The Boy Scouts of Bob's Hill Part 22

Skinny didn't like it because Mr. Richmond killed the bear. He wanted to tame it and give a show in our barn. He was bound to take it home, anyhow, so as to save the skin.

It took a lot of pulling and hauling to get the cub out to the road, and Mary had to help before they could lift him into the wagon.

"Jump in," said Mr. Richmond, when everything was ready. "It is time that I was getting home."

"I can't," said Skinny. "You see, I am doing a stunt for the Scouts and I have to walk."

Just before they started Mary thought of something.

"Say," said she, "maybe I'd walk, too, if anybody asked me; that is, if Grandpa would let me and it wouldn't make any difference with the Scouts."

"Come on, do," said Skinny. "May she, Mr. Richmond?"

"Well," said he, "seein' as how you've got a rope and it ain't very far, I'm willin'. But it will be mighty lonesome for me."

I never saw Skinny so chesty as he was over catching that bear. And he had a right to be, for everybody was talking about it and there was a long piece in the paper. He even wanted to change the name of Raven Patrol to the Bears, but we wouldn't stand for that. We didn't know how to make a noise like a bear, anyway.

After that the folks told us to keep away from Savoy Mountain, rope or no rope, and we had to do it. But Skinny wanted to go back and get a bear for each of us.

"I think that our patrol leader has made good," said Mr. Norton, when Skinny had finished. "What I'm wondering is, who was the most frightened, Gabriel or the bear?"

"The bear was," said Skinny; "anyhow, after I jumped on him. Say, I'll bet you fellers wouldn't dast jump on a live bear, when he was growling and showing his teeth. It was great, just like jumping on a cus.h.i.+on, only the bear didn't like it very well."

The other boys didn't have much to tell, much that was exciting, I mean, but Mr. Norton made us all report what we did. Hank came last of all.

"Well, Henry," said Mr. Norton, "what have you to say for yourself? You went to Ches.h.i.+re by the river road, I believe?"

"How about that new invention, Hank?" I asked. I'd forgotten all about it until then.

"Have you a new invention, Henry? Tell us about it."

"'Tain't nothin'," said Hank, squirming in his chair. "It didn't work just right. I guess I'll have to go home now. Ma said to get in by ten o'clock."

"We'll have time for your report," Mr. Norton told him.

Hank kept nudging me, trying to get me to go with him, but I wouldn't do it, so after a while he began.

You see his invention, the one he spoke to me about just before we started, was a Life Saver. When we were learning to be Scouts Mr. Norton taught us how to bring drowned people back to life again; that is, if they haven't been in the water too long. What Hank wanted to do was to invent something that would keep them from getting drowned in the first place.

"It's all right to bring them to life," he told me, "but it would be a heap better not to have 'em drown at all."

After doing a lot of thinking, he made a sort of balloon of oiled silk, with the mouth fastened to a hollow reed and a piece of potato to put over the end of the reed, instead of a cork. Hanging from the mouthpiece were two pieces of stout cord.

"What's it for, Hank?" asked Skinny, when he was showing it to us. "It looks like a bagpipe."

"It's a Life Saver," he said. "You carry it in your pocket when the air is out of it and look along the river until you find somebody drowning.

Then you throw him the Life Saver, if he hasn't got one in his own pocket. He ties it around his neck, puts the mouthpiece to his lips, and blows the bag full of wind. Then he puts the potato on the end to keep the air from leaking out. He can't sink, can he? The balloon will hold him up."

"Great snakes, Hank!" said Bill. "You've got a great head--like a tack."

"A tack's head is level, just the same."

"Guess what," said Benny. "Let's go swimming up to the Basin, to-morrow, and try it."

"We can go swimming if we want to," Hank told him, "but I did try it. It worked and it didn't work."

"What's the answer?" I asked.

"Well, you see, I walked all the way to Ches.h.i.+re Harbