper covered with shellac. Carry the ends of the wire through the wood block ends. These are the secondary leads. You can wind the wire by attaching the end of the “spool” to the small wheel on a sewing machine with wires passing through holes bored in one block end and twisted tightly around the rim and spokes of the sewing machine. Take care, however, to center the spool exactly. The other end is supported by the point of a nail driven through an upright board. The spool containing the (Concluded on page 54) The Boy pe. Gc ——— WELL spea with so I Old Id sunning off his : record @ swappin stories. collectio dive dov you retu air. All jame: Scout Scout Scout \ It w steppec Noti decidec “ Ho one. “Tw “ scho 7 “ “67 4

Page 29

The Boy Scouts’ Magazine Think and Edited by Frank J. Rigney

Grin

You CANT 3ay THIS 18 A DRY ONE —

— Sf é fe

Ge

WELL, boys, we are all in the swim, so to speak, this month. No time for dry jokes vith with so much splashing going on all around. or Old Idle Five Minutes is sitting on the bank for sunning himself, for he is too lazy to even take der of his shoes. He is the laziest person on rio. record and his idea is to sit around all day ing swapping what he considers to be funny the stories. Published in the column below is his ore collection this month. If you do happen to dive down through them we would advise that you return as quick as possible to the top for air. Allset? Splash! Think and Grin Winners james W. Loveland, New Jersey; Scout Sidney Copeland, Washington; Scout A. G. Dobyne, Arkansas; Scout Herbert S. Kaylor, California. RY

ANG 3 3 \ SS. . s << . x . SP a+. aed It was raining “cats and dogs,’’ and John stepped into a store to avoid getting wet. Noticing a counter full of umbrellas, he decided to buy a cheap one and go on his way. “How much is this?” he asked, pointing to one. “Two dollars, sir,’ replied the storekeeper. “Hum,” growled John, “I used to be able to buy an umbrella like that for fifty cents.’ “Yes, [know,”’ replied the storekeeper; “but you must remember that umbrellas always go up when it rains.” ? Count ’Em Mrs. Jones: ‘‘What makes you so late with the milk these mornings?” The Milkman: “ Well, you see, ma’am, the law doesn’t allow us any more than 25,000,000 bacteria to the gallon, an’ you wouldn’t be- lieve how long it takes to count the little varmints!”

Truth A doctor fell in a well, And broke his collar bone. The doctor should attend the sick And leave the well alone. Minus “Johnny, what do you mean by coming to school like that? Your hair is disgraceful.’ “No comb, miss.” “Can’t you use your father’s comb?” “No hair, miss!”

A Cat-cher “I wonder,” said the family cat, after carefully inspecting the new mouse-trap, “if that is intended as a labor-saving device for ay penefit, or if I’m in danger of losing my job?” ° 1923

Do Re Mi 1st Scout: “I say, Mr. Howler must be very ill. The doctor has actually ordered him to give up singing. Strange, isn’t it?” 2nd Scout: “Not so very strange when you come to think. You see, the doctor happens to live next door!”

A Pressing Job John City (watching farmer rolling a field): “Wonder what he’s rolling that field for?” Joe Town: “Mebbe he’s goin’ to grow ‘roiled oats’!” Economical “Waiter; I came in yesterday for a steak.’’

“Yes, sir. Will you have the same to-day?” “Why, I might as well if no one else is using it.” Try This One! Joe: “Why, your face is like a bucket to-day!” Jim: “Bucket! What do you mean?” Joe: “Well, it looks a little pale.’ Mee-e-ow Clerk: “Do you know why cats are so musi- cal?” Stanley: “Nos I wouldn’t have the least idea.”’ Clerk: “Grandfather said it is because they have a whole lot of violin strings curled up | inside of ’em.”’ Quite a Feat Bobby (looking up from book): “Mother, was Robinson Crusoe an acrobat?” “T don’t know, dear. Why?” | |

“Well, it says here that after he had finished his day’s work he sat down on his chest.” Putting His Foot in It | John (to Willie who has just bought some new shoes): ‘‘ Don’t you think those shoes are too small?” Willie: ‘Well, supposin’ they are, I will add a foot to each when I get into them.”

An Inanimate Show Tommy came home from an afternoon at the Natural History Museum. ‘“‘Where have you been?” said his grandpa, who saw that he was in uncommonly good spirits. “Oh, we’ve had a splendid time. We’ve been to a dead cireus.”’

| 27

1786-1836 One night Crockett was hunting along the Navasota River in Texas. A cougar sprang athim Davy fired Thecougar shook his head as from a bee sting. In a second he had Davy's thigh between his jaws. As they rolled down the river bank Davy pulled his hunting knife and sank it into the cougar’s throat Davy Crockett Sure Needed a Modern Remington Rifle that Time VY CROCKETT was about thirty years old when hunters first began hearing about Remington rifles. Remingtons became famous throughout the American wilder- ness for their rare shooting quality. A hundred years of Remington invention has carried the safety, certainty and ease of shooting to their present high point. With a modern Remington, Crockett would have stopped

that cougar with shot after shot as fast as he could fire. Now Remington has perfected a most re- markable gun for small caliber marksmanship —Remington Autoloading .22 Rifle— Model 24. The rifle that reloads itself. Shot after shot while you hold your aim on the target. Light in weight, beautifully balanced. With the famous shooting qualities and exclusive features exclusive to Remington. Hammerless—no chance to catch hammer in clothes, fence or twigs. Solid Breech—completely enclosed—dirt, rain, snow or twigs can’t get into the action; smoke and empty cartridges are kept out of line of sight and away from the shooter’s face. Take-down—no tools required. Safety Devices—impossible to pull the trigger or fire the rifle when the safety is on. Chambered to take .22 short cartridges or .22 long-rifie “Palma” cartridges. Send for Model 24 Folder REMINGTON ARMS COMPANY, Inc. 25 Broadway, New York Established 1816 Remington, THE AUTHORITY in FIRE ARMS. AMMUNITION Ano CUTLERY Use Remington Cartridges If you want to get full benefits of the accuracy of your rifle, be sure to shoot Remington Cartridges. Your dealer can serve you.

Page 30

DINING ouT . $0 Woe FRANK Nashville Tenn x

ALASKAN $ WALTER SOBOLOEFF, Sh

SCENIC WONDERS | AAOMARD f 82IME Plot, Cal.

GIANT SCULPTURE f Darot, Raswassen, Marani,Ulah |

Scoulsriaster Cité. 2 hihis, Cantor, Oto and Egypt to Alaska

Contest Rules on page 38

Summer Here Some Are There Camera Results from First Prize Awarded to Andre Calvi BOYS’ LIFE

<PLASH SBASON “Now On’ SM. HDALE MLLER, Mountain View, Ah,

“@SBOLOGIC “HISTORY Scout FRED B. CAPFER, Magozre Mars KYSCRAPERS sabe "GLIMPSES OF Soe ILE ANDRE CALVZ CAPITAL PUNISHMENT AT CAMP =| | oe

KaBERT KEAN. £1 Dorado, Jans WHERE “To. ‘KEEP c dor | Aegle Si Scout 4ZRA CARL; ARDS L000 aes ilar:

“WHO . GOES THERE? ae aa sree 7a.

Te a a Alexandra, Til ae ; arr patie Jan UNDER THE BLUFF

aa

Jeet ad

August

Page 31

re se rer rer The Boy Scouts’ Magazine said Argonne, but Hop Slop rapped smartly with his sandal. “Silence in the courtee room!” he demanded, though there were suspicious wrinkles about his eyes. ‘Counsel for de- flence.” Then Hudson rose and spoke for the Lascar. Zanzibar had been in the cabin, it is true, but no one had seen him take the earrings. Might they not have dropped into some unseen crack? Anyway the evidence was only circum- stantial. “Gentlemen of the jury,’’ he said, “what if you should convict this poor man when he is innocent? What if he should be punished—beaten, put in irons—and then some- one should find the earrings afterward? What an injustice that would be! Gentlemen, I ap- peal to your hearts; would you see a fellow- sailor suffer for what he has not done?” As he sat down Argonne whispered: ‘‘ Mebbe so; mebbe so.” Then Hop Slop rapped for order. “Allee over now,” he said. ‘Gentlemen of the jewelry must say.” “Scat!” cried the parrot, who was neither gentleman nor juror, and the conference was interrupted again, though not for long. Then the trial approached a climax. The jury retired behind the mast and, like the cats, went into conference. The man with the dirty face was for acquittal; he was tired, he said, and he needed sleep. What he needed most, though, was a washrag. Murphy Duffy was for conviction; he’d made up his mind long before the trial, he said. The negro didn’t know what he was for. “Ah jus’ cain’t make up ma mind,” he said. ‘Mebbe Zanzy took ’em; mebbe he didn’t. The trial’s got me all mixed u a Pand all the while the sun blazed down un- mercifully, and the court-room was hot and uncomfortable, as most court-rooms are. And Cap’n Bolo’s Earrings (Concluded from page 13) Hop Slop nodded and grinned like a Chinese ~ idol, and the rooster swayed from side to side like the pendulum of a cuckoo clock. Three times the jury came back only to go out again because Argonne just couldn’t make up his mind. Cap’n Bolo’s temper was rising, and he had taken once more to whetting his knife. Dave and Hudson were worried. So was Nero, though not over the fate of Zanzi- bar; there were still several ounces of tar fast to his tail. “Scat!” cried Gabriel just to soothe matters, but this time the cats didn’t move; they were becoming used to it. “Scat!”’ repeated the bird. kitty—Scat!”’ “Here, kitty, Then as the conference continued uninter- rupted he began to hop along the boom toward the fish-box. The two boys watched him curi- ously. When he was just above the cats he stopped and, holding out one foot, let some- thing drop—something that gleamed like two splashes of fire under the blue Caribbean sky— Cap’n Bolo’s earrings! One of them struck El- mer on the nose; the other landed on Christo- pher’s head and, bounding sidewise, struck Girard right between the whiskers. A good banking shot, Gabriel! “My earrings!” cried the captain, and in a flash had them in his hands. “Blast that red an’ green bird o’ mine! He had ’em all the time!” “Linnocent!” pronounced Hop Slop sol- emnly and climbed down from his perch. “Ma goodness!” said Argonne. ‘“Ain’t dat a lucky thing now. Ah never could of made up ma mind. It’s like one time near Mont- faucon——” But the old captain had grasped the Lascar by the hand and was saying: “‘ You—you’re a lucky fellow now. You might have been hanged fer a parrot!” He even grinned as he said it, though he scowled momentarily as he glanced at Gabriel climbing foot over foot up the mast, shrieking, “‘Death! Death!” The gull on the masthead heard and under- stood and flapped lazily away. Dave and Hudson were laughing and slap- ping each other on the back like good lawyers after a murder trial. Then a little breeze sprang up from nowhere. The sails fluttered; the rooster swayed too far to starboard and went over again; the cats went into conference once more near the fish- box; and Nero stopped biting his: tail and, lying down, fell asleep, thankful that he wasn’t a collie. “‘Here’s a breeze!” shouted the captain as he fixed his earrings in place. “Up anchor and away! N’Orleans by morning, and an extra feed right now for all hands. Come on, Hop Slop, ye heathen; ye’re no longer a judge. Start mess!” “Belly well, cap’n.’’ The cook edged over to Dave and Hudson. “Me know allee time,”’ he whispered. “Me see learrings in Polly- birdie’s flingers!” “Why didn’t you say so?” both boys de- manded. “Me likee little fun on hottee day,” Hop Slop replied blandly. “Me always wantee be judge of supleme court, too.”’ And he laughed till the tears ran down his face. lhe —~ Just Born Lazy (Concluded from page 7) plants with to show him turn over his hand. Yes . . . boys are queer... . But that is nothing to worry about—it doesn’t mean that Tommy is going to be a Weary Willie. It is only a passing phase in his development. He will outgrow it. When he reaches maturity he may be the hardest working man in town. It is just a part of his rocess of growing. . But, as 4 gets older, if he doesn’t want to take hold and do his share, if he wants to loaf in the pool room, idle around the depot waiting for the train to come in, and hang around the garage listening to the men tell stories—if his life’s greatest ambition is to light a match with his thumb-nail—then get out your handkerchief. The time for moisture has come. Tommy is teetering in the balance. He may go up and he may go down; he may be somebody and he may be a dud. He is like the cocoon that the silkworm grows in. For a long time it lies in the sun and grows; then after a time it begins to squirm and wiggle and tries to free itself from its shell. If it doesn’t show a little interest—if at the proper time it doesn’t begin to stir things up on its own ac- count—then it is a dead one. Boys are much the same way. They are all born lazy, they hate the sight of work worse than the secretary-bird hates the sight of a snake, but finally the time comes to change. They must throw off their shell, they must get ready to take part in the big work of the world. The difference between boys is how long they are lazy. If a boy stays lazy, if the real work- urge never descends upon him, then pity him. You will never get to vote for him for President. As high in life as he will ever get will be president of a peanut stand; he will be called to Wash- ington only when his wife’s relatives get sick. It’s all right to be born lazy, but be careful about the relapse. A relapse is a bad thing, but a double relapse is worse—there’s nothing left then but to decide on the flowers. 2. Any reader of BOYS’ LIFE under eighteen years of a5 mayo ions must be petit or written legibly in y. ‘ ink on one side of the paper on ; 4. Descriptions must not exceed 1,000 words. es eaten i wap pane. Eee eee upper right-hand corner of the page of the manuscript. 6. Manuscript must be marked “F or the Why-I-Subscribed Contest,” and must reach us by the first of the second month preceding the date of the issue. 7. The Editorial Staff of BOYS’ LIFE will act as judges of the letters submitted, and any letter, w! prize winning or not, is to be available for publication. “Top Notch!” Up anv down the highways and byways of the world, wherever Ameri- cans g0, you will find this same distin- guished always by the Top is A familiar foot print wherever Americans go familiar foot print, Notch Cross. Indoors or out, wherever you go, there a style of Top Notch Rubber Soled Canvas Shoes to keep your feet com- fortably cool, good-looking and free from aches and pains. Whether you need shoes for tennis, baseball, boxing, boat- ing, track or training, hiking, camping, or in the gym, be sure to look for the Top Notch Cross on the soles or ankle patches. BEACON FALLS RUBBER SHOE COMPANY Why not give your feet a holiday? Go to your nearest shoe store or sporting goods dealer and try a pair. Don’t forget to look for the Top Notch Cross—unless you find it, you are not getting the shoes you asked for. Makers of Top Notch Rubber Footwear BEACON FALLS, CONNECTICUT OP NOTC | A GUARANTEE OF MILEAGE Mh TOP NOTCH GYM BAL} A husky member of the Top Notch Line. Great for hiking, camping, or gymwork. The Gym Bal has a non-skid sole of tough, live rubber with an upper of long fibre duck. There are many other members of the Top Notch Line, made high and low—in plain or athleticcut. You'll like’ em. es

Page 32

30 22 Sporter— 23-inc round barrel, genuine American walnut stock, pistol grip, five-shot detach- able box maga- zine, checked full-curve trigger, chambered for .22 long rifle car- tridge.Weight,six pounds. Here’s accuracy for you ‘A brand new idea sehind the Savage Sporter ji traeanemennree All the accuracy and precision of the finest target rifles—the kind used in matches by the most skilled small-bore riflemen in this country. For the barrel of the Sporter is made and rifled in exactly the same way as the famous Savage N.R.A. target rifle. But that’s not all. By no means. The Sporter has the most modern features found in up-to-date sport- ing models. It’s modeled after the powerful Savage high-power bolt-action rifle. That means right balance—clean, graceful lines—and strength. And the price doesn’t tear your heart out. Should you prefer the good old slide-action There’s the Savage model °14— with the smoothest working slide handle you ever tried. All the Savage accuracy and sturdiness built into it. Solid breech, solid top—no ex- posed parts. Bolt-action or _ slide-action— Sporter or model ’14—a rifle you'll treasure all your life. Ask at your dealer’s, or write for the interesting catalog describ- ing in detail the complete Savage line. Address SAVAGE ARMS CORPORATION Dept. 331 Utica, N. Y. Owners and Op- erators of the tevens Arms Com- pany. Model 1914 Savage .22 Repeating Ri very feature originally and distinctively vage. Solid breech, solid top— no exposed parts. Sturdy and accurate. The new Savage | | | J Veen a Scale in inches By F. A. Collins Pr 423. BOYS’ LIFE The Mile-A-Minute Model Airplane re GQ a 1 | ' FRONT ELEVATION MODEL airplanes have = been flown over a measured course at a speed approximating a mile a minute. Considering the size of these little craft and A ZI _ Q ye — the simplicity of their con- struction this speed is as remarkable as the four- mile-a-minute record of the man-carrying machines. A high-speed model capable of flying a considerable part of a mile at this breathless rate may be con- structed by the average boy at very trifling expense. In the early days of model-building it was considered remarkable if a model airplane flew as fast as a boy could walk. When a model could race along as fast as a boy could run, it was thought the maximum speed had been reached. The latest form of racing model airplane will, of course, leave the swiftest runner far behind. The model is built on different lines from the long-distance models, which fly upwards of a mile with a single winding of the motors. Every ounce of weight is sacrificed for speed. The wind resistance is reduced to a minimum. The mile-a-minute model is driven by strands of rubber under tension like any other model. The surprising speed attained would seem to prove once for all that the rubber motor papety handled is the solution of the problem of motive power for model airplanes. The motors are no more powerful than those used in other models, but it is the first machine to be equipped with four such motors instead of one or two motors. Since the size and weight of the model is ap- proximately the same as the ordinary model, the secret of its speed lies in thus doubling the motive force. Although there have been many experiments in constructing a model with combined pushing and pulling propellers, the plan has never been found to work well in practice. All model- builders again agree that the best results are obtained by placing the propellers at the rear of the machine instead of at the front as in most of the man-carrying craft. The four pro- pellers of the mile-a-minute machine are placed at the rear of the machine. They are mounted | in a row so that their driving force is directed | in the same general direction. ALL four of the propellers have a high pitch and are of the form used formerly in | the fastest model machines. It is important | that they be uniform in size and shape in order | that the model may balance well. The higher | speed of the model airplane the more delicate |is the balance. The same form of rubber | strands used for other models will give the best results in this racing model. | It is, of course, more trouble to wind up four than one or two motors, but the excitement of watching your model soar aloft at a mile-a- minute pace is well worth the trouble. Most boys will prefer to fly it near the ground when the speed is more easily judged. The high- speed model is not adapted for beginners. The model is extremely sensitive and full of tricks which will require some experience to master. The beginner is likely to find the machine very cranky. In describing the new | model it must be remembered that the model builder has considerable latitude in deciding on the details of his machine. Every experi- SIDE ELEVATION enced model-builder has some original ideas of his own as to the best form of frame and the materials to be used. It is not intended that the following directions should be hard and fast rules. It is curious to find that thousands of boys working independently, often very far apart, have come to much the same conclusion as to the best form of model. Countless forms have been tried. It is safe to say that many thou- sands of different models have been built and flown. The writer has seen hundreds of differ- ent forms. In the early model contests there was usually a great contrast in the form and size of the models. Gradually, however, the boys came to adopt much the same form. The records made by boys in England were accom- lished with models which bore a strong resem- fieane to those made in America, although neither copied the other. The approved form of model to-day is the double propeller monoplane. It is supported by two planes or wings, the larger one being at the rear. The frame or fusilage which sup- ports the wings and the propellers is triangular with the point carried forward. The frame is usually about three feet in length and the larger wing has a width of about three feet. An immense amount of experimenting has convinced the model-builders on both sides of the Atlantic that the best material for the frame is spruce, which is also used so largely in constructing large man-carrying craft. The frames of the wings are made of the same material or bamboo and covered with silk, bamboo paper or gold-beater’s skin. The best form of motor for driving the model through the air was long an open question. From the first models were driven by twisted strands of rubber. It was thought at one time, however, that this could be improved upon and many experiments, some of them very elaborate, have been made. Many compressed air motors have been built which are marvels of ingenuity, and miniature gasoline motors have even been employed. The mechanical motor is not only very costly to construct but is likely to be hopelessly wrecked at any moment by a sudden landing. The marvelous records for speed and distance have been accomplished meanwhile with the use of rub- ber strand motors. UCH has been learned as to the best form of rubber and the most efficient way of storing up energy. In the early days ordinary elastic bands, such as are used for holding envelopes together, were looped to- gether in long chains, and stretched tightly between the propellers and the forward ends of the frame. These were soon found to be very inefficient. After experimenting with rubber bands of various forms it has been found that the’ maximum amount of energy is obtained by using thin rubber strips about one inch in width. One of the secrets of the long flights lies in using motors which are strung very loosely. In winding, the rubber is drawn out taut, and, as it is turned, the ends are brought together. In this way a motor which, when wound, will be only three feet in length, will take some 2,000 turns. In the early days scarcely one-tenth this number could be safely made. Now when the propellers are released the rubber motor unwinds, giving the motor approximately 2,000 revolutions. The boys invariably use a winding device constructed on the principle of an egg- beater which facilitates the work of storing up energy. A FEW detailed directions may prove of value to the boy who wishes to build a model for himself. The strongest frame or fusilage known as the A frame is built of strips of spruce. The side-pieces should measure one-fourth by three-sixteenths of an inch and be thirty inches long. The ends are slightly tapered and fastened together in the form of a V, the pieces being securely glued and tied together. The base of the frame should consist of a strip of spruce measuring one- fourth by one-eighth of an inch and seventeen inches in length. In fastening the piece to the side stick do not weaken it by mortising, but glue and tie it in place. Many boys prefer to buy propellers already carved, since they are likely to be much truer than those carved by beginners. A good plan is to buy propeller blocks from the supply houses and carve them, following the direc- tions given. The propellers are mounted on the outside of the ican. The rubber strands are lopped between the propeller hooks and the hook at the apex of the frame. If four propellers are used the two inside propellers are mounted on bearings made of pieces of tubing attached to the base. The four-pro- pellered machine is difficult to manage at first and its construction should be attempted only by those boys who have had experience in building and flying ordinary doubled-propel- lered machines. The larger plane or-wing should measure about four inches by thirty and the smaller or forward plane about ten by four inches. One plan is to build these of frames of bamboo and cover them with bamboo paper or silk. The plane should be slightly concave. A series of thin ribs will help keep them in shape. The best plan is to cover these frames with sheets of bamboo paper which have first been mois- tened. When these dry they will shrink and present a smooth taut surface. Some boys use thin strips of white pine or clear spruce and carve them, sandpaper and varnish them. The wood should be covered with two coats of shellac; and the use of silk glued to the underside of the frames will keep the wood from splitting. The wings should be fastened to the frame by tying with strips of rubber. This makes it J to move them easily. The rubber will also give slightly and may save a break if they land too suddenly. The wings should be moved along the frame until they balance and the model flies smoothly. It will be well to practise with short flights until all the de- tails of the machine have been thoroughly mastered. ‘ August

Page 33

The Boy Scouts’ Magazine ———— Crimson Shafts of Vengeance (Concluded from page 4) | — - —-- - M| Flinging the seneschal roughly to the floor and leaving the outlaws to complete their work with the Wolf’s men, Edwine dashed from the hall, followed closely by Dickon O’ the Wold. Reaching the dungeon they burst open the door and found themselves face to face with their prey, just in time to prevent the Wolf working his fiend’s will on the hapless Cedric. Quickly Edwine took in the scene, and with a cry of mingled anger and relief darted for- ward into the dungeon, striking a heavy blow with the flat of his sword at Hubert, who re- leased his hold on Cedric and dropped sense- less to the floor. The Wolf, seeing that all was over and that he was trapped in his own lair, suddenly raised his hand, and before Dickon could notch an arrow the glowing iron bar came whizzing at his head. Instinctively he ducked and the missile, passing o’er his head, crashed against the far wall of the passage, scattering a shower of sparks abroad. Before the outlaw could recover himself the Wolf dashed at him with such force that he was sent staggering, and when he regained his balance his enemy had vanished from sight along the passage. With a cry of disappointed rage Dickon darted in pursuit. Reaching the courtyard he beheld the Wolf mounted on his warhorse, preparing to get him safely away while he might. “Stay, foul fiend!” cried Dickon, notching an arrow in the string. “Stay and face me an thou be’st a man!” The Wolf only laughed. “‘T soil not my good arms with the blood of a common outlaw!” he scoffed. “But fear not: I will return anon and string thee up on the highest battlement as thou deservest!” So saying, he put spurs to his steed and gal- loped toward the main gate. Yet even as he did so Dickon O’ the Wold drew his bow to the ear and a crimson shaft buried itself in the craven knight’s unarmored body. With a cry the Wolf tumbled from the saddle and rolled over in the dust. Slowly he staggered to his feet and strove to remount. The voice of the outlaw, strained and unreal, rang out: “Ha! cursed villain, thy time has come. Dost remember the wife of Dickon O’ the Wold who was slain by thy order? That crimson shaft is for her memory!” Dickon laughed harshly, a maniacal, awe- inspiring laugh, as his gleaming eyes gloated over the ever-weakening efforts of his victim to find the saddle once more, while his life- blood flowed freely, mingling with the dust of the courtyard. “Heaven be praised!” exclaimed Dickon in ringing tones of triumph. “How sweet is this vengeance for which I have so long waited!’ Once more he raised his bow—the string twanged and a second shaft flew hissing, to find its mark as the Wolf set an uncertain foot in the stirrup. Clutching the arrow with shaking hands, the wretch plunged forward, writhing on the ground in agony. “That,” laughed Dickon in awful gleé, “is for my sweet babe whose gentle body formed a target for thy archers’ arrows! Dost mind thee of it?” The outlaw drew his bow a third time and continued with tense voice: “Listen, thou butcher,! and thou canst! These long months have I waited; untold agony have I endured thinking on my loved ones and praying to all the saints for vengeance. This last crimson shaft is for all that I have passed through! Make peace with whatever gods thou believest on ere I Joose it!” As Dickon O’ the Wold prepared to carry out his purpose a restraining hand was laid on his arm and a voice exclaimed: “Nay, for shame, good Dickon, thou wouldst not murder this knight in cold blood?” It was Edwine who, having freed his father and brother, had arrived with them on the scene in time to witness the outlaw’s act of vengeance. Dickon turned fiercely with an-oath, so that Edwine drew back, amazed at the awful, flaming passion in the man’s eyes. “Stay me not!” Dickon cried hoarsely. “Have I not lived only for this moment? It is not murder to rid the world of a villain so great!” Before the others could utter a further word Dickon had loosed the third crimson shaft. | It sped unerringly, piercing the Wolf’s throat so that he gave one great cry, leapt convul- | sively to his feet in his death throes, crashed heavily on to his face and thus died. ““God’s will be done!” exclaimed the outlaw piously. “I am but the instrument of his just vengeance!” For a moment there was a strained silence | following on this act of retribution. Then Leofwine the Saxon spoke: ° “T must thank thee, bold outlaw, for thy aid, and would that I might repay thee. Wilt take service with me? In this time of tyranny ’tis meet that all true Englishmen should hold together. What say ye?” Dickon O’ the Wold answered not at once, but taking his stout yew bow he gazed on it fondly for a space. Then to the others’ aston- ishment he broke it asunder across his knee. “T thank thee, Sir Knight,” he said slowly; “but this I cannot do, for life holds nothing now but memories, and them only can I serve | henceforth!” Sadly he turned to Edwine and proffered his hand. Edwine, touched by the grief of this grim outlaw, gripped it warmly, and added his voice to that of Leofwine, endeavoring to persuade Dickon to stay. But the outlaw would not; and with a last firm pressure on Edwine’s hand he turned and departed thence, and the greenwood knew him no more. | | Headwork \ (Concluded from page 20) a had stopped at the far end of the field and that other armed soldiers were conducting his comrades toward a row of familiar brick build- ings. Smedley experienced a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach at the sight. “‘S-a-a-y—” he began in a surprised voice. “You need not ask,” was the abrupt reply. “You know those buildings—the disciplinary barracks—and this field is the landing field at Fort Leavenworth.” The prisoner bowed his head and meekly ac- companied the guards. The events of the last few minutes had moved a trifle too fast for him. “PTSHERE is one thing that I do not quite understand,” remarked the Commanding General of the Post an hour later, when, after finishing a hearty meal at the former’s head- quarters, Carr concluded the recital of his experience. ‘How was it that you were able to bring the plane to this point while flying a course of 298 degrees which should have taken you to Omaha?” The pilot smiled. “Perhaps this will ex- = it more fully, sir.’ He stepped into the all and rummaged in the pockets of his leather coat. Returning he laid several small bars of metal on the table in front of the older officer. One half of each bar was painted red. “They look like small bar magnets to me,” said the Commander aftera short examination. 1923 “They are. You see, an airplane compass is greatly affected by the closeness of the motor and the high-tension ignition system. To correct this error small magnets are placed near the compass in positions to counteract the magnetic effect or influence of the motor. When I noticed the compass spinning after we came out of the cloud just after the captors | had become the captured, I remembered that | we had to correct for an error of nearly forty- five degrees when the machine was headed west, when correcting the transport’s compass the other day. The next time we hit a dense & cloud and I was sure that Smedley could not | follow my movements closely, I took a chance and jerked the magnets out from above. the compass and slipped them in my pocket. The needle immediately swung to the left, so that by holding the course of 298 degrees ' and helped by the wind which drifted me south, I was able to edge into my proper des- tination. There was not much to it, after it occurred to me.” “Not much,” said the General thoughtfully. “Except a bit of mighty clever headwork.” On his return flight to Ranston, Illinois, the next day, Carr carried a letter of rec- ommendation from General Long that put a strain on the buttons of his leather coat whenever he thought of it, which was quite often. = | > ‘ 2 eee fs Ahead of the Bunch First to the old swimming hole—first in the water! Beat the bunch bya block. Riding on Goodrich Tires of course. The tires that keep you in the lead com- ing and going. The easiest-riding, longest-living, toughest tires you ever saw. And they’re as nearly puncture-proof as a tire can be. And becauseall Goodrich Tires—Goodrich Fabrics, Silvertown Cords, and Palmers—last so long—they never seem to wear out—they cost Jess in the end than ordinary tires. When you get new tires be sure they are Good- rich Tires. Your dealer has them—or can get them. Have you seen our new booklet ‘‘What’s That ?’’ It’s mighty interesting and you’ll be glad to own and read it. It is free if you will send us your name and address on the attached coupon. The B. F. GOODRICH RUBBER COMPANY, Akron, Ohio Please send me without obligation your booklet ‘‘What’s That.”’ Name_ 4 Street City and State__ THE B. F. GOODRICH RUBBER COMPANY ESTABLISHED 1870 Bicycle TIRES “BEST IN THE LONG RUN”

Page 34

Pack Up Your Troubles HERE will I find the best camping-place along the road from Toronto, Canada, and Montreal, Canada? Is there any place within fifteen miles of Suffern, N. Y., that is good for camping with good fishing at hand?—A Scovt. Anywhere there are good streams, lakes and forests, away from the traveled roads. Ottawa is a good starting point. Look on the map for a section where the fewest towns exist. Keep north of the St. Lawrence and Ottawa River. Greenwood Lake, N. J.—Kanohwahke Lakes Region, Interstate Parks. Forestry Positions 1. Can a citizen of the United States be- come a Canadian Royal Mounted Police? 2. What are the requirements of the police? 3. Are men wanted in forestry or are positions in that line of work unobtainable?— Scout Cuas. M. Luson. 1 and 2. We have been unable to obtain information about the Canadian Royal Mounted Police. You might try writing to them in Montreal. 3- Men are wanted in forestry and positions are obtainable. See “Forestry Merit Badge” pamphlet. Seeing Snakes I HAVE found, or rather think I have found, that a horsehair, when put in running water for about a week, will form a small snakelike thing. At one "end there is a knot or head. Will you tell me if this is the truth and if so, what is the name of it?—Tom Lyon. A good many boys have found, like yourself, what they believe to be live horsehairs, either in a ditch or fresh-water pond; and country pont generally believe in the story of how the rsehair, when placed in the water, will finally come to life. These creatures are called “hairworms”; they are long and very slender, the same diameter throughout, and never sharply pointed behind. They are sometimes found in a tangled mass. If you should secure one and keep it, you will notice that it will coil in a small compass at times, and some- times travel through the water at full length. The larvz live in the body cavity of insects, and from there migrate into the water. This is the occasion of their sudden appearance which gives rise to the very common notion that they were originally horsehairs. The eggs are laid in long strings in the water, very minute, and after hatching, the young larva seeks some aquatic insect larva, into which it bores its way by means of bristles on the head. It re- mains here in the muscles or fat of the body until the insect is eaten by some other water insect or fish, or it may complete its larva life and leave the water as an adult. If then the host which contains the larva should be eaten by some beetle, the larva would form into its second larval stage inside the beetle. In the second host the worm grows rapidly and as- sumes the long hairlike form of the adult, and finally falls into the water, where it becomes mature. Its name is “hairworm” and it be- longs to the family of Gordiacea. How Doth the Little Merit Badge 1. In the July issue of Boys’ Lire there were uite a few merit badges suggested and you said t the committee on badges, awards and scout requirements were considering the advisability of our suggestions. Scout Ronald Thomas of Chicago, IIl., suggested a merit badge for stamp collecting. Scout Charles Yarvice, of Chisholm, Minn., suggested a merit badge for knot tying and I suggested a merit badge for the collecting of specimens. Were they considered or are they still working on them? Another scout suggested a merit badge for canoeing. Was it considered? 2. Will the merit badge fade or run together when washed? 3. Is there a certain way that merit badges should be washed? 4. Can I wear merit badges across my chest instead of on my sleeve? 5. For that Camping Merit Badge, do you have to sleep out 50 nights after becoming a first class scout? 6. How can I get in touch with Eagle Scout Leon Wallace? pcouting STD) Dy y neh aX SF Se 5. Entertainment, knot-tying teams, and orchestra. (Troop 87, Chicago.) 6. A pet stock show. (Troop 5, Pasadena, Calif.) 7. Shoveled snow and raked leaves. 10, Dorchester, Mass.) 8. Troop supper. (Troop 5, Evanston, IIl.) It is not hard for active scouts to make money. (Troop g.Section, 215th St., Queens, N. Y outside (for the back direct from Mr.°Stemmler. as ready-made bows. Wood for Bows So many scouts have asked where they could obtain wood for bows, that I am glad to publish the following information which I have received from*Mr. L. E. Stemmler, 9415 “Yew is the best wood, but is so expensive that, hardly anyone can afford it. Orange is good, but hard to get. Southern red cedar, from ‘Tennessee is fine, if you can get long enough pieces; but it will break if you do not back it with hickory. Serviceable bows can be made of close-grained, second growth, white hickory, sassafras, locust, black walnut, heavy ash and apple tree. months when the sap is down, natural dry-seasoned, and worked up with the sap wood ot the heart, for the belly of the bow. The best wood for all-round use is lemonwood. It is not difficult to work, it polishes beautifully, it does not shiver to pieces, and it.is sweet to use. A w lemonwood bow of about 45 pounds drawing weight,. whipped at intervals of every two inches with colored silk or linen, varnished with spar vanish and set off with nice horn tips, is as pretty a bow as may be had, and costs about a fifth of a similar bow of yew.” Any scout who wishes to purchase a staff of lemonwood to make into a bow, may order 5 feet long by 34 inches square........ 5 feet 6 inches by 34 inches square..... 8 gL rer Mr. Stemmler also carries waterproof glue, arrow dowels, feathers, strings, etc., as well eee eee ee ee ee Osage All these woods should be cut in the ell-balanced hard 1.50 7. Is there a certain way to fix butterflies so as to keep them?—F Rank C. WILKEs, JR. 1. All the suggestions for merit badges that you mention were given careful consideration by the committee. Knot tying is already cov- ered in the Pioneering and Seamanship. Stamp saving did not appeal to them to be sufficiently vital to scout activities to call for a merit badge; collecting specimens is cov- ered in several other pamphlets; canoeing is well covered in the seamanship pamphlet. 2. The merit badges will not run or fade if washed with the same care with which you wash silk. Use warm (not hot) water, and suds of Ivory or some mild soap. 3. No. 4. Yes. 5. Eagle Scout Leon Wallace, 1420 North 7th St., Terre Haute, Indiana. 6. Special slender pins are made for mount- ing butterflies. They may be fastened with these to a block of wood. Come On, Stags! I WOULD like to have some of the patrol leaders of the Stag Patrol communicate with me.—StuarT JOHNSON, 10 Exchange Street, Gloucester, Mass. Panthers —Wake Up! I WOULD like to correspond with patrol lead- ers of other Panther Patrols, so as to forma World Brotherhood of Panther Patrols.—P. L. RENE FAucHER, 2035 Liberty Street, Jax, Florida. Earning Money I OUR troop could obtain a carload of news- papers and magazines or even half a carload could we sell them as waste paper, and if so to what firm that is not too far from Central Texas? Can you suggest any other way by which our troop can earn money?—MALvin Mont- GOMERY. Write to the leading newspaper near you for this information. Here are some of the ways troops earned money in 1922. 1. Entertainments, minstrel shows. 39, Newark, N. J.) 2. Troop "festivals, selling food, candy, etc. (Troop 1, Robesenia, Pa.) 3. Made handicraft articles and sold them. (Troop 16, Evanston, II.) 4. Odd jobs for business men. Tacoma, Wash.) (Troop (Troop 6, Don’t Throw Your Voice Please tell me how I can throw my voice.— ALVEZ CHEEVER. No one can throw his voice. A ventriloquist learns to talk without moving his lips and at the same time he attracts your attention to someone else or something else, so that you think that thing, or that person, is talking. A good ventriloquist must be a good actor. A Troop With a Waiting List I have just finished reading Sherman Shade’s letter in the February issue of the Boys’ Lire, requesting for some suggestions to arouse interest in his troop. So, I’m going to tell him how we got up interest in our troop (Troop 20, Germantown, Pa.). In the first place our Scoutmaster, Mr. Ferris, who is a teacher in one of the schools here and who takes a great deal of interest in scouting, secured the High School gym for our meeting-place, as our old headquarters were too small for the fast growing troop. At the beginning of the year 1923 he called six boys, picked from the troop, together and formed the “ Executive Board of Troop No. 20.” The first thing the “Board” did was to choose patrol leaders and assistants for the four patrols. They were picked for what they had done for the troop, for their “sense of leadership,” rank, and ability. Then a contest was arranged for the patrols. The winner each month was to receive an “honor” flag. The contest included attendance; each member present received two points, with extra points for perfect attendance. Advancement in rank, 2 points for every test passed in the 2nd and 1st class requirements, 15 points for required merit badges and 1o for the others. An inter-patrol meet is going to be held each month which will include contests in knot tying, first aid, signaling, compass, and scout games, with points awarded which will count in the monthly contest. At our last meeting Mr. Ferris made a change and divided the boys into eight patrols, with four scouts ina patrol. Each scout is to bring in at least one member. This plan has begun to be a success already, and as we have three assistant scoutmasters we will be able to handle the troop. As for sports I think that every troop should have baseball, basketball and footbal] teams. Our troop had a strong football team last fall which stirred up interest in the troop. Our basketball team didn’t do extra well, but we BOYS’ LIFE 2 See | have organized a basketball league among the patrols and we devote one hour to scouting and one to basketball at our meetings. The last five or six meetings we have only had three or four fellows absent, sickness being the reason of absence. One of our assistant scoutmasters acts as a coach in sports. He is an “all around athlete” and plays on several professional teams. Hav- ing a troop team has developed our troop a good deal and it also builds up the scouts. Our troop may hold an out-of-doors field meet this spring among the eight patrols—and, by the way, the Executive Board which I mentioned before in this letter has a regular meeting each month to discuss and make plans for the troop. There are thirteen members on it, eight patrol leaders, one scoutmaster, three assistants, and one senior. patrol leader. The chairman is the scoutmaster and the secretary is the scribe (who makes the number on the board fourteen). We meet at our scoutmaster’s home at the end of each month. I hope this letter will help some other scout to “rake up” interest in his troop. A short time ago (to be exact last June) I was a winner in the Patrol Leaders’ Contest con- ducted by you, and I received several letters from scouts wishing to correspond with me, and as I moved to a different part of the city I lost several addresses. Among them was the address of a scout in Attalla, Alabama, and I can’t remember his name, so if the scout who wrote to me before wil: write again or anyone else who wrote, they will receive an answer to their letters —RicHARD LABRECQUE. Thanks for your good letter, Scout Richard, which I know is going to be a big help to some other troops. You have done a genuine good turn. Camping with a Canoe 1. I would like to know where I could find out how to build a canoe; 2. what to take for a camping trip of about two weeks so that it would not take up much room and not weigh much; and 3, how to have a good camp, de- pending on nature for most of your supplies. 4. As I live in the city and a good many miles from the woods, would you please tell me whether I could get the wood at the lumber mill or whether it would be best to get the wood at some woods for the canoe I asked you about.—V. R. SHINN. 1. Get “Boating and Boat-Building,”’ pub- lished by Chas. Scribner’s Sons, New York City. 2 and 3. See the “ Boys’ Handbook,” Chap- ter 4, or get “American Boy’s Book of Camp- lore and Woodcraft,” published by Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia. 4. Get the lumber at the mill. A Knotty Point D® YOU know of any moderate priced book- lets, books or pamphlets giving descrip- tions and directions for the tying of a large variety of knots, fancy and otherwise, also showing other uses of rope-making bridles, halters, lariats, pack carriers, etc., hammocks, nets, baskets, etc? Any information on lariat swinging? “Pockescopes” are sold by Wollensack Lens Co. of Rochester, N. Y. I got one from my optical house at $1.50. Don’t think much of it—A. I. ARNESON. The “Rope and Its Uses,” Revised Edition, Iowa State College of Agriculture and Me- chanic Arts, Agricultural Extension Depart- ment, Ames, Iowa. Extension Bulletin 24. “The Book of Knots,” by Tom Bowling, published by John Grant, 31 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh. “The Seascout Manual,” 200 Fifth Avenue, New York City. Tenderfoot Tests—Seamanship Merit Badge Pamphlet. three are cheap books and will probably tell you all you want to know about knots, bends and hitches. Also, Supplement to Cornell’s Reading Courses, Lessons for the Farm. August

Page 35

The Boy Scouts’ Magazine 33 At Last It’s Here Vacation and Camping Time Seemed as though they’d never come—school would never end—but here at last it’s vacation and camping time. Are you going? Where! To CAMP, of course! Then “Sure,” you say? now’s the time to think and carefully plan for your comfort and fullest enjoyment while there. Off in the woods, far from supplies, is no time or place to discover you lack something. Check Up Your Equipment Needs from These Suggestions oe 4 0 " : a Wo ae oo NEW ARMY SHELTER HALVES Made of heavy khaki waterproof duck in the popular **Dog”’ style used in the Army. Tent is divided in two equal parts so that each half can be rolled up like a blan- ket and conveniently carried over the shoulders of two boys to evenly distribute the weight. When the two sections are fastened together they form a complete tent with ample room for two boys. A com- pact, durable, well-made tent. Size 7 ft. 2 in. wide, 5 ft. 6 in. long and 3 ft. 7 in. high. No. 1422. Shipping weight without poles 6 lbs. Price WRI oo so cbc ndxcenee cea mnkaban eee ateas eee $2.50 No. 1461. U. S. ARMY WALL TENT. 9x 9. Made of heavy U. 8. Army duck. Because of the slight service they have seen we were able to secure them at a fraction of their value and are therefore able to offer a correspondingly low price. Complete with poles, ropes and pegs. Shipping weight 75lbs. Priceeach.... $21.50 No. 1303. FEATHERWEIGHT SHELTER TENT. Our new Featherweight Shelter Tent, which this year is being made up for us by a new contractor, is better than ever. The design, which has met with the unqualified approval of all Scouts and Scout Leaders who have tried it out, is unchanged. But it is made of olive drab U. 8. A. shelter tent material, thoroughly waterproof. New size: 84 x 64 x 36 inches, Furnished with six steel stakes, two folding poles and a carry case which makes a pillow when tent is set up. Shipping weight 6 lbs. 50 No. 1470. U. S. ARMY PYRAMIDAL TENTS. Size 16 x 16 x 11 ft. high. Made of 12}4 oz. Standard Army duck. Although these have been used, he ge tee good condition. his tent has a 3 ft. side . Only a limited quantity. Shipping weight 105 lbs. Price $32.00 No. 1300. THE PINETREE TENT. This style tent ado: ss ape Patrol system. ade of.s) 5 y ft. high. Shipping weight 14 lbs. EE $13.00 No. 1301. Same, Scoutmaster’s size, 7 by 6 by 5 ft. Shipping weight 16 BBE KGS eds «Sid el ectace $16.00 No. 1496. OFFICIAL SCOUT KNIFE. Remington mended, large GIRO. oo. ccc cece Jadaaes «0 co see No. 1497. Smaller size ...... .. $1.50 No. 1502. OFFICIAL SCOUT KNIFE. Ulster model, RRR ee eer egt it gone Fit eer ae er No. 1503. Smaller size, four blades... . 0,0.) se No. 1323. FOLDING MAPLE COT. Frame of best grade selected maple, natural finish, varnished; steel reenforcements; covered with 12 ounce khaki duck. Size open 6 ft. 3 in. by 2 ft. 3 in., height 1214 in. Can be folded for carrying. Shipping weight 17 lbs..... $4.50 No. 1446. GOOD QUALITY BRASS CASE COMPASS. Eight-pointed jeweled center. 114 in, diam- eter. Prepaid ....75c No. 1192. 100-MILE PE- DOMETER. Registers every step you take. Add to the fun of hiking[{[by know- ing how far and fast you travel. Large dial spaced off in quarters of a mile up to 10 miles; small dial registers up to 100 miles and repeats automatically. Full direc- tions with each pedometer. Propedd. ......+.000c.0dy see No. 1460. U. S. ARMY CANTEEN. Made of alu- No. 1466. WEAR. minum and holds tly less EVER ALUMINUM than 1 quart, pi id. ..40c CANTEEN. An ideal canteen-adopted after U. S.. ARMY thorough ; made No. 1459. MESS KIT. Made _ of aluminum. Consists of im pan and plate, prepaid. .35c © justable wide carry- rap. Capacity slightly more than one quart. ame ce $3.40 No. 1467. U. S. BELT POUCH. Made of heavy canvas, suitable for First Aid outfits, or small articles. na. 8\% inches. Shipping weight 2 Ibs. weight 1 tb 10¢ 1 ] keeps water cool. Ad- j BOY SCOUT AXE AND SHEATH One of the first pieces of equipment that most Scouts want. Handy atevery turnonhikeandincamp. Made of one piece of solid steel, hand-forged and coated with a non-rusting finish. Hickory handle. Equipped with slot for drawing nails. No. 1510. Made by Plumb... ....0..eeceseses. $1.75 DCm. BROT... DEORE CMe bose ios cccek bewces $1.50 Delivery prepaid. No. 1200. WEAR-EVER ALUMINUM COOK KIT. Made of heavy gauged Wear-Ever Seamless aluminum. Set consists patent fry-pan with handle, cooking pot with cover, cup, and stew pan, which also serves as plate or soup bowl. There is also fork and spoon. Parts nest bers ew and do not rattle, all in k car- rying case, with adjustable strap. Weight 3 lbs. coe No. 1001. MESS KIT. This kit consists of polished nickeled soup can, cup, stew or fry- , and one broiler. Separate handles for each article. nesting coma together. Easily carried in pocket or haversack. Is rustproof. Weight 1 Ib. 12 0z............ OIA APS $1.75 Cu 2 eR a es No. 1404. ALUMINUM CAMP SET. A compact handy little set 744 inches long, made of good quality al um. It is durable, convenient and easy to keep Needed three times a day on a hike or in camp. Se tes into three parts, Knife, Fork and Spoon. Shipping wrehgnt 6: Cate. TPrAGO..... ck ciweccvesnes $1.00 clean. BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA—NATIONAL SUPPLY DEPT.—200 FIFTH AVE., NEW YORK 1923

Page 36

Fin, + Gusts GS < ~

'Nationall Cor roe

BOYS’ LIFE

a =~

eS UncCcl

i] Ne

a — es a

_ ‘THE Chief Scout Executive took an interest- ing trip through New England recently. The Penobscot council staged a remarkable Indian Pageant at Bangor on June 8 and 9. Mr. Ralph Hubbard, the well-known authority on Indian lore, directed the affair. The dances included a Sioux Circle Dance, a Solo Scalp Dance, Solo War Dance, a Buffalo Ghost Dance, all performed exactly as they were originally danced by the Indians. At Quincy, Mass., the Boy Scouts held a splendid review, one of the finest the Chief Scout Executive has ever witnessed. It was a wonderful demonstration of Scouting.

OUT FOR THE NEW FOUNDRY MERIT BADGE Superintendent of a local foundry shows scouts of Mishawaka, Indiana, how a mold is made The Chief Scout Executive was also present at the Flag Day exercises observed by the Boy Scouts of Stamford, Conn. After the oath of allegiance to the flag and appropriate exercises, he awarded the President’s streamers to the nine troops that had made a net increase of 25 per cent. in membership. Service pins to those members of the local council who had served for more than five years were also presented. The President’s Streamer for Your Flag The whole Scouting world has been in- terested in the membership Round-up.. The total increase at the time of writing, is in the neighborhood of 100,000 new scouts, making a membership of half a million. President Harding awards a beautiful silk flag streamer to every troop working a net gain of 25 per cent. over the figures of December 31, 1923. You still have a chance to win a streamer for your troop! The following is the President’s letter accompanying the streamer. “TI am pleased to learn that your Council has met the specified conditions and is entitled to the award of the Anniversary Round-Up Streamer, which I take great pleasure in pre- senting, with additional streamers for qualified troops. Please extend to each member of the Local Council,:and.others associated with you in the work, my hearty congratulations and good wishes. I desire especially to convey appreciation to the scoutmasters and to the boys of those troops which have earned the troop award. ‘It is most stimulating to realize that through the Boy Scouts of America over 130,000 men are now enrolled for definite volunteer service, and that at present there are over 440,000 boy members of this splendid organization. Certainly it can be truly said that the men who are in any way supporting this movement, and especially those who are serving as active leaders, are helping in a most practical fashion to produce for the Nation its greatest need—men of character, trained for citizenship. “T am keenly anxious to do all in my power to extend the influence of the Scout Program, because America must avail itself of every re- source for ‘producing that type of American Citizenship which will not be content with acceptance of the privileges of citizenship without active participation in meeting the responsibilities of citizenship. In the Boy Scout movement, you not on place emphasis upon service, but you have worked out your program in such a way that .boys actually “learn by doing,” and in a natural manner acquire that attitude of mind which brings to them a consciousness that they must be citi- zens of the participating kind, and not mere onlookers. “T do most sincerely hope that you will con- tinue your efforts to recruit increased leader- ship and greater resources, in order that more boys of scout age may have the advantages of this movement, which has earned for itself appraisement as one of the greatest assets our Nation has to-day. Sincerely yours, (Signed) WARREN G. Harpinc.” Award from the Father of the President Troops 5 and 6, of Marion, Ohio, President . Harding’s “home town,”’ are the proud winners of the Presi- dent’s streamers for their troop flags. The award was made on Memorial Day. Their crowning joy was the fact that the President’s own father, Dr. Harding, affixed the stream- ers. Dr. Harding is an old soldier of the G. A. R. Veteran Shindig A gathering of the Rip Van Winkles of Scouting occurred in Philadelphia, June 23. Ye Chief Scout Executive attended. During the after- noon, old-fashioned picnic sports and swim- ming was staged at Camp Biddle. “Doas you please”? was the slogan. After supper, and a short meeting of the Philadelphia corps came The Campfire, and stunts. Years of Scout train- ing have surely taught the Philadelphia vete- rans some original stunts. All who participated in the shindig were scouts or scout officials who had been five years or more in Scouting. A Tri-State Jamboree Nearly 1,000 picked scouts, representing New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and all keenly prepared for competitive tests in Scout activities, lined up with a magnificent enthusiasm at the Tri-State Jamboree held at Binghamton, N. Y., May 4 and 5. Two unique features of the event were the hike of the thousand scouts and leaders, con- ducted by Dr. E. Laurence Palmer of Cornell University, who has the reputation of being able to pick out a hundred interesting objects in the nature study world, to every mile. Mohawk Indian Scout Village Fourth Annual Encampment of Scouts at the Eastern States Exposition, Springfield, Mass., occurs September 16-22. The scouts and officials will live in a model Boy Scout Camp, which miraculously grows out of a green field. All the equipment is built in true pioneer fashion, yet the Camp will be equipped with every convenience in- cluding a much prized shower-bath—an open pipe pouring water — through a discard- ed coffee pot with hole punched in its bottom. A number of in- teresting new features are planned for’ this year. Mr. B. T. B. Hyde, of the Amer- ican Museum of Natural History, will conduct a Mas- cot animal show of pets brought by scouts attending the Exposition. There will be a “MacDonald’s Farm” of Camp installing radio set hut-ins. The b Kinks and Woods 8 a ste for agp Taal, Mate Handicraft. This specializing in this activity will be an interesting collection of conveniences which the scout camper improvises with mater- ials found at hand. The Merit Badge Booths, this year will pre- sent Agriculture and Gardening, Art and

PREPARING RADIO SETS FOR SHUT-INS Buffalo, N. Y., scouts are doing excellent work in Architecture, Archery and Wood Carving, Automobiling, and Machinery, Basketry and Pottery, Bee Keeping and Insect Life, Camp- ing and Cooking, First Aid to Animals and Horsemanship, Masonry and Mining, and Photography and Painting. The booths will be displayed by a local council from each of the ten Eastern States. The Mohawk Indian Village, built by Spring- field Scouts, is of crude rustic material iden- tical in construction with the Indian Village of this part of the country before the landing of Columbus. This authentic reproduction in itself is a feature admired by all visitors at- tending the Exposition. The Long House is used for a nature study museum which con- tains many scout camp collections. A Boy Scout Advertisement The scouts in Macon, Ga., advertised Scout- ing by conspicuous service during the recent three-day Centennial celebration. Three parades were to be held; during all the history of Macon there had never been a parade which had been unbroken by traflic or parked cars, so the officials voted to let the scouts handle the job. They acquitted themselves nobly. The line of march covered thirty city blocks; at the pageant, 15,000 crowded into the grounds; 4000 cars had to be parked, and the 250 scouts who were on duty that first day handled the whole situation without hitch or difficulty. On the third day, what might have been a catastrophe occurred when a bleacher stand collapsed, carrying down with it 400 people. The 20,000 people who were present became panic-stricken. Scouts rose to the situation, scattered themselves through the crowd and

ames E. West / Chief Scour Execuive Sls WN oa and have been outstanding members in ath- letic"Téams, dramatics, and in school manage- ment executiveships. The “School Democracy” of Public School 126, Brooklyn, N. Y., furnishes an example of the demands that are made upon scouts because of their training in group responsi- bility. .In this unique self-government plan, members of the Scout troop hold several of the offices. “Scouting has helped us remark- ably in the performance of our various duties,” said the principal recently. ‘“‘We find that by making the Scout Oath and Laws the ideals to be attained by the student body the work is carried on in a far more efficient manner than it would be ordinarily. I beiieve that all school principals ought to back up the Scout Movement and do all in their power to en- courage the organization of troops in the schools of which they are in charge.” Auburn, N. Y., also furnishes an illustra- tion of good team work of Scouting with the schools. ‘“‘ Scouting stands among other things for scholarship,” says a local Scout official, “and the boys with their leaders are trying to shew the school authorities that we believe in strict co-operation between the school and Scouting. In this year’s graduating class there are four male honor students; two of these rank as the city’s highest scouts. The valedictorian is an Eagle, and the other honor scout a Merit Badge Scout with eleven awards.” Troop 4, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, blasts that theory that athletics and Scouting do not mix. It had a football team that won its entire schedule of nine games with high schools. The basket ball team won nine of eleven games. The baseball team, last year, won five of six. It had eight Eagles, three Star scouts, and

Others formed staff lines about the wrecked stand and gave first aid, called doctors and ambulances, and actually assisted in treating the wounded, all so quietly and with so little ostentation that not a hand- ful at the pageant knew what was actually going on. The success of the whole celebration hinged on the service rendered by the Boy Scouts. Now the entire city of Macon is boosting Scout- ing as never before. A Handicapped Scout An inspiration to all handicapped scouts is the career of Scout Edward K. Campbell, of Brooklyn,N.Y. Although blind, Camp- bell joined a Scout troo and took part in the activi- ties so determinedly that many people did not know him to be blind. He made a fine record in his school work, and entered Cornell. Here he did not. forget his Scout training, joined the University Scout Club, and took every op rtunity to continue Scouting. He — imself brilliantly and graduated in June having specialized in history, because of its relation to Scouting. Campbell does not intend to give up Scouting, but will serve as a leader in whatever capacity he is able. He has let blindness prove no handicap to him in his deter- minationtosucceed. calmed the people. & &

Getting Ready for Citizenship The presidents of the freshman, sophomore, junior and senior classes in the past school year in the Pasadena High School were Boy Scouts. Three of these class presidents are Eagle Scouts, the other one is a First-Class Scout. The four lads have records of efficient and active participation in all school activities,

CO-OPERATE FOR COMMUNITY WELFARE Fire Department officials of Long Beach, California, illustrating to scouts the use of the pulmotor in inducing artificial respiration over three hundred Merit Badges; holds weekly and monthly hikes, does community work for the church, which furnishes its meeting place, and is successful in holding the older boys. A Governor’s Commendation Governor Channing H. Cox is a tenderfoot scout and an enthusiastic one. Preceding the recent great rally at the Harvard Stadium, in which 5,000 scouts participated, the Gov- ernor issued a proclamtion to the Boy Scouts of the State welcoming them to the rally, urging a large attendance, and praising the Movement. The proclamation follows:—“ As Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I bid the Boy Scouts of the State and New Eng- land welcome to the Boy Scout rally at Sol- diers’ Field, Cambridge. “Without drawing distinction of creed, race or position, the Boy Scout Movement is giving to the boys of our Commonwealth invaluable training in all that makes manhood and power. It develops mind, body and morals; it is helping to make future citizens of the same character as those who in the past has given greatness to Massachusetts.” Distinguished guests at the Rally included Lieut. Gen. Nelson A. Miles, U. S. A., retired, Maj. Gen. Andre Brewster, U. S. A., Admiral Wiley,..U..S. N., Dr. Charles W. Eliot, of Harvard, Wm. H. Doyle, head of the American Legion, Department of Massachusetts, and others. (Concluded on page 49) August

Page 37

The Boy Scouts’ Magazine The World Brotherhood of Boys Edited by E. O’Connor HE following requests for letters have reached us recently: Froma Belgian boy of sixteen years of age living in Brussels who writes in English; from a Polish scout who writes in Polish only but hopes to be able to write in English before long; from a Russian living in Russian-Turkestan who wishes letters in either Russian or Esperanto; from a Polish scout who says, writing in Esperanto, though he can understand Russian, French, German . and Polish: ‘I would be pleased to receive in- formation about the manner and direction of your scout troops, and news that I could place in our gazette.” From a Polish scout who particularly wishes to receive letters for his scout troop written in Polish or Esperanto, from the far West, Canada, and South America; from a Scoutmaster in Essen who wishes to exchange letters in German with an American Scoutmaster, and another German Scout- master who wishes to receive letters to dis- tribute to his scouts. THs excerpt from a letter recently received from the mother of an American scout living in Paris is of interest: “Wallace is now a tenderfoot with the scouts here in Paris and enjoys the weekly meetings " MOTTSTOMUTMTO OPPO OS ats eh 1923: “TOT 7 Iie cee alten db bbb bbtua lt Lien Lhd chute bh-techotet cL "Scouts of Tsing Hua, Peking, China; Orel, Russia; Kipahula, Mani, T. H.; Prague, Bohemia on Thursdays and their ‘hikes,’ which are taken nearly every Sunday. He wishes, I am sure, that many American boys could enjoy the privileges which he has with them now and he has been very glad to introduce two American | boys to the scouts from his school here. “But how very nice and what a better and nobler understanding, if more boys from America could be here to enter into the program of the French boys both at school and in the scouts, and vice versa. “Ts there no way by which Americans, and I know many of them, could learn of the kind- ness which is offered to all students or other- wise here in Paris? ““My boy studies harder and longer than in America. It is necessary even though he was put back several grades. But he is acquiring that which I have always wished for him, and I wish that many teachers and principals could but remain here for several months to discover much that could be perhaps introduced back home. ‘Let there be more affiliations between the different countries for the good, the ultimate benefit of all, and there would be but a higher, saner view of life, which would establish peace and a healthy outlook toward all things.” ) IROOM — ra » - wie SG Cy 4 ) Y 4 inh Ad deh Lae MMT a D 35 " Christopher Columbus Before Gibraltar FATHER! Start Your Boy on the Road to Financial Independence Do it through an Endowment policy on his life in The Prudential. Let him help pay the premiums by making you small weekly contributions from his allowance. Show him how rapidly and steadily a saving fund grows. In a few years he will have a substantial amount available to Help him through college, Help establish him in business or in a profession, Help him meet the expenses of early married life, or Help him buy a home. The habit of thrift formed early persists through life, and you know that it is the strongest ally that a man can have in achieving success. The Prudential Insurance Company of America Edward D. Duffield, President Home Office, Newark, N. J. Founded by John F. Dryden Pioneer of Industrial Insurance in America

Page 38

“THE RED GAME” By T. S. Stribling A Fascinating Story of Bull- Fighting in Spanish America You’d laugh if someone asked you if you knew who Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb are. But, do you know Joselito, or Belmonte? South of the United States they are more famous than Babe or Ty in our country. For Joselito was the king of bull-fighters —killed two years ago. To-day Belmonte holds his crown. To-morrow—who knows? Per- haps it will be Pablo, the boy who turns from oil prospecting to the bull- ring in T. S. Stribling’s exciting story, “The Red Game.” You see the blazing, hot arena; the maddened pitching bull; the banderil- leros throwing their darts—the most dangerous part of a bull-fight; and the torero — the bull-fighter — weaving in and out, lithe as a cat, the supreme actor in a brilliant play, his life the for- feit for a misstep, a faulty thrust. Look for “The Red Game” in the August issue of ANERIGNBOY Then turn from the packed arena to snow- capped mountains—the highest in the world, some whose peaks have never been attained by man. Read about the two Indian boys in “Hi- malaya Adventures,” by Dhan Gopal Mukerji. You'll never guess the solution of the mystery in “The Giant of Granite Lake,” by George M. Johnson. What was the monster that defied the most skillful fishermen and demolished their tackle? Joe Lincoln finally discovered it. And there are more dandy stories. “Bill's Business,” by Charles Tenney Jackson, tells how a Creole boy wins a desperate fight in the Louisiana swamps. “The Crowing Rooster,” by Philip Kerby—all about the thrilling adventures of Dinny Callahan, son of the Secret Service Chief at Manila, and how he solves a baffling mystery. There’s another funny, exciting Jibby Jones story—‘“Jibby Jones and the Left Hand,” by Ellis Parker Butler. Maybe he doesn’t make things hum at Riverbank High School. And you'll find the solution of Connie Morgan’s cat- tle ranch mystery in “The Outlaw”; more of the “Privateers of ’76,” and more adventures for the youths errant in “The Strange Crusader.” The August issue of THE AMERICAN BOY is chock-full of good stories. Be sure not to miss it. $2.00 a year by mail. 20 cents a copy at news-stands. Subscribe for a year, or leave a standing order with your news-dealer. THE SPRAGUE PUBLISHING CO. No. 527 American Bidg., Detroit, Mich. Enclosed find $2.00, for which send Taw AMERICAN Bor for one year, beginning with the current issue, to BOYS’ LIFE Ants and Grasshoppers HERE is a story that’s been going the rounds for a good while—a couplé of thou- sand years at least—about a certain grass- hopper that went to an ant for something to eat. She was hungry—oh, so hungry—and fairly shaking with the cold. (She had nothing on, mind you, but her green summer dancing- |gown and that thin cloak the grasshopper people all wear, and this was a dreadful, raw day, with winter setting in.) Just a few mouthfuls—a grain of wheat or so | —that was all she asked. You’ve heard about | it, I’m sure; and how the ant asked what she’d been doing all summer that she hadn’t put anything up. And when the lady in green said she’d been singing, “Well, then,” says the ant, “now you can dance!” Just that sarcastic! And she wouldn’t give her a bite! Well, some friends of both parties have been looking up the facts and there’s nothing in the story at all; absolutely made out of whole cloth, as the saying goes. The Grasshoppers and Their ~:>.,-:: ays re First of all nobody has ever ‘:+~- been able to find out who the ,***), grasshopper of the story was; #**.* whether she was what we call a grasshopper or whether she was the big creature of the blazing midsummer whose song sounds like an alarm clock going off. We call it the “harvest fly” or “dog-day cicada”; and the kind that come every seven- teen years, the “seventeen-year locust,” al- though it isn’t really a locust at all, the locust being one of the grasshopper folks. You see, the deeper we get into this thing the more the plot thickens, as they say in the story books. As another instance, take the fact that the singer, whether it was a grasshopper or a cicada, would have been a male and not a female. The Greeks, who were fond of the cicadas’ song and even wrote poetry about it, had this line in one of their verses: “The cicadas all have voiceless wives.” When the Winter Days Come It was among the Greeks that the story of the ant and the grasshopper started and it was passed on by Asop. As a fable it is all right and teaches, among other useful lessons, that it is much safer to be an ant than a grasshopper when the cold comes; for, while the ants are snug and well fed in their winter homes, the grasshoppers all die of having nothing to eat and no place to go. And that’s another reason why the story can’t be true—there are no grasshoppers in winter, and if there were they wouldn’t find either Mrs. Ant or any of the Miss Ants at their front doors. The ants would, by then, have gone south with all the rest of the family —that is to say, to the bottom of the nest below the frost line. Furthermore, neither a grasshopper nor a cicada would ever be so modest as to ask for a single bite of wheat or a single bite of anything! For of all hearty eaters—and the insect peoples have marvelous appetites—the grasshoppers are among the most so. One reason is that baby grasshoppers, instead of wrapping themselves up in baby blankets after their first meals and taking a good long nap as most species of in- sects do, begin eating from the time they are born and keep it up all their lives. They don’t pass through a worm and cocoon stage, but are born small, just as we are, and grow up. A baby grasshopper is as much like a grown-up grasshopper as a baby chicken is like a grown- up’ chicken. The Hoppers that Plagued the Pharaoh There are two main branches of the grass- hopper family, the ones with long feelers, such as the meadow grasshoppers and the katydids, and the ones with short feelers. The short- feeler folks are often called “locusts.” The locusts, you remember, were one of the es that fell on Egypt. They have been siaosing the world ever since. Wherever their flying fleets descend they “cover the face of the earth” and strip the leaves of “every tree that groweth out of the field,” just as they did in Pharaoh’s day. In the central and western parts of the United States, where they used to eat up the crops, they do so no longer because, thanks to irrigation and dry farming, the land is kept plowed up where their ancestors laid their eggs. But they still devour the fruits of the farmers’ By Hallam Hawksworth toil in the countries of the Orient and in Africa; and, as in Bible days, “the land is darkened” by their unnumbered hosts. A column has been seen in India, for example, several hundred miles long and dense enough, in parts of it, to hide the sun. These raiders are much larger than the ordinary grasshoppers of our fields and the air is filled with the roaring of their wings. People actually have to shout to make themselves heard. The big Rocky Mountain grasshopper belongs to this tribe. An ant, carrying one of her cows From McCook’s “‘Nature’s Craftsmen,” courtesy of Harper & Bros. These big destroying locusts, like the robber Arabs, make their home in desert places and their livings by swooping down on other peo- ple’s cultivated lands. Like the Arab wan- derers also, they feel that there is no place like home—the home of their ancestors in the end- less wastes of burning sand; actually senti- mental about it! Not only do the locust hordes come out of the desert in the first place —as did the locusts of Pharaoh’s day—but when swarms are bred in farming regions where the parents have stopped to eat, the children return to the desert, riding on the wind. *“*How’s the ‘Wind?”’ says Mr. Hopper And, as the girl scouts among the bees go out to look for new quarters for the swarm, the locusts, before starting, make trial flights to learn the direction of the wind, the currents of the upper air. If the wind isn’t right, they come down and wait for a change. They want a wind that will take them over the regular grasshopper line, back to the desert. They will patronize no other. “The locusts have no king,” says Solomon, “yet go they forth all of them, by bands.” It was an east wind (which must, therefore, have come over the Arabian desert) that brought the locust plague on Egypt. And a west wind carried it away. Unfortunately —from a locust standpoint—these west-bound passengers, you remember, were all cast into the Red Sea. The wind must have suddenly died, for swarms are sometimes carried for 1000 miles and more and have been known to settle on ships 1200 miles from shore. If the Red Sea were not so wide, these Arabs might even have crossed it on foot, for the traveling tribes do cross streams on foot. For instance, in describing the movements of these locust hosts in Africa, one writer says: “When a river bars the way the front ranks fearlessly cast themselves upon the water, clinging together, pile upon pile, until a bridge of living insects forms and the rear march over them.” The Hopper-Pontoon Bridges “But why don’t they fly across?” Their wings aren’t yet ready for business. One of the most striking things about this way of crossing streams this writer has neglected to mention; and that is that in all such cases these bold adventurers aren’t grown grasshop- pers, but babies; no, not quite babies, but what you might call youngsters—about the sixth- grade age; half-grown hoppers whose wings are not yet long enough for flying. They do this sort of thing when obeying the powerful and mysterious impulse that moves the birds at migration times. The young Jo- custs are.on their way back to the home of their fathers in some dry and dreary region in the central tablelands of the great African conti- nent. Born from the eggs of the swarms that came just before them, they set their faces toward the motherland and, having eaten everything in sight, move on. Of those that don’t walk across on the pontoon bridges made by the bodies of their comrades, many are floated by the current and cast ashore on the opposite bank; many are drowned, to be sure, but as there is no roll-call, so far as I can learn, and there are millions of them, they are probably never missed. It seems likely that such little Arabs—and the big Arabs, their parents—would never leave their desert home at all, they’re so fond of it, if it wasn’t that they just have to, in hard times, to get something to eat. They lay their eggs not by millions, but by billions. For in- stance, in the island of Cyprus, where an army of occupation stopped in 1883, 5,076,000,000 egg cases were col- lected in the attempt to get rid of them; egg cases, mind you, each containing not one, but a number of eggs. How They Counted 5,000,000,000 Hoppers “Did they count them?” Oh, of course not—one by one. They weighed them. If so many locusts make one pound, then, in so many tons, there would be so many mil- lion locusts. You know. “So many locusts make one pound.” Sounds as if we were talking of a meat market, or some- thing, doesn’t it? And, sure enough, locusts are eaten in the Far East where they are so com- mon, and in Africa: baked, ground into flour and made in to a kind of bread; or just plain baked. Locusts were among the things which, according to the laws of Moses, the children of Israel were permitted to eat. “Ye may eat of every flying, creeping thing that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth; the locust after his kind and the bald locust after his kind and the beetle after his kind and the grasshopper after his kind.” And you know that John, the Mighty Voice crying in the Wilderness, had for his meat (7.e.: his food) locusts and wild-honey. The “beetle” referred to is what we call a cricket; for he “thas legs above his feet to leap withal upon the — ” and he is a cousin of the grasshopper folks. - That Funny Mouth of Theirs Speaking of grasshoppers eating, hasn’t a grasshopper a funny mouth? It seems to open the wrong way—right and left, instead of up and down. But, when he works it, doesn’t it remind you something of a rabbit’s mouth; when the hopper is nibbling a grass blade, say, or “spitting molasses”? Look for his teeth and you will find he hasn’t any, but his lower jaws are toothed on the edges, something like the bill of a goose. His upper lip is best seen from in front. Behind it are the jaws (best seen from the side). The things in the inside of the mouth take the place of fingers in poking food into it. These fingers the grasshopper finds useful also, in making its toilet. To clean its feelers it passes its forearm over its head, crooking the elbow about the end of the feeler nearest to the face and drawing it within reach of the mouth fingers and then pulling it through the mouth. As the feelers are being drawn back into place the grasshopper steps on them. This seems a queer thing to do until you know that the hop- per has pads on his feet, for sticking to places as a fly does, and these pads wipe the feelers, after this mouth washing, as you draw a freshly washed knife through a towel. ¢ His neck and the underside of his body the hopper washes much as a cat washes its breast and stomach; its head bent down and under its body. “What about the molasses?” did you say? “What is it for?” Oh, yes, I meant to speak of that. It’s for people who don’t like molasses— at least that kind. It gets smeared on the feelers of insect enemies who attack Mr. Hop- per. It’s sticky and smells bad and while they are getting it off Mr. Hopper gets away; that is if everything works out right; which, of course, it doesn’t always. The Ants and Their Summer Boarders But what a contradictory lot human beings are; beg pardon, I mean ants! While on the one hand, the members of an ant community will do almost anything for each other—actually pick up and carry a weary worker from the field, for instance, share their last drop of honey and all that—the members of August

Page 39

The Boy Scouts’ Magazine two different communities are as bad in the way they act toward one another as were the ‘ Montagues and the Capulets that made all that trouble between poor Juliet and Romeo. The members of rival villages can hardly meet but what there’s a fight; especially if there’s anything of a gang on both sides and their num- bers fairly equal. And when they go to war, when the reds for example, raid a colony of the blacks, they are something terrible! The Throb of the War Drums! Actually, to read of the attack of an army of the reds on their neighbors you’d think you were reading the life of some great military hero like Napoleon—not mere natural history but real, high-class history! The fighting, the attacks and retreats, rear guard actions, pur- suit and picking off of weary or wounded strag- glers, desperate last stands, as at Waterloo, slaughtering, maiming, wreckage of homes, children carried away into slavery. And all with the pomp and circumstance of war in the most picturesque times of our hu- man history; as in the days of the Greeks, say, and the siege of Troy, or of Arthur and the, Knights of the Round Table that you begin to read about in the fifth and sixth grades in school. And yet they are right up to date too, these pigmy warriors, for they use a kind of poison gas by squirting jets of formic acid in each other’s faces, and it stings like anything! This acid is secreted by other insects, also for fighting purposes. It’s what makes the bee’s sting, sting so—and it’s the sting of the stinging nettle. There are consultations of the warriors before the battle “crossing their antennae and striking each other sharply on the forehead,” the gathering at the city walls, the issue from the city gates, the marching and counter- marching. ‘They move back and forth and round and round in a sort of maze as though engaged in preliminary evolutions,” says Dr. McCook. And, through it all, is the throb of the war drums (*) as the six-legged Hectors and Achillesses gather for battle. The Mysterious Order to Advance The excitement grows as the numbers in- crease. At last the invaders are all assembled. “Forward! March!” Who spoke just then? Who gave the com- mand? Since Solomon’s time the science peo- ple have been trying to find out and they don’t know yet! What the first wise man said, that the ants act together as if at one command but have “‘no guide, overseer or leader” is true; and that’s all the wise men since his time have been able to learn about it. You’ve heard the funny story about the army in which all the soldiers were brigadier-generals. Well, the ant armies are like that; only these soldiers really fight; they don’t just strut around and tell somebody else to fight, the way the funny gen- erals did in the story. And they all move to- gether, as if in response to one will and com- mand, just as their cousins the bees do in their daily work and at swarming time. Maeterlinck calls this mysterious supreme command, in the case of the bees, “the spirit of the hive.” It’s a good name but it doesn’t explain anything. It’s always the reds, or some other species of professional slave dealers, that do the attack- ing, and the poor blacks who are the attacked. But if the blacks have a large and flourishing city they don’t just throw up their hands. They at once take measures to defend their little Troy. Sentinels are placed at every gate and while the nurses gather the young in the interior rooms, the workers hastily barricade the entrances to the hallways. Then comes the tug-of-war. With their toothed jaws wide open they rush at one another and while their jaws are locked their abdomens are curved up and out come the streams of formic acid. If the blacks are too numerous and they put up too stiff a fight the invaders retreat but if the colony is small the inhabitants flee at the first attack, some carrying the family treasures —eggs, larve and pupe—others climbing nearby stems of grass and weeds from which they look down on the destruction of their homes! Then you'll see the invaders coming out of the gates of the pillaged city carrying the young—i.e.: the eggs, the little white baby worms and the cocoons—and “take the home trail, not in ordered ranks, this time, but in the go-as-you-please route step of marching soldiers.” every mark of admiration and afiection. You’d think they were singing “ Hail, the con- quering heroes come!” And they often do pick up the victorious warriors and carry them into the nest, much as college boys carry a victor on their shoulders at the end of a football game. And who do you suppose these blacks are? Captives taken in a prior raid, and the captives in the present raid may be their own brothers and sisters! What is more, these slaves, although they are allowed to go wherever they please, never try to run away. They remain in the homes of their masters happy and contented. The secret of it is this: The captured babies are cared for and petted just like the other mem- bers of the big family and grow up without ever knowing any other home. They seem per- fectly satisfied to do the housework while the soldiers do the fighting and when a war is on they go about their daily duties as unconcerned as you please! One trouble is, though, that among certain species the warriors not only don’t do a thing about the house but they have to be waited on so much that they get so they can’t even feed themselves. If left in a nest with plenty to eat all around them but without their but- lers and their waiters, they’ll starve before they'll stir a hand! But put some blacks among them and the servants immediately begin feeding the lords. Such People to Entertain! The fact is that ants as a class, are natural- born housekeepers and love to entertain com- pany. There are more than 1500 guests in an ant house—1500 different kinds, I mean. Good- ness knows how many in numbers! One of these guests is that little ant that lives in a private suite in the larger ants’ apartments and that won’t allow its hosts to come into its rooms—the saucy thing! Think of calling on guests in your own place, guest that you had provided with nice rooms; guests you had re- ceived, not only for a week-end but for no end of week-ends—for all summer, in fact—and then have them not merely show you the door but take you by the nose, by one of your antennae, and lead you out! To put up with a thing like that takes self- restraint; and self-restraint, when other people are so provoking is the very essence of good breeding. And yet—would you believe it?—these un- grateful visitors never even help with the mar- keting, never go out to get a thing but wait for the ladies of the house to bring it in to them. Whenever their hosts return from the milking, along come their little guests and get all the honey-dew milk they want, the dairymaids giving it to them drop by drop from their own mouths. Oh, yes, they’re very nice to their kind hosts, these saucy little guests are, when they want honey, stroking them with their feelers, licking their faces and all! Other guests in the ant households have wheedling ways also. One lodger, an insect with a queer name which I’ve forgotten, not only strokes the backs of its hosts with its feelers, as the beetle boarders do, but strokes their cheeks with its forefeet, just as ants do to one another. This particular boarder isn’t sat- isfied with one ant family to board with—to live on, I call it! In the spring it stops with one kind of ant and leaves its babies for the ant to raise and then, in the summer, goes to the home of another kind of ant and stays there all winter! The stroking with the feelers or with the fore- feet seems to have the same effect on ants that is produced when you smooth a cat or scratch a pig’s back or pat a dog’s head. One of the guest-people—a beetle—who is a great hand for stroking ants, seems to get the idea some- times that he’s a dog himself. It’s the funniest thing! I'll tell you what he does. Making a Pet of a Boarder When he wants to be fed he raises the front of his body and his forelegs, for all the world like a little dog, begging, as I said a little while ago. A passing ant strokes him and then he begins waving those forelegs. That’s his way of barking—don’t you suppose? ‘Then the ant begins playing with him and petting him and carrying him about. Then, while. lick- ing his face as a cat licks the face of her kitten, she holds him straight up, brings a drop of honey from her crop and drops it in his * mouth, Mr. Beetle—he’s a little red chub of a Hail, the Conquering Heroes Come Now comes the strangest part of all this strange, eventful history. The victors are welcomed back by the blacks at home with () A crackling sound is heard, supposed to be ae i d made by tin in the abdomen. This sqund you can’t hear when only one ant makes it but in a crowd, it is very plain. 1923 thing—works his jaws and swallows it. Then the ant begins licking his face again as if to wash it, but this is supposed to be merely her way of expressing affection. Then another drop, more petting, and finally she puts him lown and goes on with her housework. The beetle, to be sure, pays a little board by red- ding things up—eating fragments of food scat-

\

EDERAL (THE BIG SIX QUALITY LINE) BICYCLE TIRES A good bike deserves good tires— FEDERAL, for instance FEDERALS are made right, run right and wear right Six types to choose from—all dandies, too, but we specially recommend “Cord” and “Rugged”, the leaders FEDERAL “Cord” bike tire is built just like an auto tire; and the “Rugged” is sturdy, fast and safe You can’t go wrong on a FEDERAL, no matter which brand you buy

Ask Your Dealer 4 Neeeiis THE FEDERAL RUBBER CO. OF ILLINOIS CUDAHY, WISCONSIN

“ATTENTION! Scouts Scoutmasters Parents What do you know about the milk you use in the country? What about sanitary conditions at the farm? What about the health of the cows? Spell it backwards | Mi FRESH MILK— POWDERED

—is the only safe and sure way to get fresh milk in the country. KLIM is absolutely teurized and Taken from carefully supervised cows, the pure whole milk, pas po fresh liquid milk is reduced to powder by the removal of the water. Just add water and KLIM is the same pure liquid n (thousands of homes use no other milk), send in the coupon milk again. If you are not using KLIM in your home ty package. Tear off the coupon NOW. / BA. > 7 MERRELL-SOULB / COMPANY / Enclosed find One Dollar Measuring Spoon. Ie is understood that F this KLIM when restored to fluid form, ac-

y full cream milk and 5 quarts of skimmed milk.

F

Syracuse, N. Y., U.S.A, ($1.00) (check, money order, vA orcurrency accepted), for which cording to directions, will produce 4 quarts of 7 Me <iacsibsscncciisisaebess Beat8 di ccecsccccccccccecoess .

Page 40

~ trom heenetiieret nee tte 38 ram showing how the voice currents n in the long distance transmission are restored by *‘ repeaters.” Mastering Nature’s Forces Without the telephone “‘re- peater,"’ the entire electrical power available on the earth would not be sufficient to make trans-continental. speech com- mercially possible. The three thousand repeaters now in use on Bell System long distance lines have increased the talking range of every telephone by thousands of miles. By mak- ing possible the use of smaller gauge wires, repeaters have kept down the cost of equip- ment by millions of dollars. The repeater is only one out of scores of scientific develop- ments of equal or greater im- portance in the advancement of telephone service. Bell System progress has been a continual encounter with seemingly im- possible barriers, and a con- tinual finding of new ways to toward Better Service overcome them. Each step in extending the range of speech has come only after years of study. Each important piece of telephone apparatus has had to be created for the need. Each working day this pioneering goes on. Nature is harnessed to a new duty and mechanical ingenuity improves the tools of service, as fast as science finds the way. Not only is the Bell System daily conducting research within its own nation-wide organiza- tion, but it is studying the dis- coveries of the whole world of science for their possible appli- cation to telephone service. Only by such eternal vigilance has the United States been given the best and cheapest telephone service in the world. “BELL SYSTEM” AMERICAN TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH COMPANY AND ASSOCIATED “COMPANIES One Policy, One System, Universal Service, and all directed ONLY 25c for Complete Stove Including Handy Extinguisher and Can of Sterno Canned Heat A DANDY! Just what you want, this little stove, fellows! Use it for cooking in camp, on the hike or at home. Make tea or coffee with it. Thousands of uses i out. Folds flat and weighs only 8 ounces. Send this ad and 25c to the Sterno ation, 9 East 37th Street, New City, Dept. 20, and we will send you this stove prepaid. STERNO Canned Heat The Daily Fuel of a Thousand Uses Be prepared for the summer vacations, send for one of these stoves while the offer lasts. CANOES $45 UP Graceful, speedy, handsome models. ROWBOATS $40 UP Light of draft and easy on the oarsman. FLAT BOTTOM BOATS (Shipped Knocked-Down) _ 4 Up. Assemble yourself—ready for the water— wo hours. Special Boats for Outboard Motors $46 UP Special seam construction resists vibration. Motor Boats (16 to 26 Ft., Engine Installed) $200 UP CATALOG FREE THOMPSON BROS. —— co. SAVE MONEY ORDER BY MAIL 73 Ellis Avenue ‘eshtigo, Wis. tered around on the floor—but the ants don’t seem to care for this. They love to pet and feed him so that they’ll often pull him away from this scattered food and play with him and give him honey instead. One of the funniest things about it all—it would make you laugh—is that, as the little beetle with his hard smooth shell is difficult to handle, an ant will often try to pick him up and her jaws will keep slipping and slipping. Then finally she’ll give it up and roll him along with her forefeet, as a porter rolls a barrel, the beetle pulling up its legs, the way beetles do when they are playing ‘possum. You’ve seen them. Then there’s another beetle boarder that the ants feed with a spoon. The beetle furnishes the spoon. Its tongue, unlike that of other beetles, is shaped like a little scoop and in this it receives the food from the ant’s crop. Beetles seem to be the favorites of all the guests in Aunt Formica’s(') boarding- house and most of them belong to species not found ray I say Aunt “ Formica”’ because ‘* Formica” is the scientific name for the whole ant family. BOYS’ LIFE anywhere else. Spring tails and bristle tails are also regular lodgers. The bristle tails don’t seem to be very well liked; and no wonder! For do you know what they do? They hang around until they see one worker passing a drop of honey to another and then, getting right under where their mouths are meeting, steal it and make off! But a large majority of the boarders are petted by the whole ant household. Now you may think I’ve been joking about all this so I'll just quote you what Professor Wheeler says: “Tt is thought the ants, so strong is their love of their own young, keep these guests just as we do pets.” Of the babies of some of the guests the ants are so fond that they not only take all the care of them—feeding them and washing them and carrying them about—but if danger threatens the nest they carry these babiestoa place of safe- ty beforelooking aftertheir own; neglecting their own flesh and blood forthechildrenof strangers! -I don’t know what you think, of course, but J say this is carrying it too far! Foxy Taylor, Towerman (Concluded from page 19) warm to the touch as he crossed them. Ten trucks, five cars and the engine, probably from twenty-five to thirty people, including the train crew. If he had not severed those wires—! Anxious to keep away from the wreckers, now that he had succeeded in outwitting them so far, Foxy crawled as swiftly as he could back across the bridge to what he considered a safe distance. Lying at full length, he pres- ently saw the flash of an electric torch. They were examining the wires. Presently the light wobbled and went out. When certain that the men had gone, Foxy scrambled back over the ties and raced for his instrument. But he manipulated the key in vain. What with makeshift connections, and batteries in a puddle of water, he could not get any further action from the set. At that, it was a wonder he had gotten Lovell at all. Thankful for what luck had come his way, he stumbled back and wearily climbed the tower stairs. His only act before throwing himself into his chair, was to find the heel lift behind the door. This he put carefully away. A B0uT an hour later an engine ground to a stop below the tower. Orders had been relayed around from Selton, and the engine crew had come up the line to find out what had happened since Foxy had O. K.’ed Lovell’s message. If there was a wreck, they were to back down to Merton and report; if the line was clear, and safety permitted, they were to bring Foxy through to Selton. The fireman scouted across the bridge but could see or hear nothing suspicious, so the engineer “threw her wide open” and they rocked and roared west- ward through the storm. Soon after midnight, therefore, Foxy opened the door of the Superintendent’s office, to find quite a reception committee awaiting him. Mr. Howell, the Superintendent, Mahoney, chief dispatcher, Lovell, several other railroad men, the sheriff and a deputy, and a couple of civilians whom Foxy had never seen before were all standing or sitting around the room. “Come in, Taylor,” said the Superintendent. “We're mighty glad to see you. Later on we can all talk it over together, but what I want right away is your account of this business from the beginning. Foxy told as concisely as he could the events of the night from the time he lost his five-dollar bill until he fell asleep in his chair in the tower. Not a person stirred throughout the narrative. “And, Mr. Howell,”’ he concluded, “I don’t want to be up against such a situation ever again. Tell me, did they catch the men?” “The sheriff, ‘here, has a few assorted pairs for you to look over. We will go down to the jail right away. That reminds me. You said definitely that you could identify them. How do you propose to do it?” Foxy produced his piece of leather and ex- plained that it belonged on the heel of the shoe worn by one of the men. The companion with that man at the time they were arrested would be the other, he felt sure. “Come on, then,” said the sheriff. “I want to get this over with so as to release the inno- cent ones right away. We didn’t take any chances. Just gathered in every pair that came along after your message came in.” At the jail it took them only a few minutes to line up seven pairs of suspects and examine their shoes. The little piece of leather fitted snugly on a certain shoe heel, and this man, with his companion, were returned to their cells. It was noticed that, of all the fourteen, these two were the only ones whose clothes were wrinkled and disheveled, evidence that they had been out in the storm for some time. Back in Mr. Howell’s office Foxy was dis- missed. ‘“ You’ve done a fine thing, my boy,” said the Superintendent, as they shook hands. “The road will remember it, and I do not mind saying right now that the first vacancy in your department I have shall be yours if you want it. We need men in our business who can think and act in emergencies, and you have proved yourself fit. Until some future time, then, goodby and good luck.” Escaping from Lovell about daylight, Foxy rode back to Pemberton in the caboose of a freight, and hurried home to tell his mother the news. A week passed. One morning, when Foxy arrived home from work, he found a small package had come by special delivery mail, addressed to him. Inside of a plain, heavy pasteboard box was a smaller white box, bear- ing the name and address of a Washington jeweler. Foxy lifted the cover, removed a pad of cotton, and beheld a chamois case with the stem of a watch protruding from it. “Oh, Billy,” gasped his mother. “What in time—” ejaculated the astonished boy, as he drew from the case a beautiful gold watch, with a gold and platinum chain at- tached, which uncoiled from under another layer of cotton. It was the finest watch either of them had ever seen. On the back of the case were his initials in a monogram. Boy- like, Foxy immediately opened the back to look at the works. Here a second, inner case was discovered. It was likewise engraved— To William (Foxy) Taylor With heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for his timely aid, and the greatest of admiration for his resource and pluck, from his friend and fellow-citizen, The President of the United States of America wih RD Contest Rules These instructions must be followed, otherwise pictures will not be consi: 1. Pictures must be taken by the contestant and related to Scouting directly or indirectly. Directly: Activities of scouts, hiking, camping work, etc. Indirectly: Animal and other nature studies. 2. Photographs for any contest must reach the editor before the 10th of the second month preceding the date of publica- tion. The competition is open to all readers of BOYS’ WIFE. 3. Name and address of sender should be written on back of picture. Pictures without names will not be considered. Do not send letters. Do not negatives. RD 2, IE, d unless a ped and ad- dressed envelope is 5. The Art Editor « of BOYS’ LIFE will act as judge of EPR prise of $5.00 will be awarded to the prize of wi awar ry he Tego or P of pictures one contestant, j best, and a dollar wil Spguaee ceeny tier wales reer hn Photogr: and published become ry property of BOYS’ LI s August

Page 41

The Boy Scouts’ Magazine Department of Camping Edited by L. L. McDonald, Director A Trick Pouch PEN sesame!” That’s not the magic word this time, guess we'll have to try again, and again, and again. - and some more, indeed, unless you are my rightful owner, and then it takes but a pull and a tuck to reveal what treasures he entrusted in my safekeeping.” The illustration and following description will be helpful in making a magic pouch from goatskin, chamois, or any other scrap leather in your collection of oddsand ends. Fig. 1. Front and side views of purse strip of leather folded over on it- self. 7" Fig. 2. Enlarged side view of section showing “B” attached only to front fringe of ““A” by means of twine or other stitches passing through slots “F” (Fig. 1) and around ends (Fig. 2). ‘‘C” is only a decoration fringe to balance “D” fringe, which is used for pulling the purse open. ‘“‘E” stitches passing through slots “‘F.” Fig. 3. Shows purse openings in the back when “D” is pulled down. Knife, Saw, and Axe Handicraft A WOODSMAN treasures his knife, saw, and axe as though they were irreplaceable. You, perhaps, may know an old-timer who is skilled in the use of these indispensable tools of the pioneer and who finds a keen pleasure in whittling, sawing, and chopping. At any rate, he is the fellow to teach you many a kink. As you know, the requirement for Second Class is: “Use properly knife and hatchet,” that for First Class is: “Use properly an ax for felling or trimming light timber.” Many useful articles can be made while gaining the skill necessary for passing these tests; what’s more, who doesn’t like to whittle? Here are a few stunts to start with: Paper Knife This makes a dandy letter-opener and page- cutter for new books; it is also useful in folding and creasing printed matter. The knife is best cut from a branch which is thoroughly dried. Green wood is apt to warp and check. Moreover, it is difficult to whittle. Collect materials only in thickets or from trees where no harm will be done, if possi- ble where pruning will be beneficial. The branches should be cut several inches longer than required to allow checking and to facilitate handling while whittling. Three to six weeks of drying will be suffi- cient, depending on the time of the year when the branches are cut. Study each piece for grip, balance upon the table, flow of blade, line and color possibilities or grain in the blade. Decide whether the heart wood will be cut through at the hilt or left in the center of the blade. Choose for the blade a straight, curved, or even twisted end; the handle should appear rustic and gnarled— the more crooks and bends the better. The end of the handle is finished with a diagonal cut or with rounded end. A knob at the end gives additional effect. The blade is first whittled roughly until the general pattern is shaped. The finer curves and lines are then carved with care and rubbed smooth by scraping with glass and sandpaper. It is finished with a drop of linseed oil on a rag, which is slightly dipped into white shellac and rubbed until brilliant and hard. Do only one surface at a time. The handle is painted with shellac and ailowed to dry. India ink can be used for labelling after the shellac i is dry. 7923 Paper-Weight To complete the desk-set, a paper-weight can be made from a log measuring about six inches. The end of the log is first,sawed diagonally and a piece measuring about one inch is cut off parallel to the end. The bark is left on the} slab thus obtained, if possible’ while the faces are finished smooth with sand- paper. A pin, shaped like a hook, is pressed into the piece by which it is suspended, after applying the ‘shellac. Brush over the edges first, and then the faces holding the piece at the extreme edges between the two fingers. Red cedar makes up very attractively, the heart wood becomes a deep red when the shellac is applied. In some cases it is desirable to remove the bark to show the grooves and fur- rows of the engraving beetle—and thus you have a paper-weight, wood specimen, and a record of a period in the life-history of an insect. Napkin Ring It wouldn’t be wood if it wasn’t wood, would it? A burl is—but what is a burl? It is the wartlike growth on certain tree trunks which grows over stubs of broken limbs and injuries; it makes a dandy napkin ring, as well asa drink- ing cup, which Uncle Dan calls a noggin. The procedure is to first saw off enough of the rounded end to obtain a cross-section. Parallel to this, the width of the napking-ring-to-be, saw the burl from the tree. Hollow out the center while the wood is still green to the thin- ness the ring is expected to be; the bark need not be removed. To prevent checking, the ring is immersed in crude oil for several days; after being thoroughly soaked, it is removed from the oil bath-and left to dry. The ring is then sand- papered smooth and shellacked. Instead of using a burl, the napkin ring can be made from sections of von cut from a branch about two inches in diameter; if green, it is treated like the burl. Candle-Holder Rise and shine, or, in this case, shine and retire—for the day. Our candle is mounted on a three-pronged stand, the top of which is hol- lowed with the auger of a scout knife. A double crotch will also MZ make a good stand. ADS A straight-growing stem two inches in diameter, with a single branch, is useful as a “wall fix- ture.” In this case, the straight piece may be flat- tened opposite the side of the branch to fit closely to the wall, while the end of the ex- tending branch is hollowed to receive a candle. Coat-Hanger “Don’t use em?” How about the good suit you expect to wear home—and that ‘wet “something-or-other” whose shape depends largely upon the way it was hung while drying? You bet a coat- hanger is useful in camp and it makes a dandy remembrance to take home. In fifteen min- utes you'll have it fin- ished, shellacked and all. Take a slightly curved branch measuring one inch in diameter and fourteen inches long. Bore a hole through the center \ of the branch for the reception of an inverted forked stick. One prong, six inches long, is whittled to fit to hole, the other, three inches long, comes the Hook, while the main 4 branch of the fork is cut off closely to the prongs. Finis! Fish-Scraper Take a branch, one inch thick and ten to twelve inches long, carve out three or four small sections in which to fit the P ush-on- of bottle tops; these are attached to the handle and held in place with one or two nails, HERE are a number of other stunts thrown in for good measure which will give you lots of practice in using your. knife and ax, have your choice: hot-stone lifter, pot-hook, (Concluded on page 43) 39 Good, Old Vacation! Time when you want a roomy, generously cut blouse! One that gives you plenty of freedom when you climb trees, put up the tent, knock a two-bagger, or have a dom; from what closely woven, durable fabrics they’re made. And let herlookoverthedressy, up-to-date patterns in stripesand colors, with khaki or blue for out- “rassling match.” door and summer wear. a rein- Ask Mother to look at Honor forced pocket. Regular military Bright Shirts and Blouses. Have or buttoned-down collar. And her see how roomy they are, with there are Honor Bright Play curvedarmholes foreaseand free- Suits for the little tots, too. Honor BRIGHT] Boys’ Shirts, Blouses and Play Suits Get This 100-Page Handbook FREE! Packed full of outdoor and camping lore —how to make a cabin, boat, box kite— 200 dandy stunts. Given Free for 4 tags from Honor Bright Shirts or Blouses. We send first tag Free. Then buy 3 Honor Bright Shirts or- Blouses and get remaining 3 tags. coupon NOW for your first free tag. RELIANCE MANUFACTURING COMPANY 212 WEST MONROE STREET CHICAGO, ILLINOIS RELIANCE MANUFACTURING COMPANY Mail This Co Dept.D-8, 212 West Monroe St., Chicago, Ill. For First Tag send me free tag. I want to save tagsand get a free copy of FREE Please send Honor Bright Boys’ Mother buys my clothes at.......-00+ POPC OOEE SES EEEEESOOOSOSOSOSEOOOSSOOOSOOO OOS OSESETESS Do they sell Honor Bright Blouses and Shirts?. ...cccccccccccscccsccccccescessescccesecsceses MOUs vwctccciecccecnsebessesscsscnascssossdees State...cccccccccccccccsesvesvccsccsscees ‘Big Bugle Bargain * ys M A A KE PB E Wlele | E Y This regulation Army Bugle AT H re) M bE for Boy Scouts—made of high- ly polished heavy brass, iseasy Yetiege LE gl = blowing—well balanced. Com- plete with nickel plated mouth piece—it isa bargainat $4.98. Send no money—just your name I Sg anteed or your money ref Rex Metal Products Co., ‘ne 57-59 Jay Street, Dept. C-114, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Page 42

Ten years, and no breakdowns That’s the record which James Bishop’s Auto-Wheel Coaster has made, Read what he says: “T have had an Auto-Wheel Coaster for ten years. Have hauled heavy loads most every day on rough ground, but the wagon went through it all without a breakdown. Jas. Bishop, Knoxville, Tenn.” Auto Wheel Coasters and Suto-Carts Superior construction makes Auto-Wheel Coasters sturdy and dependable. Bolsters of hard maple will not collapse; far superior to steel construction. No springs to get out of order, no rattling as with steel bolsters. Other features: Mortised joiiits; self-contained roller bearings; hound brace; hand brake; special hub cap and locking pin; rubber-tired disc wheels (oversize tires on est), or steel- tired disc or wood spoke wheels. Write for catalog eo all models of the Auto- Wheel also all models of the Auto-Cart, the junior companion for little brother or sister. Ifyousend dadd fthreecoaster wagon dealers in your town, telling which ones sell the Auto-Wheel, we : give you a ar’s subscrip' to the “Auto-Wheel jpokesman”’, a dan- dy little magazine for a boy like you. Sarto-Cart Auto-Wheel Coaster Co., Inc. North Tonawanda, N. Y. MAGIC CHEF Dehydrated Save many a backache by enormous reduction in weight and bulk of supplies. Unharmed by heat or dampness. Cheap ~ Healthful - Delicious Your name on post card brings free sam- ple. Fine big trial assortment for real outdoor use, five kinds, $1. J.J, DeMOTT CO., , Dept. A 110 Lexington Ave., for Camp? $5.-$10.-$20. Hundreds of Dol- lars have been i by “BOYS’ LIFE” to its readers in re- cent months. Hun- dreds more will be given this year. Are you getting your share? You need not miss camp with its hikes, swims, games, sleeping out of doors in your blankets, and all the fun camping means. LET “BOYS’ LIFE” PAY THE COST Write at once for full information. Benefit by the experience of the boys who have oiveedy made ood as Special Representatives of ““ BOYS’ LIFE.” ou can make half hours mean half dollars. There'll be bonus money, too, for good work in each month. Get your share! Address: Camp Money Desk, ““BOYS’ LIFE,” The y Scouts’ Magazine, 200 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. Y. BOYS’ LIFE Forest Folk That Watch the Scouts LOOKING back to my enthusiastic studies of natural history when a fifteen-year-old boy, it seems fair to indulge in self-criticism of the great time, energy and noise expended in pursuing animals that might have come to me of their own accord, if [tactfully handled. Wild birds and mammals have no need of the nose, ear and eye specialists that we human beings employ. A boy’s foot breaking a stick or thin ice in the woods is a signal of danger to the little woods folk, whose hearing is acute. Every Boy Scout can learn to make a “screeping’’ sound by sucking the back of his fist with his lips. In bird-nesting season, a scout can conceal himself under shelter of vines or bushes, where birds are numerous, and “screep.”’ If well done, the more nervous birds such as catbirds, brown thrashers, the wood thrushes, the wrens, will soon be within twenty feet of you. Birds are as gossipy as old women, and birds that have no young will hasten to see why some feathered neighbor’s child is being abused. Some of the shy ground-feeding warblers come within reach that would be invisible in a noisy open approach. Never shall I forget my contest of wits with a red fox, whose brush I saw disappear in the side of a road, as I turned a curve in a noise- less, sandy road through an Adirondack forest, near Schroon Lake. Believing that the fox had not seen me, I turned at right angles into the forest about fifty yards, on the side opposite to the fox, then paralleled the road and, falling on the ground, wormed my way to the road, be- hind a tree, where the fox had crossed. Then, “screeping”’ like a bird in distress, I glued my eyes on the forest undergrowth opposite. No results occurred and I had almost abandoned hope when, to my intense delight, the very shrewd features of a fox came into the land- scape, like the celebrated “Cheshire Cat” in “ Alice in Wonderland.” Back tracking so carefully towards me, a step at a time, like a noiseless phantom, his artistic footwork fascinated me and amply: repaid me for my hard work. At thirty yards Mr. Fox halted on his haunches and no further would he advance. Perhaps he detected a smell of the town. By Morris M. Green His face was a picture of intensely alert interest and curiosity, backed with caution. God pity the hare or grouse that faces such a stealthy bushwhacker! I had decoyed the fox within shot-gun range, so, feeling that the victory was mine on points, I sprang into view and, of course, was again alone in the woods. Two forest animals that will tell tales of the scout’s approach are the blue jay and the red squirrel. The former, besides his own noisy alarm call, has a beastly habit of imitating the cry of the red-shouldered hawk, which tends to alarm wild life. The rural negro of the South appraises the jay by a legend that the bird is seldom seen on Friday, being absent in hell to receive orders from the devil. Both the red squirrel and blue jay eat eggs and nestlings in birds’ nests and may create alarm by their appearance. The red squirrel has a chattering alarm call that has always sounded to me like a minute buzz-saw. One day last summer, while camping on Valentine Lake, Michigan, I set some traps for shrews in a dense growth of hemlock, balsam and cedar on the lake’s opposite shore. At sunrise next morning I rowed from my tent across the lake to this swamp, hoping to find something of interest. Before fifty yards’ advance had been made in the dim forest light, the alarm call of a blue jay was followed by the buzz-sawing of a red squirrel. It was time for me to halt and reflect. Suddenly the piercing screams of a barred owl rang through the air. Are the forest folk as “dumb” as we of the genus Homo love to believe? Did those two forest spies, the jay-and squirrel, inform the owl, that man, the great destroyer of the forest and its people, was abroad? Or had the owl’s presence startled the jay and squirrel? Often have I wished that a phonograph could have recorded that triple alarm in that somber shady swamp. A few days afterward in the same swamp my “screeping” brought a red squirrel to a tree overhead. Upon seeing me, he made a discreet and noiseless departure until some distance away, then “buzz-sawed” the news of my arrival. Once in northeastern Iowa I amused myself by “screeping” a red squirrel towards me in some woods and then, as something else attracted me, I forgot all about this squirrel. Suddenly some animal jumped on my shoulder from behind. I felt fur sweep the side of my face and a red squirrel jumped from my shoulder to the ground and ran off. That squirrel gave me an intense shock for an instant, for I realized that some strange animal had jumped on me. Did the squirrel expect a young bird to eat or, being an Iowa squirrel, was it “kidding” me, in its “Towa way,” as a tenderfoot from the east? The manner in which a family of young red squirrels will frolic in their home tree suggests an inborn sense of humor in this versatile rodent. Here ina thickly settled Philadelphia suburb, I use the neighbors’ cats as a medium for instructing my sons of scoutage in the art of “screeping.’”’ When a cat is sighted near the house, a window shade is lowered within three inches of bottom and the window sash elevated as much. This enables us to see the cat and to send sound waves to it. On one occasion we enticed a cat into a fifty-yard advance until it was beneath a bay window, too close to be seen. This is a good means of detecting that nuisance, the house- cat that destroys song birds. == approached, and the Ag, Pe ——S=S=== go ahead,’’ said Chandler. The big woodsman had been loading his rifle with Down the Big River (Continued from page 9) force of the stream drove it nearer and nearer to the Ohio bank. “ Look there,” said considerable care. Now he braced his feet and leveled the weapon, taking a long sight. When at last he fired they saw the shingle jump a little, then fall back, apparently untouched. “Ol Jonathan ain’t feelin’ very stout to- day, is he?”’ laughed Buckeye Ben, as he raised his own rifle, slowly. At the instant it reached the level of his shoulder, he fired. The target was split cleanly from top to bottom, but remained in position against the tree, its two halves separated by an inch or less. A loud yell went up from the assembled hunters. “That’s ol’ Sal fer ye!” “Good boy, Ben!” “Right betwixt the ears!”’ UCKEYE BEN turned toward Tom. “Try a shot yourself, son,’’ he said kindly. The boy flushed red with embarrassment under his tan, then stepped out boldly and took his position with feet spread, at right angles to the target. It was fortunate, he thought, that he had cleaned the rifle and loaded it that afternoon, using a heavy powder charge to carry far over the water if necessary. He paused a second to feel the wind, then lifted the barrel till the knife-like front sight came into view in the carefully filed notch of the rear bar. He found the white speck of the shingle, allowed for wind and distance, and pulled the trigger with a steady, even pressure that he had learned by long practice. With the crash of the discharge all looked toward the target, but this time there was no resultant shattering of the wood. Chandler smiled, sympathetically, ‘‘That’s pretty fur fer any gun to shoot straight,” he was saying, when a hail came from one of the men near the target. “Square between ’em?” the fellow called. ‘Couple o’ inches above your’n, Ben!” “Wal, I snum!” chorused the woodsmen, “Good shootin’, thar, lad!” And “B’ar” Hanson smote Tom a powerful buffet between the shoulders. “You'll do, boy!” he shouted. “If that had been a pa’tridge or a squirrel, you’d ha’ got him.” Tom was anxious to escape from the rough flattery of the crowd of hunters, and seeing his uncle leaving the store, he started toward the dock, inviting the good-natured giant, Hanson, to go with him. “Buckeye, he’s the best shot above the Falls,” explained the Muskingum man, as they went down the street. “He’s a Kaintuck hunter, like ol’ Dan’el Boone an’ Simon Ken- ton, an’ they kin all drive a shoe-peg, with their rifles. . “That’s your keel-boat, is she? Nice, trim- lookin’ boat. Ain’t you a leetle mite skeert, though, goin’ down with only,three-four fightin’ hands? Better wait a few days an’ go down long of us.” Tom laughed. “Guess we’ll get through all right,”’ he said. “Four of us are good shots, an’ this dog here’s better’n two men. Then we’ve got a first-class river man for pilot.’’ He looked around for Jake Rogers, but the lean steersman was nowhere to be seen. “What makes you think we ought to go easy?”’ Tom pursued. “That Wilson gang, below the Wabash, got mighty pesky ’fore the season was over, last Fall,” answered the big woodsman, with a frown. “We heard o’ their work, way up on the Muskingum. That ’ar ‘Jericho,’ as they call him, sort 0’ collects all the mean scum an’ trash from the hull river—some says they’s a hundred of ’em now, jes’ boozin’ an’ livin’ off the travelers that comes down. Wish they’d tackle these boats of ourn, once! Only they don’t fool much with hunters. We’re too much like a razor-back hog. The meat on our bones ain’t wuth the ruction it takes to git it.” Dusk had begun to fall now, and the water ran past, gloomy and dark. Tom was looking across toward the Virginia shore, when his eye chanced to fall on a black speck, coming rapidly down with the current. It grew larger as it Tom “—in the big river. It’s a canoe, isn’t it?” “Sure ’nough!”’ Hanson exclaimed. out, it looks like.” The little craft drew close and they could see a man kneeling amidships, plying his paddle vigorously, his head bent low. Sud- denly Tom gave a start. The man’s face had been turned in their direction for an instant, and the dark, coarse features of an Indian had been visible. Something about the slouched shoulders and matted hair reminded Tom of the night in the mountain inn, and the squat- ting figure by the fire that had disappeared before dawn. In that second the impression came vividly into Tom’s mind that the Indian in the canoe was the same. Even as they watched, the tiny boat shot past the settlement, and was soon far down- stream. Then an odd thing happened. When the canoe had reached a point perhaps a quarter of a mile below the town Tom and his companion saw the paddle flash in the air and remain poised for several seconds, as if in signal to some one on shore. A moment later the craft had passed from sight. The big New Englander, B’ar Hanson, stayed for supper at the Lockwoods’ boat, then bade them a hearty farewell and returned to the hunters’ camp, farther up the Muskin- gum shore. Tom had wrapped himself in his blankets when he heard a step that rattled the gravel on the bank. His uncle’s voice sounded. “Hello—that you, Rogers?” he asked. “T’m that same,” came the low, chuckling response of the pilot. “Jes’ been for a leetle stroll on the shore. Useter know a feller "long the bank here a ways.” And Tom, wondering whether the river man’s stroll had taken him up the shore or down, finally fell asleep. “ Dug- ‘THE morning dawned clear and _ bright, as the travelers pushed off from the Marietta dock. So far, at least, the spring August

Page 43

The Boy Scouts’ Magazine weather had been unusually kind to them. According to the genial Jake Rogers, a suc- cession of half a dozen fair days was almost unheard of on the river in April. Ezra Lockwood had bought several fish- lines and a supply of hooks, and Tom spent most of the day fishing over the side as they drifted down the river. About the middle of the morning the boat passed the mouth of the Little Kanawha, and soon after, coming around a bend, they caught a glimpse of Blennerhasset’s “Castle” as the pilot called it, standing among great trees on an island. The sight of that fine house with its gardens, set in the midst of the wilderness, interested Tom by its strangeness, though he had no way of knowing that the name of the poor mis- guided gentleman who built it would be written romantically into the history of his country, After a curious glance or two he turned back to his fishing. Perch and cat- fish were rising hungrily to the lure of his salt- pork bait, and he soon had all the fish that the passengers and crew of the Phoebe Ann could eat. Two more days of perfect weather followed, and the travelers continued their steady prog- ress down the river, making an easy fifty or sixty miles between sunrise and dark. Their landings were made, as a rule, on the southern shore, and at regular mooring-places, where the bank was favorable for them. From his talks with Rogers, Tom had found out that these landing-spots were known to all the pilots and nearly always used by boats de- scending the river. Thus, when a river man said “two days downstream” he indicated a particular point on the bank,perhaps a hundred miles below. Remembering Andy’s message, carved on the beech-trunk, Tom looked forward to the fourth night’s landing with a growing hope that he would see his young friend. Ezra Lockwood appeared stubbornly con- vinced that Andy had tried to trick them, and once, during the fourth day’s cruise, he repeated to Tom his stern warning against going ashore, to search for the redheaded lad. “We'll all sleep aboard, to-night,’’ he said, “and we’d best have extra guns loaded, too. Rogers says the outlaws are too great cowards to attack us openly, but it can do no harm to be ready.” Tom cleaned the rifles and loaded them without a word. At sunset the keel-boat swung in toward the Kentucky shore, a dozen miles above the Scioto, and Flynn and Bunker had soon made a mooring rope fast to a big itree near the water. By Ezra Lockwood’s orders, the shore -fire was doused as soon as supper was finished, and all turned in on the planks of the boat. Jake Rogers took the first watch, while Tom was to have the second. Lying in his blankets near the bow, the young Pennsylvanian found himself too rest- less for slumber. He lay wide awake, his muscles tense, his ears strained to catch the slightest sound. Aft on the deck of the cabin, he could see the gaunt silhouette of the steersman, black against the night sky. Rogers:smoked and‘ spat over the rail; and occasionally hummed one of his numberless river ditties under his breath. Suddenly the man stood up, rifle in hand. “Who’s that?” he asked, sharply. There was no answer but a faint splash in the water. For a moment Rogers stood motionless, his rifle half-raised. Then he settled back to his former ‘comfortable position. ‘Nothin’ but a muskrat, I reckon,”-he muttered. For another hour Tom lay waiting. Then the pilot rose with a yawn.and a stretch and came forward. He poked the boy’s ribs with his toe. ‘Time fer you to stand watch,’’ he grunted. Ten minutes later, Tom was ensconced on _ the after-deck, and the low, even snoring that came from the bows announced that Rogers was deep in sleep. Tom lifted himself softly, and looked over the side into the narrow lane of black water that separated them from the shore. Even as he did so, a whisper came out of the dark. “Give me a hand up,” said Andy’s voice. Leaning far over, Tom felt fingers clutch his own, and a moment later he pulled the drip- ping figure of the river boy to the deck beside im. Andy’s teeth chattered with cold, and at first he could hardly speak. “T—I—I started to come aboard be—be- fore,’”” he managed, at last, “only I g-got a sight o’ that feller’s face when he was lightin’ his pipe, an’ seen how his hat was pulled down on the side.”” His voice dropped once more to a whisper of pure terror. “Do you know who that is?” he said. Tom shook his head in amazement. “Who?” he asked. “That man,” Andy answered, “is Earless Jake Rogers. He got his left ear bit off in a fight at the Falls o’ the Ohio, years ago. He’s one o’ ? the meanest scrappers on the river, an’—” Andy’s whisper became almost inaudible—“‘he’s Jericho Wilson’s right hand man!” (To be continued in September Boys’ LiFF) Although I am not a Boy Scout and am more than ten thousand miles away from New York City, yet I am a booster-subscriber of Boys’ Lire. I enjoy reading it as much as any live, red-blooded American Boy Scout does and perhaps more. I love it because of its thrilling, wholesome short stories and serials, its instructive departments and articles, and breezy, up-to-date news. It is the only maga- zine that does not leave my hands until I have finished devouring (not merely reading) it from cover to cover. On January 29, 1921, I read an advertise- ment telling about Lincoln—of his manly qualities and adventures in the backwoods. And to quote the exact words, here they are: “A regular feller was Lincoln. A live, two- fisted he-boy, whose exciting adventures in the backwoods equalled those of any of your favor- ite heroes. “Frontiersman, trapper, scout, soldier, and finally President of the United States—some record! You’re right. And Ida M. Tarbell’s Boy Scout's Life of Lincoln, which begins in the February number of Boys’ Lire, the Boy Scouts’ Magazine, makes the bulliest reading you’ve enjoyed in a coon’s age. —_ “Besides this wonderful serial, you get in a year’s subscription to Boys’ Lire the greatest collection of short stories—over a hundred of *em—articles on the great outdoors by famous woodsmen, and official scout information you can get from no other magazine. From the splendid color cover of each of the twelve big issues in a year’s subscription, straight through the book, every number of Boys’ Lire is crammed with just the sort of real boy reading you want, etc., etc.” These true words in this true advertisement stirred my interest to the extreme and soon I subscribed to Boys’ Lire, the Boy Scouts’ Magazine, the Out-of-Doors Adventure Maga- zine for Boys. Ever since January, 1922, I have 1923 been regularly receiving it and hope to receive it forever. Every time it comes, I dance “around the house like a clog dancer” as my Pop put it. But I cannot help dancing with joy whenever a new issue comes for I know that I am in for a treat, journey or tour through everywhere in the world—the cold North, the American woods, the African jungles, etc. Boys’ Lire surely is a Dandy with a capital D. Not only every boy but everybody OUGHT to subscribe to Boys’ Lire. Why? Oh, for a lot of reasons. Serials, stories, articles, depart- ments, news, advertisements, and illustrations of every kind, type, class, and sort are con- tained in every issue. Famous writers who understand boys’ life are regular contributors to Boys’ Lire. Take for examples: Irving Crump’s forest ranger stories, Thomas S. Miller’s Omo series, J. Allan Dunn’s “Jim Morse Among the Cannibals,” Mr. Anderson’s Bob Carter stories, and a hundred others, The Department of Camping, the Stamps Depart- ment, Fundamentals of Radio, Dan Beard’s Scouting Section and others are highly in- structive. The National Council News, Pops of Popular Science, and News To-day—The History of To-morrow are very interesting. The Photographic and the Why-I-Subscribed Contests stimulate the minds of its readers to win prizes. Mr. Boyer’s Johnny Kelly and Nutty Nat stories, Think and Grin, and In the Scout Cave always have funny kicks in them. Mr. Rigney’s cartoons always contain pep and humor, All in all, the Boys’ Lire is the BEST, BRIGHTEST, AND BULLIEST magazine ever published for BOYS. The following boys’ letters, while not as inter- esting as the one printed ab Jine, and deserve “honorable mention”: Marvin Caldwell, Campabello, S. C.; Ell- worth Anderson, San Gabriel, Calif.; J. L. Heard, Cumming, Ga.; Scout Wallace Mc- Pherson Alston, Decatur, ‘Ga. 4i © B.-N. P. Co. remember: here are rare treats for the outdoor eats F course you’ve opened many a jar of Beech-Nut Peanut Butter in camp and on the hike. You must know how luscious it is—just scooped out of the glass and spread thick on slices of bread—and how perfectly it goes with a beautiful, out-of- doors appetite. But--iave you tried it for sandwiches—mixed with tomatoes, cheese, bananas or jam ? If you haven't, there’s something in store for your next lunch in what the movies call “the great open spaces.” Make the sandwiches at home—lots of them and as many varieties as you wish. You will find that there are a great many ways in which Beech-Nut Peanut Butter can be enjoyed. If your mother wants to know how to use Beech-Nut Pea- nut Butter in other ways around the house, write to us for the Beech-Nut Book of Menus. Glad to send it. BEECH-NUT PACKING COMPANY Canajoharie, N. Y. **Feods and Confections of Finest Flavor’’ Beech-Nut Peanut Butter | Cultivate Your musical i Pe, eg YOU BET DAD WILL! Insist on a Conn and you'll learn to play quickly. For half acen- tury Conn instruments of every kind for band and orchestra have used and endorsed by the Your Dad will want you to camp out this sum- world’s greatest artists use mer. He’ll help you get an outfit. they are Remind him of how much fun and health he got ieee _ out of camping when he was a boy. —most tellable inaction He'll be proud to have you self-reliant, able to ly take care of yourself in the woods. Our ly finished. More Conn saxophones are sold than any other make in the © world. The great jazz kings and r_ record makers prefer Conns for their exclusive fea- Ere” "Trial; Easy . Wai for details, instrument, Corn ~ :tins possess wonder- fuitonc. C.G. CONN, Ltd. 807 Conn Bldg. Elkhart, Ind. TENTS CAMP EQUIPMENT are just what you need. Our Catalog shows the articles you require for a good vacation. It also contains interesting ar- ticles on camping outfitting for the woods, etc. Write for Catalog No. 616, Sent Free. Geo-B-Carrenter & Co. Tents and —_ the a" 440 N. Wells St. ~ - Payments. mentioning Chicago ON SSSR RS

Page 44

42 HERE’S more good fun in Backyard railroading than in any game you know. “American Flyer” Miniature Railroads and’ Structo” Autos enable you to solve all problemsofland transportation. BACKYARD RAILROADING with “American Flyer” Railroads & “‘Structo”? Automobiles A Prize for EVERYONE Send us a photo and description of the Backyard Railroad you build and Giant Dump Seructo Truck we will send you an Engineer’s Cap and an orderon your dealer for 50c worth of Railroad Accessories. You may also win one of our 23 big prizes — $25.00 to 00. Use any equip- ment you have. Send 10c for this catalog an Twentieth Century Limited—the crack train of the “American Flyer” line. This train and twenty- three other electrical and mechanical Minature Railroad oufits together with a complete line of accessories for building Backyard Railroads are described and illustrated in our four color catalog. d we will include with it a four color catalog of Strucro Auto- mobiles, and Horace Wade’s story ‘‘How to build a Backyard R. R. American Flyer Mfg. Co. 2239south Halsted St.,CHICAGO, ILL. BOYS LEARN HOW TO PLAY ANY TUNE IN ONE AFTERNOON F R E E complete instructions for making real music with a Hohner Harmonica (Mou Organ). Sent to any American Boy. First learn the scale—“do, re, me, fa,” etc. Then try “Home Sweet Home.” Diagrams and full explanations show you how to do this easily with a HOHNER HARMONICA After you've done this you can play any tune you can whistle—with chords and full accompaniment. Most popular music on the radio. Biggest hit of the year in New York Orchestras. Be the first boy in your neigh- borhood to play a harmonica well. Astonish your folks and your friends. Be sure to ask at the music goods store, general store, stationery or drug store in your town for a Hohner Harmonica—50c and up. Write us this minute and say “Send me Hohner Harmonica Instructions” —then your name and address. Address your letter to— A Scout Cheerful _M. HOHNER (Oldest and largest Harmonica Is manufacturers in the world) Dept. 10, 116 E. 16th St., New York City Sold by the Supply Department, Boy Scouts of America ! feet from jigging and dancing. ful world this would be. Sincerely, (Signed) WESLEY BARRY ti Star in “Rags to Riches,” “Penrod,” “Heroes of the Street,” etc., says : I want you to know that I’m havin “barrels”’ of fun playing the HOHNE HARMONICA and that every time the kids hear me play they can’t stop their Gee! If every feller had a HOHNER HARMONICA, what a happy wonder- Wesley Barry. The So Is Hohner BOYS’ LIFE A Scoutmaster Who Lives in a Lighthouse By L. M. Merriman BOeY SCOUTS at Stuyvesant, New York, suspended activities for ten days last spring while the ice moved out of the Hudson River. Jerome McDougall, Scoutmaster, bachelor, keeper of the Coxsackie Light, was marooned on his little island while fifty miles of broken cakes—defying boats and men— flowed slowly past towards New York Bay and the ocean. Communication with the main- land was severed, and watchers knew of his safety only by the big light that appeared the second night after the flow started and re- appeared each evening to keep adventurous craft off the flats and rocks surrounding his fortress. Bulwarked behind cans of chowder and beans and hardtack, the man who saved the Boy Scouts organ- ization for Stuyvesant, sat pa- tiently. Scoutmasters are rare in that section of New York, and when the boys were getting thoroughly discouraged someone sug- gested “Mac,” whose craft comes daily during the warm months to the piers outside the little city. He was known throughout that section as a sane man whose personal courage was tempered by good judgment and mellowed by respect for boys who want leaders. His prestige was raised still higher December 13 last, however, when his courage and hardihood underwent a test from which few men could recover. Ice was forming on the river and the last cargoes of fall were moving up and down the channel guided by his trusted lights. Despite vigilance, the reservoir of East Flats Beacon, marking one of the most hazardous spots in the river, was running low. Alone, in a one- man scow, he started through the bitter cold to change the tank. The night was black, illumined only by the beacon and the glaring eye of the lighthouse. He reached the beacon and was on the structure when it collapsed and sunk, carrying his boat to the bottom and throwing him into the icy water. For a moment he feared himself entangled in the snarl below the surface, but, struggling desperately, he tore himself loose. His boat had disappeared, yet as he kicked about, picking the direction in which he would strike out, he hit the scow submerged six inches under water, held from rising by the beacon. Despite the weight of his storm boots, his winter breeches and coat, he began to swim for the lighthouse, for to remain long in the freezing water meant certain death. Twenty feet away from his scow, he realized that his binding clothing would steal his strength long before he could reach safety. He treaded water, tugging at the buttons of his coat, but his mittened hands were helpless. Re- signed, he turned and swam back to the sunken scow to await the end. The ripples splashed his face and his numb- ing arms and legs told him that even speedy rescue could hardly save them from amputa- tion. He rested, clinging to the scow, fighting the ripples that threatened to wash him far into the current. Then, down around the bend, guided by the beacons he himself had lighted, came the red and green spots that marked the late going tug. Closer it came, and the searchlight, seeking the vanished beacon, fell. upon the form wriggling in the water. The lizhtkeeper waved his arms, though his shouts were drowned by the noises of the tug. As he clung there, he realized the wake of the steamboat would wash him from his scow; his strength was already spent, he could never regain his grasp. The captain of the tug, seasoned in river lore, cut loose his string of “tows” and brought the boat close. “Don’t wash me off,” cried the keeper as the black hulk of the craft drew near. Over the port bow, he saw the crew stringing out ready to grab when the chance came. “String out, boys,’’ the captain called, for he knew that should the first man miss his hold on the drenched and ice-caked form others should be ready to try again. “Use a boat-hook. I can’t hold to a rope,” the wet man called, but with a whiz and a splash the coil struck a yard behind him. He dared not leave his scow to reach for it. A second rope hit him across the face. Doggedly he strove to grasp it, yet his numbed hands refused to close. At last he wound the rope around his arm, caught the end in his teeth and shouted through them, “Haul away!” He felt himself drawn from the sunken scow and was “snaked” in over the bow like a fish. Immediately, the crew tore his clothing from him in the little engine room next the fire. Standing over the limp body, they chafed and slapped the flesh to restore circulation, one man moving his hand steadily over the heart. He refused to remain in the hospital and returned the next day to his light. Then the strain of the experience, the extent of the exposure, showed its effect in fatigue and pain that lasted a week. The following letter officially records his courage: DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Office of the Secretary Washington January 8, 1923. Sir: Referring to the report of your hazardous experience while endeavoring to change the reservoir on the dolphin of East Flats Beacon resulting in your being carried into the river upon the collapse of the structure and subse- quent rescue from drowning, the Department is pleased to commend you for your heroic effort to maintain this light and in going on the dolphin under these conditions, which will be noted on the records as part of your official history. Respectfully, HERBERT HOOVER, (Signed): Secretary of Commerce. Pigsqueak (Concluded from page 17) around. And when Pigsqueak had got the shirt, he looked around too, for he wasn’t much more uneasy up so high than the monkey was. But the monkey jumped at the yell that burst out of Pigsqueak after he’d-looked a minute. “Tsee’em! Isee’em! I see ’em!”’ he yelled. “T know where they are! I see where he put ’em! I kin see ’emfrom here! There they are!’’ Those below, not understanding at first, just looked up; but then they raised a shout of inquiry, listened, and compre- hended. “T kin see ’em!’”’ yells Pigsqueak. “I kin see’em! They’re on the roof!’. The clothes is in the chim- ney, and the shoes is in the eavetrough! That’s where he put ’em: He climbed up and stuffed ’em there!” And before anything more was done, Pig- squeak had grasped the monkey around the body, tucked him under his arm, and slid down to the crowd that was holding up its hands to him and yelling. “You see-a da suit?” roared Joe, holding Pigsqueak, while the policeman and the Carnival man tried to keep the crowd from squashing them. “ You see-a da shoes?” “Sure, I seen ’em! On the roof! In the chimney! In the eave- trough! You can see em from up. there! That’s jest where he hid ’em! You go and look!” And the crowd, led by Joe, Pigsqueak, the August

Page 45

The Boy Scouts’ Magazine policeman, afd the Carnival man, with the monkey still in Joe’s underwear under his arm, plunged back down the embankment, through the fence, and across the field, almost as fast as they had come. But the word had gone much faster than they did. Before they ar- rived a ladder was up, a half dozen men were on the roof, and had taken the clothes and some other stuff Joe hadn’t missed out of the chimney, and the shoes out of the eave-trough. The clothes were not much harmed; the shoes, not at all; Joe examined them and gave a bellow and a snort. “All right!” he cried. ‘‘That’s all right!” And then he seemed at a loss. He seemed to feel that something more was expected of him, and once more he bellowed and snorted. He threw his arm about Pigsqueak’s shoulders, and the Carnival man stripped the underwear from the monkey and put it in Joe’s hand. “All right!” Joe cried. “All right!’ And he hesitated again. “But I say I treat you right, boy,” he thundered. ‘“‘ You—what is it?-— Squeaker?— You play baseballs here, eh?” ““Y-yes, sir,” says Pigsqueak. “Go aheat then!” says Joe. No fight, and I say notting! ‘Fight, and I come and give everybody some more fight! But you play baseballs here all right. You boss. Who you say play, play! You keep da order. No fight! It be all right! And now, Squick- peek——”’ “Pigsqueak!” cried a dozen. “Peeksqueak? All right, Peeksqueak, I “T say notting! not done!” And he takes out his pocketbook and gets out a five-dollar bill and gives it to Pigsqueak. ‘This be for you, too. And when you want somet’ing any time, some sundae, some pop, you come in my place. I feex you up. I say I treat you right. I do it, heh?” And he puts his arm back on Pigsqueak’s shoulder. And Pigsqueak, hot and dirty and red in the face, is grinning so his ears almost fold in two. And the crowd is all laughing and yelling. And when the policeman looks at the Carniz- val man with his monkey still under his arm and says, “ What about this feller?” why, Joe, who’s supposed to be a sort of a wild man, just flares up for a minute, and then he says: “Oh, him! Well, that be all right too. Let that be. I geet-a my clothes, my shoes, I no sore. I feel-a goot! Call it square. He geef me some pass to his show, I call-a it square! Only shut up da monkey, and I say notting. That’s all. Shut up da monk. Let’s go.” “You come around too, kid, with your friend,” says the Carnival man to Pigsqueak before he leaves, “and I’ll fix you up.” And then Pigsqueak turns his head and sees Joe’s big hairy arm and hand still on his shoulder, and he looks all around. “Tf any gang wants anything out of it,” he says, “why, let ’em come around these di’- muns any time they like.” But Whitey’s gang didn’t say anything. They kept out of sight in the crowd and moved off as the cop broke it up.

Department of Camping | (Concluded from page 39) | alc a ears ai SE hot-pail handle, tent peg, tent-side holder, Broiling propeller blade, spoon, fork, drumsticks, Steak 1in.thick............... 4-6 min. tomahawk, pen-and-ink stand, rakes, broom, Steak 1 MOEA cs. ses S10 ball in cage, fan, chain, three interlocked rings; [Lamb and mutton chops........ 10-15 “ the last three are best made from poplar, bass- (Chicken...................... 30 “ wood, pine, or other soft wood. ere re 8-10 “ RAVER SIMIIIDE..<. 0 oon 5c ccs cee s-io “ Baking Biscuits (baking powder)........ 12-15 min. | eye eee perenne ee ae ed 26-30 “ Muffins (baking powder)........ 20-25 “ 2” Se eee 15-20 “ CUNCHRS, TCE... 62.0020. S85 * Frying TN COO Pere 4-8 min. co ss “ MI 3 os hae og Les och 46 “* Smelts, or other small fish... ..... ~—-

Time Tables for Cooking Boiling ES ee ee a. min Tea, let stand in warm place... ... 5 POUMGRER: WIE sii cies coco se 30-40 “ Potatoes, sweet............. 20-30 Green corn...... peadvatbisd sits ote 15-20 Tomatoes, stcwed.............. 15-30 “ | Ey Pat ete eee 30-40 “ NE sg ideas ont Baa hac . 2-25 “ NINN E 5 ors), seed nel otter ai<in ses 30 ~ IS 5.856 <04.5;. stnsteeatviae es 30 “s Tt) ey eee 1 hour Corn meal..... 2-3 hours Norte: Length of time for cooking fish and meat does not depend so much on number of pounds to be cooked as on extent of surface exposed to the heat. AS a finisher here are menus for three well- balanced meals for three days as a sort of guide to you. Breakfast Oatmeal Hunter's Stew Griddle Cakes Tapioca Pudding Syrup Tea Cocoa Dinner Supper Baked Beans Brown Bread Cold Slaw Baked — or Bananas Cottage Cheese Breakfast Dinner Stewed Prunes Steak Mush and Milk Macaroni and Tomatoes irae and Butter Bread Mi Supper Rice and Milk Bread and Butter Cocoa Breakfast Orange Flaked Wheat Milk Toast Dinner Hamburg Steak Baked Sweet Potatoes Bread and Butter Creamed Peas and Carrots . Tea Supper Potato Soup Wheat Bread Stewed Apples Cocoa

1923 43

The initials of a friend You will find these letters on many tools by which electricity works. They are on great generators used by electric light and power companies; and on lamps that light millions of homes. They are on big motors that pull railway trains; and on tiny motors that make hard housework easy. By such tools electricity dispels the dark and lifts heavy burdens from human shoulders. Hence the letters G-E are more than a trademark. They are an emblem of service—the initials of a friend. GENERAL ELECTRIC

It adds to the fun Anything that makes camp work easy helps a boy to have a better time! And STEERO bouillon is easy to prepare, for it doesn’t have to be cooked. Drop a cube into a cup and pour on boiling water. In a minute you will have a steaming hot drink with a good snappy flavor. Send for free samples STEERO BOUILLON CUBES Schieffelin & Co., 308 William St., N.Y.C. Distributors American Kitchen Prod $725 ANSONIA Sunwatch Tells the Time and Points the Way Sportsmen, Campers, Scouts,Guides, Motorists and all outdoor people need a reliable Compass. The Ansonia Sunwatch is both Compass and Sundial. Tells correct time any- where in United States. Handsome brass case; fits vest pocket. GET IT FROM YOUR DEALER If he has none in stock, we will mail postpaid on receipt of the price Price for United States only ANSONIA CLocK COMPANY 99 John St. Dept. C. New York Makers of Fine Clocks for Half a Century

Co., NewYork

Page 46

Daylight After Sundown Uncertain paths — sudden holes — sharp cliffs — unexpected stumps, brush heaps, mushy spring streams, tent ropes, bushy willows hiding a lake bank—many things that pop up unexpectedly when you are trying to get here and there after sundown— require the guiding light of a depend- able Federal Electric Lantern. Hangs easily from your arm or hand— burns brightly, steadily, throwing a flood of light when and where you need it—far enough around to light up the way. Scout leaders find it a great help, not only for night inspection and emergency light, but also for use in hanging in tent or cabin, for writing, making out reports, etc., as it spreads a soft, clear glow everywhere. Beautifully finished. Light—special handle makes it easy to carry. Cannot blow out or go out suddenly. Four (4) cell battery assuring a strong light—-averages 25 hours of inter- mittent service. Safe—reliable—eco- nomical. Tear Out and Sign Coupon NOW Fe eS GD a es ee mS Sa ea ee yw ome FEDERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, 8700 South State Street, Chicago, Illinois. Please send full information and prices on the Federal Electric Lantern, *‘The Ideal Outdoor Lantern."" No obligations. BID. 6.0 6 bu 0 6 5 6 bb s0d+ 0660-0068 Address Learn BOYS’ LIFE Homes of the Hunted AILY he had been whistling when he en- tered the thicket to bring forth a hound that had treed a squirrel; but silent he was and a wild fugitive when he emerged. From the manner in which he crashed through the bays, I imagined that a buck was breaking out. But it was only my dusky woodsman; yet he was not the same man who had just entered the sparkling and fragrant copse. Ancient fear sat upon his fea- tures; ancient fleetness was in his heels. “What’s the matter?’’ I asked, slipping from my horse and shoving up the safety of my gun; “‘is it a bear?’ “You must come and see,” he answered, halting _ beside me and panting painfully. “I walked right into a_ rattle- snake den.” “Was some one at home?” I asked. “The old man,” he re- plied. Together, then, with that caution which is inspired only by the fear of sudden death—and a caution, therefore, which a rattlesnake can in the highest degree pro- duce—we made our way gingerly, let us say daintily, into the odorous bay-branch. Plumy pine-boughs brushed us; with a rainy fragrance the huckleberry bushes, dew-drenched and hale, stayed us amorously. The sun of an early morning in mid-January in the Carolina pinelands sifted gently through the thicket. Birds were warbling there. A morning breeze in the great pines surrounding us choired Cartooning Turn your hobby into a profit- able occupation. If you hke to draw, become a CARTOONIST. You can learn cartooning at home, in your spare time. The | Landon Picture Chart method of teaching makes | original drawing easy to learn. By this method the Landon School has trained many boys who are now successful cartoonists earning $50 to $200 and more per week. Test Your Own Ability Find out whet her or not you have the making of a success- ful cartoonist. Send 6c in stamps for new Picture Chart which shows you how to test your own ability, and long list of successful Landon students. Please state your age. THE LANDON SCHOOL 2896 National Bide. The greatest thing of its kind on the market. Special Camp Grids and Utensils for Boy Scouts. WRITE FOR CATALOG UNITED STEEL & WIRE COMPANY Dept. M. Battle Creek, Mich., U.S.A. You can be quickly cured, if you STAMMER d 10 cents for 288-page boo! Stamm Siettaring: “its Cause and Cure.” It tells how “ cured myself after stammering 20 yrs, B. N. Bogue, 148 Bogue Bidg., 1147 N. 111 St., Indianapolis. sweetly. I thought of Duncan’s impressions of Inverness; where, though death was near, | he said: This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air Nimily and sweetly recommends itself Unto our gentle senses. And so it was here. Somewhere in this “Eden odorous in the early mist,” amid the camellia-like aromas of the wild lustral woods, lay Death in fearful ambush. It was no wonder that we tiptoed; and that our eyes narrowed acutely with the care of watching. It is a melancholy reflection that a human being, in all his five senses, is inferior to the creatures of the wild. A human being superb physically, with all his physical faculties ap- parently developed 100 per cent., is still far behind the fox, the deer, perhaps even the humble cottontail in taste, in smell, in hearing, in sight, and in touch. Physically we are no match for the animals. It is only because we meet them on a different plane that we are able to hold the ascendancy. “He is in there,” my man said, drawing aside a tangle of weeping smilax vines and pointing far into a deep yet sunny glade. At FIRST I saw nothing but an old stump standing in what appeared to be a singu- larly clean and white base of sand. Though the comparison is hardly apt, I could not help thinking of the speckless patch of sand on the bed of a stream that a bass makes when she is going to spawn. She keeps it spotless; and anything that drifts upon it is instantly re- moved. Heartless fisher- men sometimes drift bare hooks to such bass- beds; and the house- cleaning mothers are caught by their own zeal. The cleanliness By Archibald Rutledge illustrated by Margaret S. Johnson of this place made me think of a spawning- bed. “That’s his home,’’ my negro said. him quiled up on the edge of the sand?” I looked and I saw: the serpent was not “See coiled; but in slothful symmetry he lay in a circle on the edge of the warm sand. The warm winter’s sun had lured him forth to On dark stormy days deer seek the deepest thickets bask; and this fact leads me to say that in this interesting region the matter of hiber- nation is a variable affair. For twenty years I never saw an alligator abroad between the first of December and the first of March; but of late I have seen several; and my father has heard a great bull ’gator roaring on the delta in mid-February. Not infrequently hunters come upon rattlesnakes in the pinelands in the winter; but they are most often seen at that time of year near the coast where the proximity of the Gulf Stream always tempers the air. The lair of this huge diamondback was a spotless place; but so, also, I believe were the homes of the dread Gorgons. I could not leave the creature there unharmed. I shot him as he lay in his black-and-gold beauty. Such a serpent is a hideous menace to man and to animals—especially to good hunting-dogs. While I have long known of the hibernating places of these reptiles, I never saw one at his threshold until I saw this one. The place where the observation was made was called Cowhole, which is about a mile due east from the famous old Wambaw Church in the Santee country. OT very far from Cowhole is a wide and solitary lagoon\ {called Jones’ Pond. Standing in the pond are many bald cypresses; some are alone; others are in groups; and here and there are small islands grown to these fine trees. If you were to look at them at once you would observe a striking thing: the soft yellow bark from many of them is stripped away; many of the wisps of it are left waving in the wind. What has been at work here? The answer is that fox-squirrels have found this bark to be the best bedding in the world. They come long distances for it, and pack their holes full of it “against” the coming of the chill winter. The common gray squirrel also uses this bark; but he is more careless about his house In slothful symmetry he lay than is his larger and handsomer cousin. The raccoon beds in this bark; though ordinarily he is content to sleep in a bare hole, or even to curl up in the fork of a big tree, there to pass the daylight hours in amiable drowsiness— like the good and true philosopher that he is. But squirrels, particularly the fox-squirrel, like soft bedding; and none is so appealing to him as this fibrous down from the bald cypress. While it is easy to locate den-trees of squirrels, and sometimes to examine _ their holes, what ob- server can say with altogether certain truth, This is the home of a deer? For deer are wide rangers, wan- derers and roamers, and apparently not more particular about their bedding - places than are rab- bits. Toshow the truth of this I will mention the following places, each very different, from which I have roused deer in the day- time: the green top of a fallen pine; a triangle formed by fallen logs; a level field of broom- sedge; a thicket of young pines; a copse of sweet- gums (the favorite resort for deer in the South in summer; for the fragrance of the gum-leaves appea ars to keep gauze-winged flies away); the bush-grown edge of a small pond; a wild ‘tangle of smilax-jungle; a sandy hillock, grown to scrub-oaks; and a patch of low gallberries. In fact, where deer lie down for the day de- pends less upon the character of the situation than upon the state of the weather. On dark stormy days they will seek the deepest thickets; on bright balmy days they will try to seek the sunshine and the wholesome air. At sucha time they are often started in the open woods. A deer has a very strong love for a fallen tree-top. I know of a lumberman who felled, late one afternoon, a giant short-leaf pine. The next morning, on going back to the tree, he jumped a splendid buck which had bedded there be- fore the tree had been on the ground twelve hours! Hardly less favored is a small pond, circled by a good growth of bushes—myrtles, huckle- berries, bays, and the like. A deer is aware of the fact that if he enters his daytime haunt by the water-route, his trail-scent will be lost to marauding followers. Since earliest boyhood I have observed that a deer, especially a wise buck, will cross water before he lies down; not always, of course, but preferably. And when a deer is started near shallow water, he likes to cross it in the hope that his pursuer will lose his trail. ANOTHER interesting fugitive is the wild turkey; and though he is one of the wari- est of the game birds, ‘his home is not difficult to describe. Give a turkey food, quiet, big timber in which to roost, and a pretty good- sized range—and there he will be happy. Some people imagine that wild turkeys are to be found only in the wilds; but these noble birds have a great fondness for grain-fields; and frequently are to be seen foraging on the edges of corn, cotton, rice, wheat, and barley patches—especially when these border deep woodlands. Of purely wild foods, the turkey loves acorns, miast, bugs, beetles, and insects of all sorts, chest- August

Page 47

The Boy Scouts’ Magazine nuts, seeds of wild grasses and shrubs, tea- berries, green-briar berries, and the like. His fondness for peanuts is decided. But no amount of food will attract a turkey unless the country retains seme of its primeval features. Old woodsmen say that when the timber is removed, a scrubby thickety growth will fol- low; and that turkeys do not like such sur- roundings, for too many of their natural enemies can stalk them (notably the fox and the wildcat). They prefer airy big woods, where their infallibly keen eyes can detect far off the approach of an enemy. They also prefer to roost in original growth trees; huge oaks, massive pines, tall chestnuts, and monu- mental elms and hickories. And a turkey is very birdlike in being much at home in a tree. Swamp-dwelling turkeys which are caught by high waters resort to the trees, where they spend many days—sometimes even weeks—without apparent discomfort. They live on the buds of the trees at such a time; and while they lose in weight, they survive their trying experience. Mention has just been made of the wildcat as an enemy of the turkey. This wily creature is perhaps the most secretive of all our night- prowlers. For years a family of wildcats can hive near a house, and their presence can be detected only by the damage that they do. Yet they sometimes come out by daylight; my brother shot a huge old male that was running out of a marsh in the middle of the afternoon. A light rain was falling; and the cat, with true feline instinct, did not like to get his fur wet. The trail of this cat led to a den under a huge fallen tree. It was like the den of a red fox in that the earth had been partly burrowed away. Sometimes a wildcat will live in a den under a bank—especially if the opening be fringed by tree-roots. Sometimes a big hollow will be the home. I once knew of a den in a thicket— a place so dense that a dog could hardly get into it. This home was sheltered by a dense canopy of smilax vines, jasmines, myrtle-tops, and the like. Very occasionally a wildcat will occupy an old deserted shack that stands lonely in the woods. I knew of one that lived in the cellar of a dilapidated home, and another that stayed (for a time at least) under the floor of a deserted trapper’s cabin. This creature seems very exactly to know how to keep its distance from man by its silent, crafty, treacherous ways. It is usually by aeci- dent that a man ever even sees a wildcat; and to find its home is an exceedingly difficult task. Perhaps more interesting than the wildcat is that strange survivor of the Age of Reptiles —the American alligator. The home of this monster may be said to be in a number of places: he loves his placid lagoon, his warm river, his saltwater creek; and he loves also to bask in the bright sunshine on his favorite log, or marshy bank, or quaking tussocks of mashed reeds. But his real home is far under some bank—a wild subterranean place whither he repairs when he wishes to escape dangerous observers. Such a den is a cave-like excava- tion under the bank of the river or lake, with its entrance beneath the waterline. But at some distance from the bank the cavern rises above the water. Such a haunt of darkness, of silence, of strange melancholy is a fit abode for a creature which, if the brontosaurus is not found jin Rhodesia and the pterodactyl in Patagonia, is as forbidding a monster as the earth has now to show. Such are some of the homes of the hunted— some quaint, some wild, some beautiful, some forbidding places—and as we come to under- stand their homes, we understand wild things the better.

m=

Blue Hole and Bait Casting (Concluded from page 24)

lines. Some experts use what is known as a soft silk line. When you have your tackle ready, attach a small object to the end of the line weighing about a half an ounce, hold the rod securely, but don’t grab it as if you were trying to squeeze the juice out of the butt; hold it firm- ly and naturally. Allow about ten inches of line, with the weight attached, to dangle from the end of the rod. Keep the padded part of your thumb tip pressed firmly on the spool and bring the rod back over your shoulder until your thumb is about opposite your ear (Fig. 5) or your wrist in line with your nose, and the rod horizontal. Now bring your rod up with an even quick swing, start with a wrist movement (Fig. 7) and finish with wrist and forearm, the forearm aiding the wrist in speed- ing up the movement to the end. The thumb gradually lessens its pressure on the spool as the rod rises, and is probably at its least pressure when the rod is in the up- right position of Fig. 6, which allows the rod to cast the weight forward just as one throws an impaled potato from the end of a stick. When the weight has almost reached the highest point of the cast gradually increase the thumb pressure; as the line runs out the rod is lowered with the tip point following the weight at the end of the line as the latter de- scends—when the weight strikes the target, ground or water, the rod should be about horizontal—then change hands so that you may use your right hand with which to wind the reel (Figs. 8, 9 and 10). N PRACTISING use a target. Make this target of a dark object on the snow if it is winter-time, or if it is summer-time, peg | down three pieces of newspaper about the size of dinner plates, one at twenty-five feet, one at fifty feet and one at seventy-five feet from the tawline where you stand, and practise until you can make your lure alights on the targets. When you can strike the fifty-foot target with some degree of certainty, you can trust your- self on the lake, river or pool with a real lure and the feeling that you are going to hook a real fish. Don’t be discouraged when your line over- runs or back reels and becomes tangled up in the most unaccountable way. If this does not happen on your first attempt it will be because you are a natural born, phenomenal bait

caster, but it will occur, and you may have to take a hairpin and work a half hour on the line to untangle it. I have had to do that with a big fish on the end of the line, and he got loose before the line did. The cause of this is improper thumbing of the line—the line was allowed to run out too suddenly. When the weight is over the target, check the reel by pressing the thumb lightly on the spool of the reel, which will stop the weight and allow it to drop ‘lightly upon the target. Just as the bait strikes elevate the tip of the rod a trifle, then begin to reel in, for in order to catch fish the lure must be constantly moving. Now grasp the rod with the second and third fingers, and little finger of the left hand, leaving the thumb and first finger free to guide the line on the reel as you wind it (Fig. 9). Place the butt of the rod against the body and wind the reel with the right hand, using the thumb and first finger to so guide the line that it will wind easily over the whole spool, or hold it as in Fig. 8 and use thumb only to guide the line. When fishing for real fish, black bass (Fig. 12) in particular, one uses the bait best adapted to the water in which one fishes.. Crawfish, called crabs by country boys, are good bait in waters where the crawfish themselves live; crickets, minnows, hellgrimites, which are also known as dobsons, bogarts and alligators, are loved by bass. But in casting we do not need to impale live creatures on the hook; we can use the artificial lures which make much cleaner and more sportsmanlike work; but one must be very careful in handling lures with gangs of hooks. I speak feelingly as I had a man sink one of these hooks in my fingers and pull a half inch of the nerve of the finger out. Incidentally I may mention that I was never dumped overboard, stuck with a hook or had any of the minor accidents, painful and un- pleasant, which may occur to one hunting and fishing except said accident was caused by some bungling tenderfoot, in other words, by some untrained person. A good scholar is a well- trained scholar, a good soldier is a well-trained soldier, a good fisherman is a well-trained fish- erman, @ good scout is a well-trained scout, and it all comes from careful practise and observa- tion. One cannot learn to swim, skate or fish from any book, one must learn by doing; but a book can offer you many suggestions and, like the sign post, point the way to success.

1923

45

Send today for illus- trated story “Billy's Bicycle Triumphs.” It’s free and you’ll like it.

A Coaster Brake Vacation Trip When you crawl into the old hay at night after a full day on the wheel you won’t be dead tired if your bicycle is fitted with a New Departure Coaster Brake. You can coast on these long hills if you have a New De- parture—the brake that never fails, and is easy to operate. Prepare for that week-end bicycle trip now. Any dealer can sell you a New Departure equipped bicycle or put this great coaster brake on the wheel you now have. NEW DEPARTURE MANUFACTURING COMPANY Bristol, Conn. a " 7. Dene ge! f

for the

DEPARTURI yh jug

Have You a Camera? Write for free sample of our big magazine, showing how to make better pictures and earn money. M CAN PHOTOGRAPHY 464 Camera House Boston 17, Mass.

GRAFLEX-KODAKS — p nee Save mone X, Free Bargain | Book and Catalog Seaetee eee ect seneiel West ahaa te 158 1248. Wabash Av. Chicago CLIMAX TROMBONE OUTFIT $5.25 Down-{h<" % month for six months imax ‘Trombone: + perfect slide action; EASY BLOWING; ;shandsomel ved bell; polished tone;

-instructor. ORDER NOW! For or onle by your Music Merchant. LYON & HEALY, 68-87 Jackson Bivd., Chicago

Factory, oS to Ay A, 5, the Re aa ba Romy en tree on pepproval o joints Sie a 30 ag Kowa -y now for 4,

= AGaaTE MAE DEY HATCHES)

Marble’s Water-Proof Match Box keeps matches dry, hoids enough for several days, ——, waterproof. Made of seamless brass, size of 10 gauge shell. 60e¢ at your py go sent by mail, postpaid. Write for Uicsios of Marbie' ‘3 ee Siaty Specialties ss MARBLE ARMS &_ MFG. CO, 5092 Delta Avenue Gladstone, Michigan

=

THE BIASCOPE

A 6 POWER BINOCULAR For the outdoor Boy. $ 5. A stronaty made light- weight g! Cinta prepaid. WILLOUGHBY 110 West 32nd St. New York

lian' }~4 Every Bo; _-. nn Ay. remains unsold; no more gpcainal ble at price. . it Nickel-plated, Whe for Lamp Lantern Cirouior No, 8

Scout needs one of these werful, white ich; bril- t. Can be carried r hooked on belt. Oy & limited 224 Y Tosti batie Pl. Brooklyn, N.Y.

cecie Company Improve Your Handwriting ti Guaranteed. Boy ble if have the will to learn. Send $1.00 for 50 DP OARC ‘ovement Drill Sheets and use as 30 later send $1.00 for Second Series of Lessons ‘(50 sheets sheets) and if, after 30 days more, you have not been benefited, ret return ‘ll sheets (filled), and your one" will be refunded.

Walter Thomson, Pleasant Ridge, Detroit, Mich.

Hunting With the Bow and Arrow By Saxton Pope An illustrated book-200 pages making tackle-hunting with Ibi the Indian - shootin game, deer, lion, bear with the bow. Price $3.00 THE JAMES i. BARRY COMPANY

1122 Mission Street - San Francisco, California

Page 48

INGERSOLL WATERBURY The Best Watch $5 Will Buy HE Ingersoll Waterbury, like the famous Yankee, leads in its field. It is a jeweled watch that combines stamina with style—a watch of modified bridge construction yet with a sturdiness that makes coddling unnecessary. It is the small 12-size, and is graceful from antique bow to the fine open face. With a Radiolite dial that tells time in the dark, $6.00. Models $2.00 to $10.00

Make Records As You Ride A Veeder cyclometer makes your bike keep track of the . Watch it register as you ride; know how far you go and how quick you cover the dis- tance! Have something to show for each trip—your real- distance record on a Neder CYCLOMETER bs x. hub of front wees: ading from the saddle. Registers up to 10, ‘000 miles by tenth < a mile— then repeats. Sold by all dealers, or—send $1.50 to THE VEEDER MFG. CO.,, tanto. ey Hartford, Conn.

Get This Outdoor Sunwatch Cost Free!

This wonderful Sunwatch, made by the weil known Ansonia Clock Com- pany, is known as “the tickless time- piece.” It's a sundial, watch and compass all in one and so ingeniously designed that its beautifully finished brass case closes to a thickness of 34 of an inch and has no wheels or springs to get out of order. Dan Beard says, ‘‘I would like to see every Scout have one.”’ Given for selling only two NEW yearly Boys’ Life subscriptions (total remittance $4.00) or sent for sending one NEW yearly subscription (not your own) and 35c (total remittance $2.35). BOYS’ LIFE 200 Fifth Ave. NEW YORK

|| go out camping, is what to take along, || so that you can camp safely and com- ‘THE time is here when thousands of boys are going out camping. They must go, for what is so delightful, during the sum- mer, as to spend a few weeks in the woods or at a beautiful lake. Besides, the outdoor dwelling gives a change of life, and enables one to start work again with renewed energy and courage. The question to decide, when you fortably. First, of course, you must have good bedding, or you will surely not be comfortable. Nowadays, people are used to warm _ houses, therefore the camper’s comfort de- pends largely on what kind of bedding he takes with him. Per- haps the most service- able bedding is a woolen quilt with an _ extra covering of denim. We have found this satis- factory in the Minne- sota woods. The quilt was pinned with blanket pins along the bottom to form a sleeping bag. | If you select blankets, use two light ones in- stead of a heavy single one, for you will find | that you keep warmer with two. It is also | necessary to have something soft and dry upon which to spread the bedding. When camping in the Minnesota woods last summer, we used a 7x 7 foot, 10-ounce canvas, which, when folded, made a good ground cloth and also an extra cover. We further improved the bed with pine needles. These, with the cones removed, were raked together by hand and piled like a soft cushion under the bedding. We then had as warm and comfortable a bed as we cared to lie in, and the fresh odor of the needles added to our pleasure of sleeping. If the trouble of conveying it is not too great, take a camp stove along with your equipment. A stove is safer than open fires, more con- venient, and does not blacken the cooking utensils. It also consumes less fuel, so that you do not have to gather so much wood. Of course, there is usually plenty of wood, but you will find that fishing, hiking, studying birds, and so on, is more fun that chopping wood. Collapsible sheet-iron stoves for camp- ing purposes can be purchased. However, if you wish, you can get along perfectly well without a stove. Some boys think it is more interesting to cook over an open fire, or to build a stove on the spot. A safe and serviceable fireplace can be made of rocks placed in a circle large enough to hold the fire and so shaped at the top that it will support the cooking utensils. Where no rocks are available, poles can be used. These are set in the ground in a circle to hold the fire, just as the rocks are used. Of course, poles do not make a durable fireplace, for they soon on

Comfortable Camping By Charles Olive burn up, and must be replaced by new ones. An old sheet iron placed over the top of the fireplace gives it a better draft, and prevents the pots and pans from becoming sooty. Last summer we made the best camp stove that we ever had, from mud clay, which we dug out of a lake-bank. We put the clay in a box, soaked it with water, and worked it with a slab of wood till it became pliant like dough. Then with sticks cut from branches, we built a framework of the size and shape we wanted the stove to assume, and after- ward covered both sides of the frame with a heavy coating of the clay. On top we put a piece of sheet iron, and sur- rounded this with clay also, leaving only an opening for the smoke. On one side was a hole for putting in fuel, and this opening we closed with a flat rock. The fireplace was quite large, had a good draft, was safe, and cooked a meal quickly and satisfactorily. It was still in good condition when we left the camp. A temporary fire can be built as follows: Dig a hole about a foot deep, with three or four feet diameter, and shovel away the side facing the wind. The resulting depression gives the fire draft. Lay green poles across the hole to support the pots, and build the fire underneath. For those who do not know how, it is often difficult to find kindling during wet weather. On rainy days look for kindling and fire wood in burned sugar pine or yellow pine butts or in pine knots. On the under side of leaning trees, or alongside old logs, dry material can usually be found. The dead branches of some kinds of trees are drier than those lying on the ground. Bark from fir snags is very good fuel. If you do not want a pest of flies around the camp, burn all the refuse. You can burn it at the same time that you do the cooking; the food will not be hurt in the least. Burn every- thing—paring, bones, meat scraps, coffee grounds, and even the empty tin cans. When camping, we do not want any bad odors around, neither do we want to be pestered by swarms of flies. It is of utmost importance to watch the fire. Forest fires are awful happenings, and no camper should be guilty of starting one. Never make a camp fire larger than necessary, and take great care to prevent sparks from being carried into the neighboring forest. Clear away all the litter for a considerable space about the fire, and do not forget to put it out when you leave camp.

Bathing From A Bucket | By Captain Clifton Lisle |

N. MY return from active service in France, one of the first things I noticed in connection with Scouting was how few really good Scouts know the trick of bathing prop- erly froma bucket. The reason is, of course, be- ‘| cause most hikes are made to camping grounds where there is plenty of water,—ponds, dams, the seashore, places where a Scout can not only bathe all over but usually swim at the same time. There are many occasions, how- ever, where this is not at-all possible and each well trained Scout ought to know the trick of keeping clean in the open with the least amount of water. Speaking for myself, I can say that after five years of Scouting be- fore I went to war I had not learned how to do it. Considerable practice is needed before one grows proficient in keeping clean on scant water rations. The whole thing consists in keeping the water in the bucket clean and free from soap, while the body is being washed and rinsed off with as little water as possible. The Scout should begin with his hands. Dip them once into the bucket, then bring them out thor- oughly wet and soap them well. Rub the soap in for a good minute. Then without putting them back in the bucket, tilt the pail until a i little spills over the side. Catch this in the

cupped palm and wash off the dirt and soap. It is surprising how many boys will ruin their whole bucket of water by plunging in their soapy hands and arms before they have washed so much as their face. It is also sur- prising to find how little water is required to remove the soap provided it has been well rubbed into the hands. As soon as the hands and arms have been rinsed free from soap, repeat the same process with the face and neck. The whole body is gone over in like manner, care being taken never to put soapy hands into the pail. The soap can readily be removed from the body by splashing a little water from the top of the bucket on to the shoulders and chest. Last of all, the Scout should do his feet and these can be rinsed by putting them into the bucket, as there is no further need for clean water. It seems childishly simple to speak of this way of bathing, for it is the only logical way to do it, yet anyone who has camped away from water will vouch for the fact that nine people out of ten do not follow it out. They either grow discouraged and think they can not be clean at all with a limited supply of water or they spoil their bucketful before they have begun. I hope some scouts may prove the value of this little hint for themselves. BOYS’ LIFE

See What This Boy Earned in 3 Nights! What will you do tonight ? Will you spend money, or go without, or earn some? Raymond Williams makes minutes mean money. One evening he made 50c in ten minutes. A nickel a minute! One night meant $1.50. In three eve- nings, while doing other errands, he sold seven new yearly BOYS’ LIFE sub- scriptions ! As a reward he could have taken his choice of cash or valuable merchandise. For instance, seven new yearly BOYS’ LIFE subscriptions would give: 1. A Scout ax and sheath, a scout knife and scout haver- sack, with 25c left over in cash. 2. A Thermos Mess Kit (“The Pocket Kitchen’’), an alumi- num canteen and a container of thermos concentrated fuel and $1.00 for a special 8 months’ BOYS’ LIFE sub- scription! 3. An official khaki camp blan- ket, a pocket eating set, and soc left for the “grub pile.” 4. A folding maple cot, a duffel bag, and Soc left toward your BOYS’ LIFE renewal! 5. A “Dog” tent, 7 ft. 2 in. by 5 ft. 6 in., with poles and $1.50 left to put in the bank. (All these articles are as listed in the official Boy Scout Equip- ment catalog.) WHY GO WITHOUT CASH OR EQUIPMENT YOU WANT ? Thousands of readers of BOYS’ LIFE have earned cash or credit for equipment or other merchandise by using spare time as official Sales Representatives of BOYS’ LIFE. You can profit by the experience of these boys and learn their successful methods. Minutes may mean money! Enroll NOW CUT OUT THIS COUPON

ARW BOYS’ LIFE, The Boy Scouts’ Magazine, 200 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. Y. Gentlemen: Please send me details of the Money Earning Methods of BOYS’ LIFE Salesmen, and — me as a Special Representative for Spare Time rvice.

Page 49

The Boy Scouts’ Magazine The Homing Pigeon By Frank P. Lucke WHERE is there a boy in this broad land of ours who has not at some time longed for pigeons of his own? And where could he possibly find a better pet or flock of pets than the homing pigeons—the aristocrats of the Pigeon Family? The homing pigeon possesses traits of charac- ter of which any man would be proud to boast, for their loyalty to mate, devotion to young, and love of home are so dominant that all else is forgotten in. their unswerving tenacity to these characteristics. Any boy who has lived in a small town or on the farm knows something of the common variety of pigeons that make their homes in the tops of barns and make themselves a nuisance to everyone who comes in contact with them. If you have had any experience with such pigeons you have probably tried to make pets of some of them. The result has been considerable work which was neither repaid by affection from the birds or profit from their sale. Just as there is a wide difference between the thoroughbred racing horse and the common plug, the purebred dog and the yellow cur, so there is a vast difference between the aristo- cratic homing pigeon and the common pigeon. If you are going to raise pigeons and want them either for pets or for profit or for both, the first thing to do is to select a pair of homing pigeons. The homing pigeon has many peculiarities. None is more striking than his affection for his trainers. He becomes as tame as a house dog or cat, and readily responds to the call of his trainers. He has every characteristic that makes him a good pet and unerringly he returns to his home, regardless of how or when he is taken away. If you carry him away to camp or on a jaunt through the woods and release him there, you will find when you return to the loft he will have arrived first. This is the characteristic which has given the homing pigeon his prominence. He has been used for years for entertainment, racing and the more practical work of carrying messages from places where there was no other means of communication. THE biggest pigeon lofts in the world for the exclusive breeding and training of homing pigeons are the Rexall Lofts at St. Louis, Mo., where 6,000 of the finest homers in the world are housed. These pigeons were bred and trained for the entertainment of the owners of the 8,ooo Rexall Drug Stores in the United States when they held an annual con- vention in St. Louis. A pair of homers was released from each drug store within a radius of 500 miles of St. Louis, and each pair winged their way back to the St. Louis Lofts, at a mile-a-minute clip, bearing beneath their wings a message from the mayor of the city from whence they flew, to the Governor of Missouri. Five thousand of these winged messengers engaged in this Great Pigeon Derby and new speed records were established in the flight. Many a fine moral can be drawn from the lives of homing pigeons. Temperamental, extremely nervous and, as the training period progresses, strung to the highest pitch, these thoroughbred feathered racers are as methodi- cal in habit as a confirmed old spinster or bachelor. Once mated, pigeons remain mated for life and they never waver in their con- stancy and loyalty to their mate. Homing pigeons invariably lay between the hours of four and six in the afternoon. Forty- eight hours to the minute the second egg is laid. In the interim, while the hen and cock cover the nest in which the first egg nestles, neither permits the body or feathers to touch that egg until the second is laid. The heat of the bodies on the first egg, if covered before the second is laid, would cause that egg to hatch forty-eight hours ahead of the second. Regularity in the lives of homing pigeons is so pronounced that one could set his watch by their daily schedule. The second egg is laid late in the afternoon, the hen keeps to the nest all night. Early the next morning the cock flutters out to the aviary, has his bath, picks in the gravel; gets his breakfast, struts and suns himself, perhaps conveying a few choice tidbits back to the setting hen, and enjoys himself generally until eight o’clock in the morning. _ At that hour, and to the minute, he reappears in the breeding loft and after a brief cooing conversation with his bride,. he takes the nest and she flutters away for her airing. He sticks manfully to the nest until four o’clock in the afternoon. At that hour, and to the minute, 1923 the hen returns to the nest and, taking his place, remains sitting all through the night. He then goes out to the aviary and enjoys himself until roosting time when he returns to the nest and nestles down close at her side. NINETEEN days after the first egg is laid the babies peep from the shell. From then on cock and hen are about the busiest little parents one could imagine. There is never a minute in the day father and mother are not doing something for their babies. When they are not feeding them: they are hovering near, watching them and “talking” to them. Liquid food is conveyed to the squabs through the bills of the: parents and this the fanciers describe as “pigeon milk.” After the first week solids are conveyed to the yawning babies in the same way and from then on they grow so rapidly that one can almost see them expand and strengthen. In the lives of newly mated pigeons, the hen frequently lays her second set of eggs before the first brood has left the nest. The babies are zealous in their care to keep away from that side of the nest containing the new laid eggs and never touch them with foot or feather. With her second set of eggs under her the mother bird turns the first born babies over to the tender care of their daddy and from then until they are weaned, he is their sole guardian and attendant. She sticks to her eggs. Among young pigeons, eight broods of two squabs each, can be looked for between the months of March and November. At three weeks the young pigeons are taken from the nest. By this time they have begun to flutter about and tumble or fly from the nest about the loft. They are transferred to the loft upstairs, banded and braceleted and there begin their life as flyers. Their training is as carefully undertaken at the hands of the experts in charge as was their care by their parents. Step by step they are instructed in the work ahead and there is not an hour in the day that some progress is not made in their education. Of course, the predominant trait in the character of the homing pigeon is his love of home. His birthplace, the loft in which he is bred, reared and trained, is home and no other spot has any attractions for him. He may be taken hundreds of miles from home and tossed off into space. Ultimately he will come back. It may take. days, or only hours, but when the checkers make their daily rounds, sooner or later they will find the returned bird, sometimes much the worse for wear, again fresh and chipper, but in any event he gets home. Devotion to mate and young, and love of home is so dominant in their natures that they are oblivious to all else. 7 "THE care of these high strung pigeons is never ending. Pigeons are afflicted with maladies that require just as expert “doctor- ing” as that bestowed upon humans. Orig- inally the Rexall Lofts were under the direc- tion of Lieut. Robert Milne, who was attached to the Pigeon Division, U. S. Signal Corps in the A. E. F. Latterly this direction was entrusted to Lambert Binns, an expert pigeon fancier who “mothers” his wards like a hen with one chicken. He has a coop set aside for his indisposed birds in which they can fly about and roost and at the same time be within reach so that they can undergo regular medication at his hands. These medications consist of castor oil and cod liver oil, the latter for birds who are in flagging spirits and need tonic. -These doses are administered either by capsule, or with a medicine dropper and, seemingly, there is no difficulty in giving the youngsters their medicine. The feed bill for six thousand pigeons runs into big figures. The birds, when healthy, have voracious appetites and always there is a riot at breakfast, dinner and supper hour when Binns and his assistants appear with their baskets of pop corn, Canadian peas, vetches, wheat or lentils. They pick until the last grain disappears and always clamor for more. The young pigeons are Confined to a coop over the exit from their loft. In this way the pigeons learn to leave the coop, sun themselves and familiarize themselves with home surround- ings. Also they learn the color of their loft in this way. The entrance to the loft, from these landing platforms, consists of six little galvanized iron bars, not as thick as a lead pencil. These are on hinges and swing in, but not outward. This is known as the trap. A pigeon sticks his head through the bars and Stop Those Punctures Don’t allow tire trouble to spoil your day’s ride. Prepare for punctures beforehand by simply injecting a 25-cent tube of Neverleak Tire Fluid into each tire. That is all that is necessary and you will then be free from all punc- tures, thread leaks and porous conditions of the tires. One treatment will last as long as your tires. Think of the delays and expense you can avoid and the joy of riding all summer without any tire trouble. NEVERLEAK TIRE FLUID HEALS PUNCTURES ON THE RUN Neverleak has been endorsed by riders everywhere for $g over a quarter of a century. It is the only tire fluid that Odd ill heal punctures as fast as they appear, making the CBS tires absolutely leak-proof. It preserves both the rubber as and fabric, thus adding years to the life of your tires. | Neverleak Tire Fluid comes in collapsible metal tubes and takes but a minute to inject into the tire. Don’t allow your dealer to sell you something “just as good,” but be sure you get the original. Look for the signature on the yellew, green and white tube. BUFFALO SPECIALTY CO. 112 Liquid Veneer Bldg. Buffalo, N. Y. ) ~ Easy to | Boys Play and Easy | Girls Easy Learn to Quickly atedeo TTR) S TS a age) ae SPS ati Pupils of Kathryn Thompson, Los Angeles, Cal. EES SAXOPHONES ‘ The Saxophone is the most beautiful and ie eapet fim me J of all wind Joctremente, ond the easiest to play. Youn, le contemplating the y of music sho gin with the Saxophone. It is unrivalled for home entertainment, school, church and lodge. In big de- mand for orchestra dance music. ‘ . . The First Three Lessons Free. You can learn to play the scale in one hour’s practice and in a few weeks be playing popular airs. You can take your place in a band or orchestra in yom if you so desire. Practice is a pleasure because you learn so rapidly and you do not tire of it as with many other instruments. Ee 7 SEA nd your name for a free cop the most wonderfu! on the Free Saxophone Bookk ssrochone gver pablished. Telle you when touse Saxophone —singly, i * xtettes or in band; to play from cello and other things you w ow. It nae ‘and describes the virtues of each model of the hone family. Possesses a tone of wonderful volume, yet very easy to blow. Buescher-Grand Cornet \With » Buescher-Grand, you own an instrument similar to that with which etists pu the greatest corn of America have made their reputations. Free Trial—Easy Payments You can order any Buescher Instrument and try it 6 days in Makers of 1310 Buescher Block

Page 50

— all ao lead- ing. profeasions wnat your business factinntiens m= be, you can’t 2 = without spe- rses ined training. Tet us oe pa he training you = ee and mail Coupon for Free American School Drexel Ave. and 58th St. Yept. HC-9 _Chicago, American School Beet.! Devt. | Neo and SOth St . Chieago Send me full aatenatian on 4 on or subject checked and how you will help me win success, Practice BOYS Think of it! A 15 ft. canoe to weigh only 40 Ibs., other lengths in proportion. Lightest, strongest nd easiest to handle. Just what you want for your vacation. Sponson and Motor Canoes that you cannot tip over. Send for free CATALOG and show tt to DAD. E. M. WHITE & CO. 156 Water St. Old Town, Maine Need Money? See How These Boys Got Theirs "THESE up-and-com- ing boys are two of the hundreds of live fellows all over the country who constantly “cash in" on the fact that there are scores of pecans and boys who mave never yet had some one show them a copy of BOYS’ LIFE, The Boy Scouts’ Maga- zine, for All Boys. Read Salesman This Eagle Scout. (37 his ut (37 Gordon White merit badges) says: “My getting pubscriptions is mostly due to lending copies and tellin 3 and their mts of the in- terests and bene L of BOYS’ LIFE. When a boy is short of money, I tell him ways to earn some or give him the special 8 Months for $1.00 Offer.” Father Will Buy ALESMAN Hirschberg tells just how he made one of the highest sales records in recent months. He gives the exact plan that has most often brought results for BO Ss LIFE Sal near me. Then went to the first boy show him a cop After letting him look through it I went over it again with him, showing its best points. After interesting the boy I spoke to his father telling him some of the values of BOYS’ LIFE. fhen the father saw that his boy would like BOYS’ LIFE—he bought a yearly subscription!"’ Easy to Get Another star salesman, Orlando Metcalf, says: “The subscriptions I have received were easy to ont, — one exception. But I got that one after a had gone by going over a copy of BOYS’ LiFe with the boy’s parents." You Can Do It Too! National Headquarters help you get cash commission and bonus Harold Hirschberg Just let started now for liberal earnings. Full sales training, literature, samples, etc., sent without cost to you. Fill in coupon caretully for Special Representative’s Authorization Card. BOY’S LIFE, The Boy Scouts’ A ee A 200 Fifth Avenue, New York, N Gentlemen: Please send me details of the Money Earning Methods of BOYS’ LIFE Salesmen, and en- roll me as a Special Representative for Spare Time Service. | as they give before him, he carefully puts his | weight against them and finds himself inside | the loft. This is known as “trapping in.’’ In all races, the winner is the bird that first “traps in.’”? Frequently pigeons racing to their loft will alight on the roof or loft and strut about or rest. It may be weary, or frightened, and sometimes many minutes elapse before he traps in. Another bird may arrive many minutes later and at once traps in. The second bird wins because he is the first to trap in. The tensest moments around a pigeon loft for the trainers are those when a newly arrived bird dawdles around and refuses to trap in and permit his time to be recorded. ‘THESE Rexall Lofts are 180 feet long, and are double deckers. There are eighteen compartments on each floor. These compart- ments are ten by fifteen feet and the lower floor is given over entirely to the breeders. Outside each compartment, on the first floor, is an aviary, wire covered and wire walled, ten feet by fifty feet, which permits the older birds to strut and fly about and sun themselves, bathe in cool, clean running water, feed and dust themselves. The sidewalls of these lower compartments are subdivided into little boxes, each suffi- ciently large to permit a pair of pigeons to nest and roost. In each nest there is an earthenware bowl, in which the mated pigeons fashion their nests of tobacco stems, used be- cause of the property of tobacco for repelling vermin. Here the hen lays her eggs and here the eggs are hatched, the squabs remaining in the nest until they are three weeks old when they are transferred to one of the upper lofts which are subdivided into eighteen compartments and given over entirely to the younger birds, which were used exclusively in the Pigeon Derby. The older birds, or breeders, are never released from their aviary for fear they would fly back to their home loft where they were hatched. As it is unwise to keep all flight pigeons in the same compartment, they are grouped according to ages and these birds are desig- nated by a little colored bracelet which they wear on their right leg. These colors include white, red, blue, pink, black, yellow, brown and so on until all eighteen groups are of dif- ferent colors. The landing platforms outside the flight bird lofts are painted the color corresponding to that of the bracelet worn by the pigeon within. The pigeons are trained to know their own color and rarely do they fail. ° When released for flight the pink pigeons invariably return to the pink loft; the green braceleted birds to the green loft, and so on. All six thousand birds are often released at once for a practice flight, and ninety-nine times out of a hundred when the birds are checked up at night, not a pigeon will be found to have returned to the wrong compartment. This is the first time in the experience of practical pigeon fanciers that the birds have been trained to recognize and adhere to an indi- vidual color. The training of homing pigeons affords a constant source of pleasure. Watching and recording the progress of the birds, the affec- tion they lavish on those who care for them, the opportunities for racing them and using them for carrying messages, should make them appeal to any boy who loves birds and the out- of-doors. In addition to this there is a financial side to homing pigeon raising. The value of a pair of birds depends on their breeding but a pair of well bred birds will always bring a good price from those anxious to start flocks or to get new breeders for their lofts. “Shooting” “Wild Birds’ i (Concluded poe page 21) BOYS’ LIFE Once a Scout— Always a Scout! If you ever were a real Boy Scout of mega you will be one as long as you ive. DON’T QUIT. DON’T LET YOUR MEMBERSHIP LAPSE. KEEP GOING FORWARD. Don’t stop until you are a Veteran, first a five year Veteran—then a ten year Veteran and so on forever. Then you can’t stop—you won’t want to—you are a scout for life. If you can’t keep up actively with BA 4 esse yee sam can register as an IATE sk your Scoutmaster to read page 23 of your Handbook. If you can’t connect with a troop you can register as a PIONEER SCOUT. See page 23 of Handbook. When you go away to school or college you can join a troop or a Scout Club if there is one, and keep active. If there is not, you can start one. Anyway you can still carry x. im your own troop as an and tne pelicans were talking a new language. At first, the older birds retreated to the. far- thest end of the colony; but they all came back in parade formation to see just what was happening. It is very interesting to see thousands of these ungainly birds begin to move at the same time. They clutter to- gether and move in a dense white mass. It is like a snowy cloud rolling along the earth, moving inexorably onward. In photographing these birds with a motion- picture camera, we had to accustom them to the clicking sound of the shutter. We erected a blind, which consisted of the umbrella tent that I mentioned before, with an opening through which we focused the camera. Then, with a wooden wheel and chain, we made clicking noises similar to the camera click. Sometimes it has taken us four and five days of watchful waiting to obtain the particular icture we wanted. However, when the birds ve become accustomed to the clicking sound, it is safe to begin using the camera. When they are entirely unaware of the presence of people, they are perfectly natural. And this was what we wanted. In all, we obtained many fine views of the pelican colony, some of which are herewith reproduced. The rarest and showiest of all the birds nesting in the Malheur are the American egrets, or white herons. We found several — nesting among the willows. The white eron is extremely shy; and to get any views of them at all, we had to hide our camera for hours until they ventured into range. More- over, we had to use a long lens so that the birds appear much nearer the camera than they actually were. The first mother we photographed had several young birds in her nest. One had evidently died; for the mother was burying it. She picked it up in her bill and dropped it from the nest into the marsh below. Young herons are not quite so shy as their Some climbed out on the branches parents. Pee 5s sadesh i +i900006c.ecsdecieel p of the willows and sat watching us rather defiantly. They have long, angular toes which serve them well not only for walking in the marshes, but also for clinging to limbs of trees and climbing in the tree-tops. In the heron colony we visited, one preco- cious little bird climbed almost to the end of a shaky limb and began to jig in his own pe- culiar rhythm. Very likely he was showing off before the other herons. So beautiful is the heron that it is not sur- prising the Japanese extol his beauty on their gold-embroidered screens, and use him as a model in all their artistic endeavors. His statuesque poise is a thing never to be forgotten. The great blue herons, too, have a colony on Malheur Lake. This species is found in all parts of the United States and is commonly called a crane. It has long legs for wading and a pointed bill for catching fish. The bird wades along the shores of streams. His color varies from a pale blue to a slate-blue gray. I have seen them standing beside a dead pine tree, the bark of which had fallen off and ex- posed the wood to the action of the weather; and at a distance of one hundred feet it was difficult to outline the form of the bird. His color protected him by melting with the slate gray of the dead pine. When we had obtained our pictures of the blue and white herons, we packed up our belongings, and regretfully came back to civilization. It was strange to find people in the streets going through the oa 7 s Y, daring, or impertinent gestures we had ob- served on our visit with the birds. And that leads me to suggest that birds and animals have most of the emotions that we humans pride ourselves on ssessing exclusively. So, I am never astonished when some little boy or girl tells me that his dog or her pet canary is almost human. I guess we are all made from the same general pattern, men and birds and animals; and we have much to learn from one another. out. Register with the National Council the minute you are eligible to VETERAN RA ou are eligible to this rank just as soon as you have completed five years of continuous service in Scouting. Once registered in the Veteran Scout Associa- tion, you are a Veteran Scout for Life, authorized to wear the Scout uniform and badge of rank, even though unable temporarily to give active service in Scouting. There oe a nepeares badge of dis- Saetion for Ten s of Active Service. P ACTIVE UNTIL. YOU ARE A “TEN If you hese been all through Seouting, and are eighteen one old, BECO: OME AN ASSISTA! SCOUTMASTER or an expert instructor er some special line. They are very much needed. you are twenty-one BECOME A ScOUTM ASTER. e need for scout- masters is tremendous. There is no ar, why you should ever stop Scout- ing. Later on there will be I say 20 for you as a trained Scout man, who has come up from the ranks and absolutely knows the game at first hand asa troop committee or local ,ac or Scout Executive—real men’s jobs, every one of them. DON’T QUIT. DON’T LET OTHER SCOUTS QUIT. DON’T LET YOUR SCOUTMASTER Suir: DON’T LET HIM LET YOU The nation cannot afford fo lose one boy or man from Scouting. y or man on in Scouting can otand to get out it. Whatever you do, don’t be a deserter. If you must leave the troop and cannot follow any of the above su yo then ask for « CERTIFICATE OF OR- ABLE DISCHARGE. poh ae justifies it, you can naan it through your tmaster. If it does not, you ought to stay by the Movement until your record is such as to give you this op; unity to leave Scouting in an erly and creditable fashion. The day is neo when the boy who can- not show a a of service, indicat- ing that hs left Vey 2 under creditable conditions, will be ashamed to confess that he ever pretended to be a scout. ONCE A SCOUT— ALWAYS A SCOUT August

Page 51

The Boy Scouts’ Magazine

Our Farms and Farmers (Concluded from page 23) |

as the potato bug, and of contagious animal diseases, such as hog cholera. It would be interesting to go into details, but that is impossible. Food for Millions More On account of the many valuable con- tributions of science to the production of food, our population might increase to 400,000,000, and we should still have enough food for all. We can increase our crops in two ways—by more intensive farming and by utilizing the land which is still waiting for the plow. We are at present behind Eu- rope in the yield per acre, but we may with a little extra effort equal or even surpass that yield, for our land is more fertile. Then there are 200,000,000 acres of cuf- over or stump land, that is, land from which the timber has been cut—60,000,000 acres requiring drainage, and 30,000,000 acres which may be irrigated. There are great possibilities here, and we may look con- fidently into the future with the assurance that our great-grandchildren shall not go hungry. People of the twenty-second cen- tury will know how to solve their own prob- lems just as we are solving ours, and as our ancestors solved theirs. The Farmer’s Better Lot Science and machinery have helped the farmer in many ways. He is no longer the lonesome man of former days. The tele- phone has brought his fainily in touch with the neighbors for miles. he infrequent visit has been replaced by the ‘call’’ over the telephone, which takes place several times a day. His home is in many cases equipped with the most modern conveniences. Th ere is electric light in the house and even in the barn. Radios are now so cheap that not cnly the rich farmer but the farmhand is able to enjoy concerts, operas, political speeches and sermons in his home. The “old oaken bucket” has lost its thrill for the modern husbandman. He turns on a faucet instead. No one knows how much trouble that saves him. When the water had to be pumped by hand for household and cattle, it was at best hard misery. Frostbitten hands were not rare, and the carrying of water to the house was a burden. The churning of butter entailed much poe song work. The farmer’s wife of y turns on the electric switch, goes —o her business, and gives an occasional | glance at the churning machine, which does the work much better and quicker. The farmer also has a furnace, and is no longer dependent on his “‘wood lot” for fuel, but gets it from the coal mine and saves the trouble of keeping three or four fires going. One of the hardships of farm life used to be the absence of good schools. The “‘little red schoolhouse” is famous in song and story. It was usually inefficient. The “‘consolidated school” in country districts makes a more efficient school possible. It has several teachers and is well equipped with maps, blackboards and other ap- paratus. The motor bus brings the children to the school. The long winter evenings are no longer spent in idle gossip but filled with profitable reading. The postman brings to the farm- er’s door every day a newspaper and usually some letters, and often he brings a weekly farm paper and the monthly magazines. If the farmer has not enough books of his own, the circulating library will supply him with the best. books on literature and science. Owing to the wide use of the automobile, roads have been developed wonderfully in America. This enables the farmer to go to distant towns, and visit friends or the theater. Of the 10,000,000 pleasure auto- mobiles in the country, a large percentage is owned by farmers. Must Know Many Things The men who stay on the farm are intelli- gent and enterprising, for they must know many things and persevere if they are to succeed. They must not only be mechanics, salesmen, — «7 of crops and breeders of ani but managers and capitalists to a limited extent at least. It is this combination of qualities which separates the American farmer by a deep gulf from the European peasant, and which has given him

toil; in winter it became in addition hard _ the high social standing he justly deserves. N athens Connell awe. | (Concluded from page 34) | IL ———— —__— —— ———— OO —!

An American Boy ‘‘Knight’’ The Chief Scout Executive has been much interested in a letter from Harriet Clayton Comegys, Regent of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association (which has in charge the maintenance of the George Washington home- stead at Mount Vernon on the Potomac, as a National shrine), in which an example of perseverance and love of Country in a boy is related. This boy was born July 10, 1849, and named William Pennil Minor. During 1853- 1858 Miss Ann Pamela Cunningham, founder of this Mount Vernon Association, set out to raise the funds with which to buy the home of Washington. Young Minor, who lived in Richmond, Va., became so devoted to this cause that by his own efforts he succeeded in raising $1,500 among the schools of this city. On the completion of this task his mother took him to see Miss Cunningham, who, in recognition of the boy’s patriotic self-sacri- ficing efforts had him kneel, laid a sword across his shoulders, and said, “Rise, Sir Knight of Mount Vernon.” Perhaps William Minor was the first and only American “knight,” so far as ceremony is concerned, but I am con- vinced that hundreds of thousands of Boy Scouts have the same knightly qualities, and will be glad to salute this boy of long ago (who still lives, proud of his title), and to prove themselves at every opportunity as worthy as he of American Knighthood. A Cabin for a Prize One of the best moves for co-operation be- tween troops of the various cities was demon- strated recently in Spokane, Wash., when the St. Maries, Idaho, troops resented the Boy Scouts of America, in qpokane, with a small cabin to be awarded to a Spokane troop win- ning a contest to be designated by the officers of the council. 1923 The St. Maries Boy Scout Council con- structed the small cabin, which is typical of the small out-of-door camps of this section, for the fourth annual National Sportsmen’s and Tourists’ Fair, which was held recently in Spokane. The cabin, supplemented by the background of firs and pine trees, gave the natural touch so prominent in the fields and recreational centers of northern Idaho. The exhibit drew considerable attention, and over 125,000 persons saw the display. The conditions of this gift are unique, as they do not state the type of contest nor do they designate the judges. The Spokane Council will conduct the contest and later award the cabin. This will mark a new epoch in the friendly field of co-operation between the troops of the cities and those of the smaller communities. The troop winning the cabin undoubtedly will feel some definite bonds of friendship with the St. Maries troop and will in the meantime become better acquainted with their fellow troopers residing in the north Idaho section. Delaware and Montgomery County Scouts Win Victory Twenty-six scouts from Delaware and Mont- gomery Counties, Pa., won by fifteen points an inter-city Scout meet held in Washington in June. Other cities represented were Phila- delphia, Baltimore, Washington, Reading, Richmond and Norfoik. The events _in- cluded first-aid, semaphore, water-boiling, tent-pitching, Morse signalling, and fire by friction. An Entire Troop—Eagles, Stars or Life juts Troop 29, of the First Congregational 49

What Happened to Bill Stevens? Sandy’s challenge brought Bill into the ranks of the Washed, says Charles Barr The BEGINNING of the Story; Bill Stevens, football star, 9 student and -round fellow, found himself an “outsider” in Dal- mar College, because he failed to keep clean. Finall something happened se changed Bill’s future. What was it?

Here is the answer submitted by Charles B. < : Barr, aged 14, of Strat- ford, Conn. “All right. Here’s a cake Sandy McDonald was en- gaged in scrubbing his of Ivory Soap. Sail in and knuckles. He looked up at wash your face and hands.” Bill. Bill obeyed. The result “Going to the dance?” was marvelous. “Nope.” Sandy won his bet and Bill “Why not? has used Ivory ever since. dance all right.” “Oh, I guess I’m _ not popular enough,” Bill re- plied with a mirthless laugh. “Fiddlesticks! If you'll do as I tell you to, I'll bet eyou can get every dance to- You can Think of thepleasures that will come to Bill all the rest of his life, simply as the result of that friendly challenge! Girls can’t say so, but they aren’t keen about dancing night. Are you game?” with fellows who aren’t up to “Try me,” was the in- the Ivory standard of clean- stant reply. liness. Do you blame them? eae & GAMBLE George Shkihds akers of has a new idea about Bill. IVORY SOAP “iecil.. 99%% PURE IT FLOATS

Copyright 1928 by The Procter & Gamble Co., Cincinnati

Church, Toledo, Ohio, has a truly remarkable record. There are thirteen Eagles, including

“Every Day in Every Way” you will get better and better if you cut down the high- protein foods and eat more cereals, green vegetables and fruits. Shredded Wheat is a perfect food because of its high nutritive value and because it is so easily digested. Its crisp, tasty, oven-baked shreds of whole wheat en- courage thorough chewing. In making Shredded Wheat we use only the large, plump, meaty whole wheat grains. Two Biscuits with milk or cream make a perfect meal at a cost of a few cents. Delicious with fruits. Shredded Wheat An all-day food for all seasons’ TRISCUIT is the Shredded Wheat cracker— a real whole wheat toast—eaten with butter, soft cheese or marmalades. A free sample of Shredded Wheat with our new booklet, ‘‘The Happy Way to Health,’’ is sent free on request. The Shredded Wheat Company, Niagara Falls, N. Y.

Page 52

50 For Radio Work “RED DEVIL” Thin-Nose Pliers UST the thing for radio - repairs around camp and home, and other scout requirements. The very thin nose on these liers makes them andy for working in ™ tight places. They 4 reach the spot. Forged from high grade tool steel. Sheer ——. pipe or nut wrenc and by fra for widen- $ ing the radius of jaw = action. “No Pinch” scientific shape Den- tyne Knurled handles. A full nickel-plated tool. Fits com- fortably in the pocket. Sent postpaid for selling only one new yearly sub- scription for BOYS’ LIFE, The Boy Scouts’ Magazine (remittance $2.00). The pliers are offered as a reward for actual successful salesmanship. The new subscription may not be your own or for your own house or a@ renewal. BOYS’ LIFE 200 Fifth Avenue New York OH BOY! =: back ff not satisfied. Send for free cotatan $1.00 buys a real pocket bg ek with Bist at istrbutine ‘So. 18 _ Cincin- Money The Right to Advertise by Festus J. WADE, President Mercantile Trust Company of St. Louis I repeat I am preju- diced in favor of ad- vertising. But I am not guessing. I have seen what it has been able to do. Advertising is al- most as necessary to the bank, particularly the one offering a di- versified service, as it is to the department store. It is a powerful force, and no one de- serving the right to apply it to his busi- ness should be denied that right. Published by the Boys’ Life in co- operation with The American As- sociation of Advertising Agencies , Scoutmaster Frank Duddy, and Assistant Scoutmaster Roland Leonard; 16 Star Scouts and 13 Life Scouts. The total Merit Badges they have earned is 600. They believe this record has not been surpassed by any troop in the country. The President’s Own A typical good turn was recently rendered by Troop 70, of Washington, D. C. This troop is known as the “President’s Own.” During the great convention of the Mystic Shriners, held in Washington, in June, this troop furnished twenty-six details at different times and places from Saturday, June 2- Thursday, June 7. Thirty-eight boys vol- unteered their services. Eleven of the boys served over twenty hours and two boys, over forty. The total of the hours of service was 576, rendered, of course, without pay. Good work, Troop 7o! Real Pioneers Said the gray old scout to Scoutmaster Fish, of Ogden, Utah: “It’s a great many years since I prospected near Ogden, but there’s a natural cave in one of the canyons that’s got any other around there beat to a finish.” The Scoutmaster prided himself on knowing every hole in the mountains around Ogden, and was curious. “There’s a very narrow canyon just north of ‘Jump Off Canyon,’ the only one with a right and left fork. It is very rough and has no trail. Take the left fork and travel up till you find a decayed log about thirty inches thick, on the floor of the canyon. Go a hun- dred yards farther on and to the right you will see the stump from which the log was cut. Stand on the stump, face the north and on the face of the cliff, about fifty feet above the floor of the canyon, you will see a dark spot about the size of your scout hat. This is the opening of the cave; but is not quite as small as it looks. The climb up the face of the cliff is hard, but the cave is sure a wonder.” When the Scoutmaster repeated the old scout’s tale to the boys of Troop 20, you may guess what they decided to do. The direc- tions were correct, and the adventures of the hike included hornets, wasps, nine rattle- snakes, and a cave filled with stalactites, and leading to concealed rooms through passages so narrow that the boys could not turn around and could only walk sideways. The trip called for good Scouting, and the boys lived up to the reputation of the Movement. Boy Scouts Study Birds Bird banding is a novel Good Turn that Livingston, Montana, scouts are rendering to the Government. “The scouts have been catching birds of various varieties in a little sparrow trap, inveigling them with bits of chopped meat or a handful of grain,” says a local paper, “and, after encircling their tiny legs with equally tiny alumi- num bands, they have set them free again. “The bands are procured from the Govern- ment. When a bird is banded, the date is sent to Washington—the number, the variety of the bird, and the date of banding. These records are filed, and if, for instance, one of these birds is found in Florida, or Canada, the number is sent in to W ashington, and the Montana station is notified.” In this way the flight of birds, and often their age, may be discovered. It can be learned whether the same birds come back to the same place year after year, the length of their migrations and other interesting ma- terial. Not long ago a bird that had been banded in New England in 1921 was picked up in West Africa. A Fine Troop Record Troop 1, of New Prague, Minnesota, has presented an Annual Report that should be an Incentive to other troops. The report itself is bound in blue linen cardboard and so ar- ranged that it telis the history of the troop clearly. Troop 1 was organized in January, 1921. By July 1st they had reached a total of 32; nine members, however, left for various reasons, but out of that number no less than 12 are first-class scouts. That means ambition and the ability to stick to it. They held 59 regular troop meetings, in a room which the school gave them. Thanks to the activity of the Troop Committee, they had a fine camp, well conducted. They did not devote all their summer to play, either. Fourteen full days of instruction were given in camp; probably that accounts for the good percen- tage of first-class badges. They made their own signal flags and pro- vided their own equipment from money that they actually earned themselves. Every one of the members of Troop 1 has a savings account and some of the boys have saved as much as $50 and $60 (A Scout is Thrifty). Thirteen of these boys won especial merit badge 100% duty shields. Some of the ar- ticles of handiwork they made include bird- houses, silk flags, miniature aeroplanes and a log cabin. They assisted the American Legion when it held a Convention in New Prague, and per- formed many other good turns for the com- munity. Congratulations, Troop 1, you are mighty good scouts. Great Oaks from Little Acorns Grow The Fort Orange Scouts at Albany, N. Y., are putting over an interesting piece of work. Can you think of any one single thing that means more to a scout than a tree? You rest under its shade; its branches shelter small eager animal lives for your interest and study; the leaves offer nature study. From the dry twigs you make fire to warm you and from the limbs a cabin to shelter you. It is hard to picture scouting without trees. Every year we are cutting down, using up, more than three times as many, trees as we are planting. It is a matter of cold fact that if we keep on at the present rate this country will be absolutely denuded of trees in the not very distant future. In co-operation with the New York State Forestry Association, the scouts of Orange Council are doing their bit to remedy the situa- tion in a very practical and effective way. They have assumed the responsibility of plant- ing at least 5,000 trees every spring and at least 5,000 trees every fall in and around the city of Albany. The first 5,000 were set out at their own camp last fall. This gave the scouts a chance to learn the best methods of tree-planting. Last spring they set out 5,000 on the water- shed and near one of the reservoirs of the city water supply. That was not enough for their ambitions and they later set out 2,000 more trees on their own account and helped plant 5,000 more. These good turns are so scout-like that it should appeal to the whole Movement. If every scout in the country assumed the respon- sibility of setting out at least one tree every spring and every fall, the results would be sub- stantially encouraging. The Stars and Stripes Scouts will be interested to know that, due in a large part to the influence of the Boy] w, Scouts of America, a conference was held in Washington, in June, under the auspices of the American Legion, to discuss our national flag. The proper way to hang it, to display it, and to carry it, were among ‘the other matters discussed. All the different patriotic organiza- We tions sent representatives to this conference, with the idea of reaching certain definite stand- ards about this inspiring symbol of the Ameri- can people. The code for proper civilian usage that was adopted by this conference will appear in the BOYS’ HANDBOOK and the HAND- BOOK FOR SCOUTMASTERS. BOYS’ LIFE | Don’t Lose Senee | | BOT LIFE! =] 50 WAYS TO EARN THE COST OF IT Does your subscription for BOYS?’ LIFE expire with this issue or in the next few months? Right now is the time to get your renewal fixed up. Then you can settle back for the months ahead; the Biggest and Best Reading Program in BOYS’ LIFE History. Let Dad In On It, Too If you will share your copies with Dad, you'll find that he, too, will want to be sure the renewal is sent ‘ahead of time so that no copies will be missed. Show him Wilbur C. Stone’s letter which follows: GENTLEMEN: Before I made the acquaintance of Boys’ Lirg, Mother read her magazines and Dad read his. didn’t care for magesines at all, but since—I can read nothing until I finish Boys’ Lire, and—I fight for it—but half the time Dad beats me toit. I made him admit Boys’ Lire had his magazines skinned a mile and proved to him that the method used by Boys’ LirF to teach nature studies and craftsman- ship, et cetera were away ahead of high schools inso- far as making knowledge stick in your brain was concerned. Being Patrol Leader, Scribe and Treasurer of a live troop, a real Scout magazine appealed very strongly to me, especially the department devoted to helps in earning merit badges. However, Dad thought his magazines filled the bill as they cover many subjects. Finally I obtained a copy of Boys’ Lire and dropped it on his desk. was afraid he wouldn’t open it—I was wrong. He opened it and read it from start to finish before he laid it aside. I grinned as Dad looked up. Dad grinned. ‘‘You win,” he said. ‘‘I don't blame you for wanting that magazine. You're always trying to make things. Boys’ Lire will teach you the correct way to go about it." Now Dad’s my pal because we have bully times discussing the stories and Dad knows things about nature that I never dreamed of until Boys’ LirE brought up the subject. Yours for (BOYS’) life. Witsur C. How They Got the Money Here are 50 ways in which boy subscribers have secured the money that paid for their BOYS’ LIFE subscriptions: Piling wood. Raising a calf. Mowing lawns. Selling papers. Painting fence. Delivering milk. Sweeping church. g chickens. Beating carpet. STONE. THIS ‘LL. tributing Working in the hay. Delivering telegrams. Caddying for golfers. w an auto = orking in an office. Working ia drug stor ing in store. Sweeping om Farm work in summer. Raising a potato patch. Working in greenhouse. Working for a gardener. Working in lumber yard. Selling garden produce. Working around the home. Working in doctor’s office. Cleaning neighbor’s 5 Tending cows and —— Delivering te on baker’s se up coal and wood. in a grocery store. Peuine turkeys and squabs. Fixing grates of steam roller. Doing janitor work in a dog for a neighbor. Sawing wood with the bucksaw. Delivering notices for Preacher. Errands on Saturday afternoon. Writing and translating letters. Making a birdhouse for neighbor. Candling eggs at a — er Putting in a ton of coal Working aft Making and selling a model aeroplane. Carrying water, picking Sn ete. licing machine for meat dealer. ating s' other gave it to me for eating eine butter. 50c Will Keep Your e Copies Coming You need not wait to earn the whole $2.00. Send 50c (five dimes wrapped securely or, better still, 25 two-cent stamps), and you'll be renewed for three months. That gives you plenty of time to earn more. Insure your next three months now. Address: BOYS’ LIFE THE BOY SCOUTS’ MAGAZINE 200 Fifth Ave., New York, N. Y. August

Page 53

The Boy Scouts’ Magazine But This Is | Different river bed. Not a moment too soon did the enormous boulder fall. When the first waves of the onrushing flood reached where it lay, its giant bulk was suf- ficient, along with the other masses of rock that it brought down, to divert somewhat the course of the current. The flood not yet being at full strength, the obstruction was sufficient to send about two thirds of the volume of water in the direction of the small gully that branched away from the main river d Now, water plays “Follow the leader” and the greater portion of the rushing water went gullywards to finally spread itself out in a huge inundation over fields far away from the town. Middleburg did not wholly escape, however, for the lesser portion of the torrent was of uncomfortably an dimensions and just about tore the edge off the town. Fortunately the part of the locality devastated was devoted mainly to lumber yards and vacant lots. Unfortunately there were two habitations, in one of which dwelt an aged watchman and his wife and in the other a family of five children with their parents. Crowds of people who were lucky to escape now thronged the edge of the flooded area watching the fascinating scene. To be sure a number came to help, but only a few of these knew what to do or had courage to do it. John Kendricks was the first to wade into the swirling water. A couple of men followed and then half a hundred rushed in, most of them to rush out again. John and about a half a dozen kept on, our hero being the first to reach one of the doomed houses. He and another rangy youth entered the creaking . ramshackle structure and with but little persuasion and much man-power managed to convey the aged couple to the helpers outside who were standing in surging waters that were waist high and rapidly getting higher. The old couple safely on shore, the band of valiant rescuers then struggled toward the second house in which were the children. This house was further back toward safety, but the waters were too deep for the little ones and besides the father was sick in bed. This was a comparatively easy rescue and everything went well until the last child was being passed by a man into waiting hands. Just as the child left his arms a terrific crash shook the house, a pile of logs tore through, smashing all before them. The man jumped, but was knocked over by a section of board wall that came down. The whole house leaned over, but by some lucky quirk remained standing, otherwise most of the rescuers would have been overwhelmed. The man who was knocked off his feet grabbed wildly and caught hold of the boards that felled him. It was now a raft and he and it were immediately pulled along by the rushing tide. John Kendricks seeing the desperate position of the unlucky man grabbed to pull him back and he too became an unwiliing voyager. A cry of horror went up from the multitude on the bank. It was now too dangerous for even those in the water to venture further into the torrent. All that the crowd could do was to run along the edge of the flood and hope for the best. Some of the people must have hoped extra hard, or was it John Kendricks’ presence of) mind that changed the situation for the better? Anyway, John, now on the raft, managed to tear off a piece of board which he proceeded to use as a rudder. He succeeded in steering the frail raft toward some lumber poles which he and his fellow voyager grabbed. The couple of travelers now had some say as to their course but not as to their speed. They had the wildest record-breaking ride of their lives. It was a long race in very short time. The winning post was a sturdy tree into which they let their raft crash. They clutched hanging branches and, exhausted as they were, they pulled themselves to safety. Their raft, now very much wrecked, sped on and in a very few seconds disappeared over the brink of a twenty-foot waterfall. About an hour afterwards John and his companions were rescued from further danger. John Kendricks, who got a medal for his meritorious work that day, was now struggling with his own fear of being afraid and telling himself, ‘‘ But this is different.” John, who had one time braved an enraged bull. to divert its attention from a small boy; John, who had two ice rescues to his credit and a citation for stopping a runaway horse at great peril to his own life; John, who had a letter of praise from a citizens’ committee for his work of daring in holding up two men whom he discovered robbing the county bank, was now groaning in an agony of dread. Was he afraid when, unarmed, he bluffed the robbers with a piece of junk which they in the gloom mistook for a gun? Not he. He made the robbers face a wall and extend their arms high in the air. He secured their guns and then notified the authorities by knocking the receiver off the phone. Help came after a while, but in the meantime John kept up the bluff by pretending that he had a bunch of companions with him. He would call, “Jim, you keep the big one covered”; and, “Tom, you and the other fellows stay by the door. I'll attend to the little fat fellow.” He made responsive noises too and even answered him- self. . Was he scared? Not on your life. He was as cool and steady as an ice-box. Yet here he was now, wondering whether he should not risk all, his medals, citations and records, and above all his own pride in his reputation, by one dash away from this dreaded place. The struggle within him was tremendous. He paced around with rapid, nervous steps. He sat down and held his throbbing head be- tween his hands, uttered a deep groan and was once more about to repeat his apologizing phrase when a shuffling noise was ar A chill fear gripped his heart. Agonizingly he looked up and began, “But this is—” whena door opened and, beckoning to him, a smiling ’ dentist said, “ You’re next, sir!” > ? f = ==> == ——— = = = = = ( | A Secret Code | , By C. H. Weinland Every boy who has used any secret code at all has wished for one which was both easy to operate and undecipherable unless the secret were known. A code which is very hard to de- cipher without the key, because every letter may have a different symbol, is easily made as follows: Rule a sheet of paper with twenty- three horizontal rows and seven vertical col- umns. Write the consonants of the alphabet in the first column and the vowels in the top row, leaving the first column, in which the con- sonants are written, and the last column blank. Then put a different number in each of the blank spaces and the code is complete. The message is written out and the first letter is found. If it is a consonant followed by a vowel, the number in the same row as the consonant and the same column as the vowel is written. If it is a consonant alone, the num- ber at the end of the row is used, and if a vowel, the number at the bottom of the’ col- umn. Any vowel not preceded by a consonant is treated as a lone vowel. The words, “Good -bye,” would then be written: 108-7-127-132-9. To decode a message, it is only necessary to find the row and column in which each number 1923 is located, and write down the corresponding letters, remembering that when a number rep- resents a vowel and consonant, the consonant always precedes the vowel. a AL ST ETO) S BO 117 | 122 | 126 | 129 | 131 | 132 Cc. III | 116 | 121 | 125 | 128 | 130 “D- 105 | 110 | 115 | 120 | 124 | 127 F 99 | 104 | 109 | 114 | 119 | 123 G 93 | 98 | 103 | 108 | 113 | 118 x 1o'| 14}. 19] 26] 201 34 + § 6 9| 13 18 | 23] 28 Z 3 5 8 12 17 | 22 I 2 4 ae W. L.DOUGLAS SHOES ARE GOOD SHOES AT REASONABL PRICES We have in our 116 stores a wonderful assortment of % kinds and styles of high-class, stylish shoes suitable for Men, Women and Boys in all walks of life. They are made of high grade, selected leathers. Fine Calf and Vici Kid shoes are our specialty. The quality, style and workmanship are unsurpassed. YOU CAN ALWAYS SAVE MONEY BY WEARING W.LDOUGLAS SHOES SOLD DIRECT FROM FACTORY JO YOU AT ONE PROFIT If you have been paying high prices for shoes, why not try a pair of W. L. Douglas $8.00 shoes? They are exceptionally good value. Frankly, is it not worth while for you to dress your feet in shoes that hold their shape, are easy-fitting, look well, wear well and are reasonable in price? , $5565758. &59, SHOES $4.50 & $5.00 SHOES FOR BOYS For thirty-seven years W. L. Douglas name and portrait have stood for a high standard of quality and dependable value. For economy and satisfactory service wear shoes that bear this trade mark. Ask your dealer for W. L. Douglas shoes. Look for W. L. Douglas name and the retail price stamped on the sole. Refuse substitutes. IF NOT FOR SALE IN YOUR VICINITY, WRITE President FOR ILLUSTRATED CATALOG SHOWING HOW W. L. Douglas Shos Co, TO ORDER SHOES BY MAIL. POSTAGE FREE. 138 Spark Street, Brockton, Mass. TO MERCHANTS: If no dealer in your town handles W. L. Douglas shoes, write today for exclusive rights to handle this quick-selling, ESTABLISHED 1874 Lick turn-over line. RAISE GUINEA PIGS profite—largedamand—casl ined. FIT-WEAR-AND COMFORT , thousands n as ¢ RAISE GUINEA Pics us. We » oF oat 3 y- profits ge try or: " how to raise FREE. City, Mo. BARGAINS IN US ARMY GOODS, #% =a a 201, Box 1835 ichmond, Va. Last Call for Mess at the DAN BEARD W oodcraft Camp in which Former President Roosevelt and John Burroughs were particularly interested. A place where you can have fun and learn a lot while you are having it. A Real Camp in the Open where we make RED BLOODED BOYS We do the things boys like to do and show them — to do them. No croquet, but regular EW We Sager a he-boy sports. Dan’ Beard in Buckskins A Trail Blazer in the Field of Education Come With Us Scout Craft and Camping Grow Strong, Handsome and Happy Dan Beard Outdoor School, 87 Bowne Avenue, Flushing, L. I. Please send full information about your Outdoor School and Camp to

Page 54

‘= BOYS’ LIFE Want to be an Eagle Scout? READ THIS! To-day I am an Eagle Scout, Patrol Leader, Scribe, and one of the most up-to- date scouts in Troop 5. I can safely say that if it had not been for Boys’ Lirr, The Boy Scouts’ Magazine, I would not have reached the rank I have. I say this entirely without boasting, just to show how Boys’ Lire has helped me. As a patrol leader, I find out what other patrols are doing and what mine ought to be doing, new stunts for Patrol Meeting, etc. I CAN ASK QUESTIONS AND TELL MY TROUBLES IN DAN BEARD'S SCOUTING SECTION AND GET THEM ANSWERED BY THE BEST AUTHORITY ON SCOUTING AND ONE OF THE BEST SCOUTS IN AMERICA. As a scribe, I learn the Official News straight from National Headquarters. I get new ideas for keeping my records and so keep up with the times. As a plain scout I see what the other scouts are doing. I get new pointers on Nature, Bird Study, Craftsmanship and scouting in general. I read the “Think and Grin”’ Section, those columns of funny- bone ticklers. I get the latest prices on official uniform and equipment. I find out about the scouts of other lands in the World Brotherhood of Boys, and last but not least I get a lot of clean, peppy, wholesome stories, written by the best authors in America, which every boy, whether he is a Boy Scout or not, ought to be able to read. AS FOR SCOUTS, I CAN ONLY SAY THAT BOYS’ LIFE IS TO SCOUTING WHAT TEXT-BOOKS ARE TO SCHOOL. “The Handbook for Boys” and Boys’ Lire going hand-in-hand, make a combination that can't be beat. I most emphatically recommend Boys’ Lire to every red-blooded American boy and guarantee that no real boy will ever regret (if he does he is not a real boy) subscribing to Boys’ Lire.” Patrol Leader John M. Pittenger (Ohio) Y Excursion Ticket Boy Scouts of America 200 Fifth Avenue New York Enclosed please find $1.00. I want to ride on the “ Boys’ Life Special.” Please send me “ BOYS’ LIFE” for eight months. pam -- == ee the World! BOYS’ LIFE SPECIAL! OW would you like to hop off on an eight months’ trip that will include such places as Africa, the South Sea Islands, Asia, the South American Jungles, the Arctic regions! Suppose you could have flying with you, doing and showing thrilling things, such friendly heroes as Jim Morse, Johnny Kelly, Roy Blakeley, the bunch from St. Jo’s School —a crowd of fellows who would pack the whole eight months of the excursion with fun, adventure, thrills and valuable information, too. You can start now! A dollar bill puts the 8-copy-power BOYS’ LIFE telescope in your hands (an eight months’ BOYS’ LIFE subscription new or renewal) NOW. In the eight months’ copies you will find stories and articles and departments that will truly give you a wonderful world-wide trip in com- pany with the heroes of BOYS’ LIFE pages. Here Is What You Will Be Reading These are just a few of the story “headliners”! articles that make Boys’ Lire such a practical help to fellows like Eagle Scout Pittenger. articles alone will be worth more than the full subscription price. BOYS WANT BOYS’ LIFE IN CAMP A Valuable Treasure Secret Here’s a valuable money secret for readers of “ BOYS’ LIFE”—it’s this: four out of five boys subscribe because they borrow or run across @ copy in some way. Usually it’s a chum’s copy. How many fellows have seen one number of “ BOYS’ LIFE” through you? Show them all! Just consider your dollar for eight monthly copies as an investment. You'll call it one of the best investments you ever made. First, you get all the pleasure and profit of reading the eight fine copies, and then, if you want to, you can put each copy to work as a salesman to get you an order on which you can make money in commission. In addition, you will get all the special departments and The camping THE QUEST OF THE GOLDEN CITIES by George L. Knapp—It’s a serial tale of the ad- ventures of two Spanish boys with the famous Coronado Expedition, that came to America in the early fifteen-hundreds to find the fabled cities before Coronado drove his little band of explorers northward and westward into New Mexico and Arizona among the Hopi and Pueblo Indians. The story is crowded with narrow escapes, stirring adventures, treachery and other thrills that those Spanish explorers experienced back in the dawn of civilization in the Western Hemisphere. THE BEST SHORT STORIES OF THE YEAR IN BOYS’ LIFE—Boys’ Lire is brimming over with stories and they are, with- out doubt, the best short stories that ever have been written for boys. In September read the big football story by Earl Reed Silvers ,“‘ Class.” WILD WEST STORIES—that are all that they should be and so vivid and real that you can taste the alkali dust and hear the thunder of stampeding cattle, are being written by such experts as W. C. Tuttle, whose story, “ Border Bred,” will soon appear in Boys’ Lire. Other bully Western stories are ““The Night Herder,” by William Wells, and “The Coyote Kid,” by J. Allan Dunn. There are humorous stories, too, such as ‘Captain Bolo’s Earrings,” by Russell G. Carter; the Johnny Kelly stories by Wilbur S. Boyer, and “From the Ground Up,” by Francis J. Rigney. Pirate stories, such as “Captain Kidd and the Fisherman,” by Edwin Cole. Animal stories by J. H. Hull, Charles L. (“Grizzly”) Smith, Leon W. Dean and James Ravenscroft. Stories of adventure by Archibald Rutledge, John Beames, Thomson Burtis, Merlin Moore Taylor, John L. Considine, and many others. Thrilling Indian stories by William Wells. Tell other boys about all this, and don’t miss a single issue yourself. B.L. 8-23 H Right now is the time to act— while the chance to subscribe for Pint Wane PRR oi. oso bic cin ccvecectacccocens panes paberdvandrsnaqdnecan ees ; t BOYS’ LIFE at this very low ge i s . oii6cs 460% 060csveennsnesausanus Gekwadteheedodmeweowbateecons r price of $1.00 lasts. Regular Yearly Subscription $2.00 rey Oe TOR. 54 5edic Hoda do.c.t.s0 bain cele DEC asapccsegsedceeebesecedeatpies suse ; (4-Page Scout Picture Calendar in Colors included, on request) i er ala cae alan 4 Sn TAN ATO ee ends eee Suara e ced L August

Page 55

The Boy Scouts’ Magazine AERONAUTICAL DIGEST Major Charles J. Glidden, F.R.G.S. (Donor of Glidden Trophy for Automobiling) Editor ’ Publishes monthly the aeronautical news of the entire world from its own correspondents and other sources. 64 Pages fully illustrated. Junior Department Contains aeronautical news of special interést to the Boy Scouts. e Six Months’ Trial $1.00 Sample Copy 25c a ee AERONAUTICAL DIGEST 342 Madison Avenue New York, N. Y. Please send AERONAUTICAL DIGEST six months on trial, for which $1.00 is enclosed. Name i OE a cincctsodevntdscddtseowkeamsaaes City and State BOY SCOUT CALENDAR COST FREE It puts inspiring scout pictures, in color, by the famous artist, NORMAN ROCKWELL, in the reach of all. Every Scout should have these pic- tures on his walls: 1. A Red Cross Man in the Making. Scouting is More Than a Game. . The Daily Good Turn. . Straight Talks from the Scoutmaster. 2. ~> Ww If you sign up right now, at once, to make Boys’ LIFE your “buddy” for the full 12 months, you may have the ROCKWELL CALENDAR, while the supply lasts, with Boys’ LIFE, for the regular price of $2.00 for the twelve issues. Act NOW! BOYS’ LIFE THE BOY SCOUTS’ MAGAZINE 200 Fifth Avenue, New York City The Tool-Chest in Use By Fred Hartley "THOSE who read the article “How to Start a Tool-Chest” in the last number of Boys’ Lire will recall the mention of reclaiming old lumber by washing it down, removing the nails and squaring off the ends. There is nothing very troublesome about washing the boards, but it is not so easy to take out the nails or square the ends. To Pull Nails Of course the way to take out a nail is to drive it back, turn the board over and pull the nail with the hammer. But it is often found that the hammer does not pull it out as easily as might be expected. Instead of pulling it out the hammer bends the nail over—and then comes trouble, for the nail twists and wobbles—and stays in. To remove nails cleanly and quickly under such circumstances is easy, however, once the “trick” is learned. All you have to do is put a small block under the hammer head, get a good grip on the nail and “out she comes.” Fig. 1 shows how to take out nails in this way. When a nail has been clinched—bent over underneath and flattened against the wood—it is wise to par- tially straighten the nail by prying it up with a screwdriver before attempting to draw it. To Usé the Try Square In squaring off the ends of boards make use of the try square—that is what the square is for. Fig. 2 shows how to use the square pre- liminary to sawing. Lay the beam or head of the square close against the straight edge of the board and with the blade of the square as a guide or, ruling edge draw a line across the board with a pencil, or scratch the line with a nail. Then cut along this line. It takes a little practice to cut true to the mark, especially if the board is a thick one. In the latter case it is well to mark the sides as well as the top of the board. For laying off a 45-degree cut a mitre square, or one whose blade is fixed at an angle of 45 degrees, is desirable and should be added to the tool-chest at the earliest oppor- tunity. Forsmaller’strips the mitre box is used, but for boards too large to go into the mitre box the 45-degree mitre square is very necessary, To Saw In sawing many make the mistake of trying to cut too rapidly—of pushing the saw too hard. Let the saw teeth do the work. When the cut is nearly finished, brace both halves of the board lest, at the last moment, the weight of the severed parts cause the material to split. If the saw binds ‘it is because of unequal pressure against the saw blade due to the bending of the board. A crooked cut also will cause the saw to bind. It is not easy to sharpen a saw unless one has had experience in this line. Therefore, when the saw becomes dull, it is best to have it sharpened by an expert. "The pitch, cutting edges and size of the teeth all play important parts in the cutting qualities of a saw. Nails and Screws For all ordinary purposes wire nails are most used. For shingling it is best to employ “cut,” nails, since these do not rust easily. Wire nails commonly come in the following sizes, measured in inches: Twopenny, in. Tenpenny, 3 i: ‘cnree 0 # oy, = Twelve “ 3% “ Four . ” Sixteen “ 3% “ Six a way “ig stint. 2% inch. Sizes smaller than twopenny are usually ordered ininches. Wire nails are made as heavy as 60 penny, these being 6 in. long and made of No. 2 gauge wire. They come about 11 to the pound as against about 650 to the pound of onepenny nails. A keg of nails contains 100 pounds. Screws are either round or flat head; steel, nickeled, galvanized, or brass. They are ordered in inches. Brads are wire nails with small heads. Nails driven in at a slant or “toed” hold tighter than when driven straight. Fig. 3 I 41 j %, * shows how to “toe” a nail. Small holes should be bored when using screws both to make start- ing easier and to prevent splitting the wood. For work in which many screws are required it is well to add a screwdriver bit to the tool- chest. This bit is inserted in the jaws of the augur and, with the extra leverage which the augur gives, the screws may be driven “home” quite easily. Indeed this augur bit is almost a necessity where large screws are used or when the wood is hard. Square Holes There is no way of boring square holes. It is obvious that you cannot turn any tool round and round and thereby cut a square hole. The best that can be done is to bore a round hole a trifle smaller than the square hole wanted and then trim the hole to the proper size and shape. To do this lay out the dimensions of the hole with a pencil, choose a bit which comes closest to fitting, and bore the round hole. Then, with a. chisel -begin .to square the hole up, working first on one face of the board, then on the oppo- site face. This work requires patience. A full description of the method of cutting square holes —of mortising and of many other important things in home carpentry—is given in the pam- phlet on “Carpentry” published by the Boy Scouts of America. Many of the drawings illus- trating this,article are taken from this pamphlet. Lumber White pine, white wood and cedar are very good stock for the carpenter. White wood is light and close-grained without being hard. Cedar is liable to split if thin. White pine is excellent for all-round work. Yellow pine is hard, resinous and difficult to work. Metal Working Tools Last month I promised to tell about metal working tools, but find I have not space. How- ever, here is a list of the most important tools of this kind, and these should be added to the tool-chest as soon as possible: . Iron bench vise. . Hack-saw and blades. . Triangular file called a “taper.” . Pair of wire-cutting pliers. . Soldering iron, solder (in strips) and flux. . Pair tinners shears or “snips.” . Breast drill and drills. SIAnNHLWN 1923 53 Your Official Axe! IT’S A PLUMB—the Official Scout Axe. Look for the red handle, the black head and the name Plumb. The Plumb Take-up Wedge (patented) keeps the handle tight. Complete with leather sheath, $1.80, at hardware stores. The File for Camp and Home PLUMB ALL-WORK FILE has sheath and forged handle. Carry it with Two files—fine and coarse =m one. Handiest S. ever =e. Every Scout needs it to sharpen ax knives, tools, etc. With sheath 35¢ (except in Far West). FAYETTE R. PLUMB, Inc. Philadelphia, U. S. A. PLUMB Ce tt Eg “Hammers Hatc Hatchets / Files Sleages Axes on new 1923 models, 44 : rier. ond sizes famous Ra’ ves, Shipped Free on approve’ ad , 12m at tory e “poe os hin monthly ad orcs Senege Fane PROTECT BIRDS—MAKE MONEY — friends and neighbors want. Everyone is inter- ting birds. Now is the time to get busy. Send or tee ie a arty = complete system. Sent postpaid on receipt of $ nov BUILDERS 317 Sterry Building WHY GO WITHOUT? Pontiac, Ill. pa Get Merchandise Or Money From Boys’ Life No need to go without equip- ment that scouts and other boys want. ‘Thousands of boys have received cash or credit toward articles shown in the Scout Supply Department catalogs and advertisements, by inter- esting their friends in BOYS’ LIFE. In part of 3 evenings Ray- mond Williams got merchandise credit of $5.25. WHAT DO YOU WANT? Tell this man about it: Sales Manager, BOYS’ LIFE, The Boy Scouts’ Magazine, 200 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. Y. nd

Page 56

54

For the Call of the Open Are you spending your vacation in the North Woods—at the seashore—in one of our many great national parks, or are you motoring across country? In any event the new Cunning- ham dry battery detector and amplifier, type C-299, makes ible for you to take a radio receiver, which will be light i in weight, compact in design, and highly efficient i in operation. It is the special filament in this tube, having a cur- rent so low that it may ens its supply from standard No. 6 dry batteries or even from ordinary flashlight batteries, that makes possible this new and interesting application of radio. The receiving set you now have can be readily adjusted to use this new tube and be a source of use and pleasure on your vacation trip. In amy event your dealer can give you useful suggestions for the purchase or construction of a highly efficient and practical portable set. Patent Notice: Cunningham tubes are covered by patents dated 11-7-0 1-15-07,

A Specially Designed Eve: 2-18-08, and others issued and pending. icensed for Tube For ry amateur, experimental and entertainment use in radio Radio Use communication. Any other use will be an infringement. Home Office: 248 First Street San Francisco Calif. ETM . Eastern Representative: 54 W. Lake Street Gane Illinois All Radio Advertisements published in BOYS’ LIFE have been examined and approved by an expert in that line. Only worth while goods are offered for sale. You can have confidence in our advertisers.

Signal Learner Set

Learn Wireless Code |™ “Signal” Learner Set, widely used by army and navy men during the war. Gives clean-cut signals easy to understand. Con- sists of iron base key, with three standard binding posts and watch-case buzzer, mounted on neat mahogany-finished base. Sturdily built; nothing to get out of order. If your radio dealer does not carry this Signal R 68 Learner Set, send $3.00 and his name and address. Outfit will be sent you postpaid. Signal Electric Mfg. Co. 1961 Broadway Mich., U. S. A.

TELEGRAPHY (Morse and ~~ and Roe! Monitien,Ollest, ire fs er thor- 2 OF tel "Raliwar, Had — officials. Expenses be-ese nities to earn lees Catalog free. DODGE’S INSTITUTE, Kirk Street, Valparaiso, Ind.

|. 50% less than CARNIE-GOUDIE CO., Dept. 564 Kansas City, Mo.

| Boost Your Batting Average—Babe Ruth Bat COST FREE You can havea bat that is an mp junior size model of the one Babe Ruth has used, a “ Louisville Slugger” bat, made in the same factory that turned out the “Slu r” Babe used to bat out 59 home-runs in one season! With each bat goes a Famous Slugger booklet with complete batting records of the hitting heroes, tips on batting, etc.

The bat and booklets described sent cost free to you for selling and sending only one NEW Yearly Subscription for BOYS’ LIFE, The Boy Scouts’ Magazine. (Your own, or any renewal subscription will not count.) Send orders to: BOYS’ LIFE, The Boy Scouts’ Magazine 200 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. Y.

BOYS’ LIFE

Radio Questions and Answers | a

; (Concluded from page 26)

36 wire revolves on a metal curtain rod placed six or eight feet from the sewing machine. With care the winding can be laid very rapidly and evenly, layer upon layer. If the wire breaks, as it probably will, be sure to solder the ends—don’t be content just to twist them to- gether. All in all, you will probably find it cheaper to buy your transformer than to make one. I have made several transformers in the manner described, but it was a waste of time because it cost more to make them than to buy them. To procure an operator’s license you must pass an examination. This examination is given by the government and should be taken at the office located in your radio district. The hardest part is the code. You are ex- pected to be able to receive and send at the rate of ten words per minute. The sending is easy, but it takes practice to learn to receive, especially when you are liable to get a hundred signals shot at you without any rhyme or reason in their sending—letters, numbers, abbreviations, and all the rest, one after another with no sense in the sequence at all.. And if you miss you don’t get the license. Then you have to be able to describe your sending set, and draw diagrams of one sort or another concerning radio. I should say the first thing to do, if you have no license, would be to learn the code. It may take six months’ steady practice, but you will get there if you stick to it. As to reception of Wisconsin stations, my list shows only two of them operating on 500 watts—all the others on lower power. Perhaps this is the reason you do not get them. “I know that here, where we have many stations both of high and low wattage, we do not get the low-power stations very well—hardly at all if they are any distance away even on sets with several tubes. The r1oo-watt stations cover great distances, however. We get Davenport, Iowa, Chicago and other nearer 1o0co-watt stations very well. The others we get occasionally under good conditions— perhaps. An we. VCR Fig M A variocoupler may be made for use with a variable condenser of 23 plates by wrapping the stator of the variocoupler with about 90 turns No. 22 or No. 24 cotton-covered wire, taking off taps every 8th or roth turn. The aerial lead goes to the top end of the winding. The taps go to switch points making contact with switch arm, which latter is connected to the ground lead. Wrap the rotor with 45 to so turns cotton-covered wire, taking care to see that the winding is continuous and that both halves of the winding proceed in the same direction. The ends of the rotor winding go to the plate of the vacuum tube and to the plus of the B battery or to the phones, the latter being connected on the plus side of the B battery. I answer the questions which I am sending. 1. Will you please give instructions f@r wind- ing a variocoupler? 2. Is the Westinghouse WD II tube a very efficient form of detector? 3. If I make the panels for my set out of wood should I be able to receive all right? 4. Please publish a hook-up embracing a variable condenser, variocoupler, “peanut tube,” grid leak and condenser, rheostat and the “A” and “B” batteries —Raymond Sexton. To make a variocoupler: Wind 60 turns No. 22 double cotton-covered copper wire on card- board tube 334 to 4 inches in diameter and 4 inches high. Take off taps at 2oth, 3oth, 4oth, soth and last or 6oth turns and carry to switch points. Connect switch arm to ground lead. Connect ingoing or top turn of stator to antenna lead. Wind 40 to 50, preferably 50, turns same on smaller wire on rotor. Mount rotor at top end of stator and carry leads to plate and phones as in diagram. The WD 11 tube is excellent. The panels can be made of wood for a one- tube set and little nor no bad effects will be noticed. Hook-up for set you describe as follows: In case a variocoupler with two series of taps is used better results may sometimes be

WOULD be very grateful if you will please

23 ates

S

Ss

An =—Arlenna VC =23 pak VCR= Folor ge Slalor™ « Gc =Grnada Leak I HAVE a set which I have never received over and would you please give me a good plan and some information about it. I have one WDrrtr tube, one variocoupler, a rheostat, 23- plate condenser, grid leak and condenser, a phone condenser, 2214-volt B batteries and 1%4- volt A batteries. Also socket and adapter. I have a two-wire aerial about 30 ft. high. It is No. 14 wire and my lead-in wire is about Mo. 12 and is insulated or telephone wire; is this all right? Also give me instructions for wrapping a variocoupler.—L. A. Heath. You will find a diagram for assembling your apparatus in the February number of Boys’ LiFe, page 52. Use the 23-plate variable con- denser in the aerial lead-in, or, if you choose, in the ground lead.

Cllage Dry cell

© Variable Condenser a Variocoupler Sutleh arm & suclch powls = Grid Condenser T =WOM Tice F+ = Filamenl + Fo = Filament = G =GriZz FL, = Wale Gr=Ground | obtained by taking the variable condenser out of the antenna lead and placing it across the leads from the rotor to the plate and phones as shown by the dotted lines at “Z.”

OULD you kindy send me a hook-up for a peanut tube and a variable condenser and a one-tube mounting for variometer and tickler like in the last Boys’ Lire or something that will give me good results?>—Angus Crites. Look at the hook-up (Fig. “‘M’’) given in reply to Raymond Sexton’s letter published in this issue of the magazine. It is just the set you want, I believe, and if you cannot make the variocoupler one can be bought for about $3.00. If you buy one get a variocoupler with two series of taps and place the condenser across the leads at “Z” instead of in the aerial. August

Page 57

The Boy Scouts’ Magazine ey AS HE entered by the front door his mother called from the kitchen, ‘“‘There’s a letter here for you, Harry.” It proved to be from Bob, who, with his mother, was visiting friends in New York City; a letter he had been looking forward to, as these two boys with their several hobbies of mutual interest had grown to be constant companions. Bob had been away since the preceding Saturday, which seemed a tremendous length of time to the lonesome Harry. As the day was drawing to a close he drew a chair to the window, tore open the envelope and read as follows: New York, July —, 1923. Dear Harry: Here I am at last in this wonderful town— some place, I’ll say. The streets are pack- jammed with people everywhere. And auto- mobiles—there’s millions of them. You’d think they cost about a nickel apiece. (Here followed an interesting description of various points of interest that had been visited and then the subject of postage stamps was introduced.) Nassau Street is in the lower part of the city. It seems to be a favorite with the stamp dealers, whose invariable rule of display is a glass frame filled with stamps, generally of new issues, though sometimes there are special bargains in older varieties. These frames are to be seen somewhere around the building’s entrance. Mother had come with me. I couldn’t help thinking what a good sport she was to give up her time when she wasn’t the least interested in stamps—just for my sake. Aren’t mothers wonderful? Well, we finally decided on a place where the prices seemed a little lower than the others and entered a funny little elevator that carried us slowly up several floors and the elevator man directed us to a room at the rear. We found the place brightly lighted, the walls covered over with stamps in sets and full sheets of cheaper kinds. A counter ran across behind which two or three girls were at work making up packages, and a man, evidently the pro- prietor, sat at a desk in a small, enclosed office. He came forward greeting us pleasantly. Mother and I sat on a couple high, cane-seated stools and were first shown a series of small, oblong books containing ten-cent sets. The counter before us was topped with heavy glass under which more stamps were on view mounted on cards and priced. Mother tried to be interested and admired those with pretty pictures, naturally enough. Of course there were stacks I didn’t have in my collection and if I hadn’t used a little self control I believe we would have had to walk back to g6th Street where we are staying. Mr. Haiger—that was the dealer’s name— showed us how he arranged his stock. The ten-cent packets were in long, narrow boxes, the number of each set not only marked on the small envelopes but also on stiff cards separat- ing each group to correspond with those in the books so that it was an easy matter to supply a customer as selections were made. We were next shown the higher priced books. These contained many complete sets mostly of recent IT TAKES TIME TOMAKEASTAMP - ey Gossip For COLLECToRS by OrrinW. Simons 55 issues of Europe—Jugo-Slavia, Marienwerder, Ireland, Montenegro, Netherlands, and so on. I have a fine lot to show you when I come home next week, among them the recent Uruguay commemorative set in honor of Fernando Jose Artigas. There have been several articles in philatelic magazines about this class of stamps, condemning them as postally unnecessary and suggesting they be removed from general collecting to be turned over to the specialist. That may be a wise ~ CARRY hike. send Scoutsgprice of $1.35. The Sierra First Aid Kit is most suitable for Boy Scouts. tains everything for giving first aid quickly in accidents, snake bites, burns, wounds, cuts and other accidents liable to happen when you are in camp or on the The case itself hangs on our belt and out of the way. ‘ou should never start’on a hike or go into camp without this first aid equipment. will ‘se om 5 from your local Council or we prepaid at the special Boy First Aid Equipment Co., 350 I. W. Hellman Bidg., Los Angeles, Calif. THIS FIRST AID KIT On Your Belt Contents of Case Con- I aA inch Bandage Roll Adhesive a pean Crystals for snake bit Oil of Salt for burns, cuts, insect bites, etc. Boric Acid for eye treatment lodine for cuts, open wounds, bruises, sprains, etc Aromatic Spirits 4 Ammonia for fainting, shock, prostration, i, etc. Steel Tweezers for removing splinters Instructions How to Use. Contents packed in dust-proof metal case enclosed in waterproof pouch to fasten on belt. decision, as it is easy to foresee some time in the future the bulk of stamp collecting as a whole will be too cumbersome for any beginner to tackle. As farasI goI’d rather see the mak- ers of catalogues the world over get together and hold yearly meetings at which time unnecessary general issues could be condemned. Once they were no longer listed anywhere they would die a natural death and be seen no more. Take the Turkish surcharges of 1917—one hundred and thirty-one varieties— [No advertisements for this column are accepted unless they meet the approval of an expert. any unsatisfactory service.} Kindly report Searce FIUM (like illustration) also 50 omer ay. All for ferent stam ; oe set, q revenue: ee ra meter scale euler Dept. L, Fullerton Bidg., St. Louis, Mo. BOYS! Don’t Miss This! Over $5.00 Actual Catalogue Value for 15c 112 different from Latvia, Ukrainia, Cuba and Venezuela, high values, air mail, charity, special delivery stamps, etc., some cat. yee to 50c each, guaranteed originals, mostly unused. To introduce ur famous “*Peak Qualitv’’ approval sheets we will send THIS SPECIAL PACKET AND LARGE PRICE LIST TO AP- PROVA! APPLICANTS FOR ONLY lic. Pikes Peak Stamp Co. Gitecade tisions, Colo. SNAPS 200 different Foreign 10c. 60 different U. S., eer $1 and $2 peene 2 for12c. With each order we give our pamphlet which tells ‘“‘How to Make a Collection Properly.’”” Queen City Stamp & Coin Co., Room 35, 604 Race St., Cincinnati, O. and of what do they consist? Not changes of value, not even confined to a recent issue, but remainders as early as 1865 brought to life by merely printing a small device across 40 diff. AFRICA or 50 diff. POLAND satiety packets. x weet od 7 hs set 8 Cont: 17c 30 diff. DANZIG or 7 DANZIG AIRPOST 20 psosibonstein 9c; 10 Travancore Lithuan same 6 Charity cat. . LE Cael Wiseembore ingame 10 cat. their faces and the poor collector must spend | Yoru "Sic PREE te bavene stata sink scat Oe, —F -— countries. Extra premium for references. his good money on them if he is willing to be F. W. SHAFFER, Dept. B, ALLIANCE, OHIO so victimized. I can guess what the cataloguer would say—they have done postal duty and must therefore be listed. But how much were they used? Would it have happened if there were no stamp collectors? A good many commemoratives could be put in the space they occupy and even if they are not actually needed at least they have in almost every case a certain historical value that makes the col- lection itself far more interesting to look over. 70 Reference required—Boy Scout J. EMORY RENOLL, I send selec- DISCOUNT tions of de- sirable stamps on approval at 70 per cent. discount from standard catalogue p prices, ship Dept. K., Hanover, Penna. 158 ¢ Genuine Foreign Stampe—Mexico War Issues. Venezuela, Salvador and In- 10c dia Service. Guatemala, Cues, ete. Only Finest Approval Sheets o 60 per cent. AGENTS WANTED. Big 72-. Lists Free. e Buy mps. Established 29 years. Hussman Stamp Co., Dept..78, St, Louis, Mo. 50 all different. Africa, Brazil, Peru, Cuba, Mexico, Ceylon, 10. Java, ete, and Album, ic 1000 finely mixed, 40c; 50 different U. 8S. 25c;10c hinges, 10c. Agents wanted. 50 per cent. List Free buy la C. Stegman, 5951 Cote Brilliante Ave., St. Louis Mo. A R M E N I A} og = unused set of three hese “Scraps of paper prove that the sseniatiabee Tuk has passed on and out— that Armenia is not—the land of misery." Wonderful Net Approvals. M. D. OLMSTEAD, Box 3, Concord, N. H. STAMPS 105 China, Egypt, Ete., Stamp Dic- tionary, list of 3000 Bargains and pe my med 2c. Stamp Album, over 500 illustrations, STAM with dates, nomen t countries, etc., 3c. Bigger ones pis wart atalor of ata 2: A. BULLARD 4. cO, Tee. Stp. Book Direct mps, 446 Toneens SS -, Dept. ‘a9, porters: album , Mass. If the makers of catalogues would pass on to charges such as have come from Turkey, Armenia, Cilicia, and a number of other Cat Secesie 1920 Cat 31 Newt 10. H. W. MYERS & CO. 200 SPECI AL ? Pt = pon i _— the specialist the mass of unnecessary sur- | gen 2 Rusti st ation of Italy 401-17 postage. Net .25 Austria Parliament Cat. 26. Net 10 1018 Florida St., Richmond, Calif. countries the large majority of collectors would give three rousing cheers. It is the sort of trash that bulks up the catalogue and threatens to make it so big it will have to be published in two volumes. Most commemorative sets are short, sometimes just one stamp and only 20 and price-list to those asking for our 50% provail sheet. K. C. STAMP CO., Dept. 2, 836 Lee Building, Kansas City, Mo. DIFFERENT STAMPS 10c ($3.75 Catalog Value) discount ap- Fine Hinges, 10c per 1000, postpaid. 100 on —= Stamps, Stamps F ree all different, free to all send- ing for our soproval sheets. Postage 2c. Mention this paper. Large album, l5c. List of 1000 stamps at %%c each and 1500 wanes at lc — If possible, send names 2 collectors e buy stam: QUAKER STAMP CoO., TOLEDO, OHIO I0 0) DIFFERENT NEW EUROPE FREE Star Net Approvals ending 2c for return postage To approval applicants of our H. H. ANVELINK & CO., 2410 Prairie St., Milwaukee, Wis. occasionally, as in our Columbian set, running into any great length. If I were a catalogue editor I’d make such havoc with my shears the volume wouldn’t be recognized by its friends. There, Harry, I’ve gone far afield of my visit to the Nassau Street dealer. There’s a little more to be said about him, though. He showed us finally two albums, one containing stamps up to fifty cents each and the other all above that price. What a lot of collectors there must be when even governments go into the business of selling to them! The United States Postal Department took in $41,000 during the first three months of the present year through the sale of stamps that will never be used postally—just to be stored away on the pages of stamp albums. Aside from the plates that had to be made anyway it must have cost very little to print them. No wonder the baby states of Europe are tempted. I’ve wished over and over you could have been with me, Harry. We have had a wonder- ful trip and I’ve a lot to tell you when I see you next week. Your chum, Bos. ‘The Mechanics of « a HE sting of the honeybee is situated in the sting cavity at the end of the abdomen, from which it can be quickly protruded, when- ever occasion demands. This cavity, the sting chamber, is the reduced and changed eighth, ninth and tenth segments of the abdo- men, and is enfolded into the seventh chamber. Thus, if one may use a “bull,” the inside of that end of the bee is really "the outside, in the sense that it is not a part of the true interior of the bédy or body cavity, but is simply a sunken and enclosed portion of the exterior, in the same sense that the oven of the stove is not a part of the real inside of the stove, but a sunken part of the outside. Thus, mechanically speaking, the sting is not from the inside of the honeybee, but from the out- side. At the sides of the sting are appendages 1923 called the sting palpi, which probably contain sense organs, by means of which the bee can tell when the end of the abdomen is in contact with the object on which she desires to use her weapon. The sting is a complicated affair over which there have been many discussions. It is not a simple, solid, tapering and spear- like rod, but a hollow organ comprised of three pieces surrounding a central canal. Connected with the sting is a poison sack and glands, some of which are known to secrete the poison. It is this poison which causes the pain and inflammation in the wound. The whole apparatus is really a kind of force pump, in which the lobes on the lancets alternately act as piston and as valves. The end of the sting is barbed, evidently a good device for holding It Tells How To— Build a Log Cabin, Find your latitude by the stars, Measure heights and distances, Make fire without matches, Safely use knife and axe, Recognize and between the different plants, animals, birds, reptiles, fish and shellfish, Tell North, South, etc., without a compass, Hike and camp in comfort, Make your own shelter in the Handle a boat or a canoe, Prevent accidents— “Safety First,” Cook your food in the open. ublished.”” R out-of-doors ever this famous HAN it for only 15c, (total remittance $2. Send remittance to BOYS’ LIFE The Scouts’ Magazine 200 Fifth Avenue the organ firmly placed in the wound. This Is Why— YOU’LL WANT THE BOY SCOUT HAND- BOOK OUTDOORS THIS SUMMER *‘Useful to anybody—No scout should be without one’’ THE HANDBOOK has 528 Pages and almost 600 Illustrations. It’s ‘‘the most wonderful book for boys and all lovers of Nature’s egular BOOK with BOYS’ Boy Scouts’ Magazine, ($2.00 a year) you may have NEW YORK It Gives Information About— Woodlore, Fire Prevention, What to do if lost, Conservation of wild life and for- ests, Health, endurance and care of the body, Signalling, Trailing, Radio and wireless telegraphy, First aid and life-saving, Patriotism and practical citizenship, Chivalry, Scoutcraft. rice 40c. IFE, The If you order 15 for both).

Page 58

56 Substitutes for Paper AT THE present rate of destruction our *~ forests will soon be unable to supply the pulp necessary for making paper. Scientists are searching the world over for substitutes. So far the best substitute discovered is bam- boo. Although the possibility of turning bamboo into paper has long been realized, there has not until recently been a process which would do the work cheaply enough to make it valuable. There are to-day at least two methods, however, which can be used on a commercial basis. There is enough bamboo in India to supply the world with paper in- definitely. Experiments are being made in the United States to raise bamboo for this purpose. Another material is a by-product of cotton. After the cotton has been removed from the seed the pulp obtained may be used for paper making. Still another material is jack pine, which to-day goes to waste. It has been found that excellent paper can be made from papyrus, but the supply, mainly from Africa, is limited. There is little danger even in the absence of wood pulp that we shall ever suffer a paper famine. Bottles Drift Long Distances NTERESTING tests have been made by throwing hundreds of bottles into the sea and long afterwards noting the points to which they have drifted. In one instance 400 bottles were thrown into the Bay of Fundy to test the direction of the flow of the Gulf Stream. In each bottle a post-card was enclosed offering a reward to anyone who would fill out the blank lines and mail. The information de- sired was the place at which they had been found, the time they were picked up and by whom found. Some seventy-three bottles were picked up on this side of the Atlantic. Four bottles were picked up in European waters after having crossed the Atlantic so to speak under their own power. These bottles floated from 2,000 to 3,000 miles in periods varying from twelve to twenty-three months. Their rate of travel was on the average more than five miles a day. It is planned to make much more elaborate tests employing a far greater. number of bottles. The only expense connected with the experiment is in supplying the bottles, post-cards and the reward, since the ocean furnishes the transportation. Echoes Measure Ocean Depths HE “bottomless” holes of the oceans are at last to be measured and _ charted. There is a region in the Pacific which has defied all attempts, although a cable 25,000 fathoms in length has been used in it. The new plan of measuring these depths is to send out sound waves which will reach to the floor of the ocean and Pops of Popular Science By F. A. Collins way assists the plant in developing chlorophyll, which is so important in the growth of the plant. These eyes or lenses are found, millions of them, in the leaves of plants which are spread out to catch the sun’s rays. The action of these tiny lenses has been compared to a large group of cameras in a shop window all inted at someone looking in. Although the image of the person outside is reproduced on many ground glasses no picture is taken. A Ship’s Electric Ears EXTREMELY sensitive electric ears on modern ships enable them to overhear many interesting things far below the surface of the water. They consist of steel disks placed usually on either side of the prow, far down near the keel. When the sea is covered with for or storms shut out all objects about, the ship’s ears will pick up the signals from submarine bells and enable the navigator to correct his course. There are hundreds of these bells ding-donging away deep down in the water on lightships and buoys along the coasts. The electric ears also detect the presence of steamers and often show the size of the vessels and even identify them. The sound made by the propellers of a vessel is a distinctive note which is easily recognized. The ship’s officers are thus informed of the approach of other vessels far away. The sound made by waves dashing on a reef is also heard in this way. Even the presence of great objects, such as ice- bergs, is often detected, since they throw or echo back the noise made by the ship itself. These ears may also be made to vibrate and send out a shrill note, which can be heard by other vessels and recognized. Among modern safety devices the electric ears have proven indispensable. Miniature Rain A shower of rain sufficient to wet the ground seldom falls upon an area of less than one square mile. A few scattered drops may of course come down, but they cannot be called a shower unless they moisten the earth. A “rainfall” was recently reported in Alexan- dria, Va., which moistened the ground only over an area of ten square feet. Weather experts denied that so small a shower could actually take place. The local observers re- plied by submitting actual photographs of the moist ground, and claimed that the “shower” had been going on for days without stopping long enough for the ground to dry up. The mystery has been explained by an authority in the U. S. Weather Bureau, who says that the moisture is really the secretion of countless small plant lice concealed in trees. They are very small, measuring rarely more than three- sixteenths of an inch in length. The insects draw the sap from the leaves and exude it from their bodies. The secretion will not dry up as quickly as rain and keeps the pavement or earth moist for days. A Railroad to Asia FENGINEERS have decided after careful examination that it is possible to build a tunnel under Bering Strait to connect North America with Asia. It is thought that some day a railroad may run by means of this tunnel from New York to Peking. The long and often dangerous voyage across the Pacific Ocean could thus be eliminated. Travelers may some day step aboard an Asiatic express train in New York and reach the capital of China in two weeks or less without changing cars. Not only passenger trains but freight could then be carried quickly from continent to continent to the great advantage of both sides of the world. Some engineers even predict that a train will some day run without inter- ruption from Cape Horn at the southernmost point of South America, along the entire Pacific coast line and in turn across Asia, then to Africa and finally to the Cape of Hope. At least there are no engineering diffi- culties along the way which cannot now be solved. Want to Live on thé Moon? [® THERE are any inhabitants on our neigh- boring planets they must accustom them- selves to a great variety of temperatures. A number of measurements and calculations have recently been made at the great observatory in Arizona which throw a new light on the problem. To begin with, the moon is ex- tremely hot by day and cold by night. When the sun shines on it the temperature is prob- ably higher than that of boiling water, while at night it reaches the absolute zero. On Venus the temperature is probably ten or fifteen degrees higher than that of the earth. Very cold weather is found both on Jupiter and Saturn, where the thermometers, if there are any, register at times 1oo degrees below zero, centigrade. Saturn, again, is a little warmer

BOYS’ LIFE than Jupiter. The temperature of Mars probably comes nearer that of our own planet than any other hereabouts. The earth is doubtless much the most comfortable place to live on within a radius of a few million miles. Weather Stations in Mid-Ocean It is believed that the weather could be forecasted much more accurately if it were possible to make observations along the Arctic circle and in mid-ocean. This out-of-the-way region is the birthplace of a large proportion of storms. Great currents of warm air flow from the equator northward and meet the frigid currents from the pole. Storms are constantly in progress where these air currents of different temperature combine. The area in which these storms are formed is believed to be only a few miles wide, but their effect is felt for hundreds of thousands of miles. It is proposed that weather stations for observation purposes be established in the Arctic regions and reports sent by radio to be used in making forecasts. These stations wil] probably be maintained by the United States, Great Britain, and Norway. It will be a lonely life for the weather man on the Arctic circle, but he will be able to send out warnings when great storms are formed and the direction they will take, which will double the efficiency of the weather bureau. 300,000,000 Days Lost In the rush and hurry of our American life’ an astounding number of accidents occur which’ could readily be prevented. In a single year there are more than 3,000,000 accidents which cause the loss of one day’s work, more than 500,000 accidents causing a loss of four weeks’ work, and some 25,000 accidents which prove fatal. A large proportion of these accidents can be prevented by exercising more care in our daily work and by using safety devices. It is astounding to learn, for instance, that more than 12,000 people are killed every twelve months in automobile accidents. It is esti- mated that the accidents which occur in our industries alone cause a loss anriually of more than 300,000,000 working days, which means a loss to the country of nearly a billion dollars. American ingenuity should be directed to pre- venting a loss of life which regularly equals that of a great war. Automatic Locomotives Locomotives have always been built very much alike, with headlights, smokestacks, bell and engineer’s cab in a row. In the newest and most powerful of locomotives these parts have been changed, and the various parts put where they will be most efficient. The headlight is a powerful searchlight at the center of the boiler, then comes a water tank, and back of it a small smoke-

echo back. The speed at —rl stack hidden behind it. The which sound travels through } top of the locomotive is the water is b 2 — crowded with machinery known, and the depth can T b ] which is hard to recognize. thus be estimated with con- | a e of Contents The labor of running the marae eopaee - ap- i | machine besides is done for aratus for making this test 9 ° the most part automatically. a been installed upon two | August Boy Ss Life The att loaded aboard; United States destroyers. | power is turned on and off . | . ? g ne = be ~~ IE. bi orice ecedinnddvenseseasenndens John R. Neill er PNG ONE FOTN ie 6 6:50 50 se essiissksescccveccces 98 ee he the whistle works Netos Hole in " "auth Bes the Beams Cave. oo ccc cc cccsccs-concdces ¥jJ.P. 1 Blue Hole and Bait Casting.............. Dan Beard 24 a "3 eg eel > Pacific which has so far Crimson Shafts of Vengeance. Story..ArthurChapman 2 Illustrated by the author placed a complicated switch- defied all attempts to mea- | Illustrated by Clinton Balmer Radio Questions and Answers........ Thomas N. Wrenn 26 bos f The Best in the World. Verse]..........Edmund Leamy 10 Ants and Grasshoppers.......... Hallam Hawksworth 36 look with interest on the esthetionce The Horse Killer. Story..... .... ..William Wells 11 Department of Camping. ..Edited by L. L. McDonald 39 ‘strange reptiles collected in LTHOUGH many plants Illustrated by Sidney Reisenberg 4 such variety have li i yP Forest Folk that Watch the Scouts Morris M.Green 40 . ty have little idea have remarkable eyes Cap'n Bolo’s Earrings. Story...... ...R. G. Carter 12 : ial : of the difficulties of obtain- in great numbers, it is a Illustrated by John R. Neill Why I Subscribed Contest. .......-. 0... ...+-0 eee, 41 ing them. Special expedi- — to a Ay — But This Is Different. ' Story....... Francis J. Rigney 14 A Scoutmaster Who Lives in a Lighthouse a a tions must be sent literally see in the sense that animals Illustrated by the author aoe SR, SSOrriman to the end of the world in do. Insome — the eyes, Yarn of the Courageous Salt. Poem...EdmundLeamy 15 Homes ¢ Se at; mia fee Se 44 search of them. It is usually as we call them, or lenses Illustrated by John R. Neill ‘ ; i necessary for these searching are wonderfully developed Dienaiedi, Wate... occccnocesscecnnces BG Dune 16 4 Comietate Comping....... -++++++sCharles Olive 46 | parties to work at the height so that photographs may Iilustrated by Bert N. Salg Bathing from a Bucket.... ....By Captain Clifton Lisle 46 | of the rainy season in order be taken through them. Foxy Taylor, Towerman. Story....George Cawthorne 18 - The Homing Pigeon... ....... ......... Frank P. Lucke 47 | to study the habits of these These lenses will focus the Ilustrated by Joseph St. Amand A Secret Code. ...............0....000+++-€. H. Weinland 51 | strange creatures under light much the same as the Headwork. .-- a i aie’ _ Brooks 20 The Tool Chest in Use..............+. Fred Hartley 53 what is for them normal con- lens of a.camera, but there “Shooting” Wild Birds............ William L. Finley 21 Stemps.........-. settee eteeeeeees Orrin W. Simons 55 | ditions. Such an expedition “ - a ———— Illustrated with photographs Pops of Popular Science ....................F. A. Collins 56 | has recently been sent to the »ack of them to’enable the island of Santo Domingo to ge hay m. as the retina ———— Se ne a d re i. frog, -_ re) e human eye is argest of its kind in the oie pe, Page ne the so RENEWALS.—If your magazine comes with a renewal order blank enclosed it means your subscription has sapices. Tear | world. Its history and habits or Jens of the plant merely off the address on the renewal wrapper and send it with $2.00, the price of a renewal subscription, to Boys’ Life, 200 Fifth | are entirely unknown and serves to direct the light into Avenue, New York, so you will not have to miss a copy. Postage is ae | to all parts of the United States and possessions, the explorers will spend the body of the plant, thus and also Mexico and Cuba. Canadian postage is 25c. and foreign postage 50c. a year. \ months in ascertaining just magnifying its power. The | how these giants of the frog light concentrated in this SSS SS DN ———————— ————————————— i family live.

August

Page 59

iH ii HO PROCEDURE—The advertisement is to be in the form of a letter or a com- position of 100 words or less, as follows: At the top left-hand corner of a sheet of paper (letterhead size—8%4” x 11’— if possible), PRINT your name and ad- dress; pen and ink must be used. Below this, start your advertisement or your letter or composition containing the facts you think would make a good basis for SIGMUND EISNER COMPANY to use in advertising the Official Boy Scout uniform. Mail this to EISNER CONTEST EDITOR CARE OF BOYS’ LIFE 200 Firtu Ave. New York City Letters are to be sent, beginning at once, to be considered as follows: Those received up to and including Aug. 15th, 1923, to be entered for the first prize awarded, to be an- nounced in the Oct. BOYS’ LIFE. is the OFFICIAL BOY SCOUT UNIFORM as manufactured by the Sigmund Eisner Company Scout Allen Wallace Carpenter, of Portland, Oregon, seems to feel the magnetic pull of the OFFICIAL BOY SCOUT UNIFORM manufactured by EISNER and is not happy until he is in one. His magnetic idea, pic- tured here, attracted the prize this month, but HE wants it to attract MORE BOYS into MORE SCOUT UNIFORMS. We think it will. GREAT PRIZE OFFER renewed by the SIGMUND EISNER COMPANY Each month your choice of— SCOUT COAT AND BREECHES, OR SCOUT SHIRT AND SHORTS, OR SCOUT HAT AND STOCKINGS To be given to any member of the Boy Scouts of America who, in the opinion of the Judges, submits the best advertisement, or material for an advertisement, for the OFFICIAL BOY SCOUT UNIFORM, as advertised in BOYS’ LIFE, the Boy Scouts’ Magazine, by the Sigmund Eisner Co. The Judges will be a com- mittee of three men from the staff of the magazine. In passing on answers, they will take into consideration the following points, not necessarily in the order named: Advertising merit (i. e., value as a selling argument). Humor (EISNER advertisements are always cheerful). Whether copy is based on experience. NOTE—Any illustration accompanying advertising copy will be considered as a part of that advertisement, but will not, by its mere presence, make the copy more acceptable. When it be deemed advisable, such illustrations will be pub- lished, but the staff artist reserves the right to illustrate any copy which is awarded a prize and published. Those received from Aug. 16th to Sept. 15th inclusive, to be en- tered for the prize to be awarded in the November BOYS’ LIFE. These dates, progressing as above, are to apply on each succeeding month, until further notice. If two or more contestants submit identical prize-winning answers, the full amount of the prize awarded will be given to each one of them. If, in the opinion of the judges, two or more answers shall be considered of equal prize-winning merit, each answer will be awarded the full amount of the prize in question. Answers for each month will be con- sidered independently of answers for previous or succeeding months. DO NOT SEND IN ANSWERS FOR MORE THAN ONE MONTH AT A TIME. THE SIGMUND EISNER COMPANY, RED BANK, NEW JERSEY aN A i di hl AH il ITN

Page 60

“STAKES OUT ...TENT JUST GOING... BELIEVE ME, AN EVEREADY IS AS NECESSARY AS A CAMP AXE...” An EVEREADY FLASHLIGHT is as bright and de- pendable in stormy darkness as on the stillest night. Portable instant light when you need it, right on the spot where you want it, steady and sure —in spite of driving wind and rain. Pretty rough to stumble out on a stormy night, and grope blindly in the black blowing downpour to save the tent. Why not avoid it, and make quick work by always having an Eveready Flash- light at hand? A camp necessity for anything you do after dark around camp. A safe light too. No fire hazard in the woods. Big help in fishing, hunting, boat- ing, automobiling. Protects by preventing mis- takes and accidents. Eveready Unit Cell Batteries fit and im- prove all makes of flashlights; they give a Indoors and outdoors the Eveready Flashlight is the brighter lights they last longer. ‘There are 60,000 Eveready dealers trained to Light of a Thousand Uses; one use may repay you meet ye evap ppt yy teries; at electrical, hardware, drug, sport- a thousand times the small cost —$1.35 to $4.50, ar pt rs oan et . auto accessory shops. complete with batteries.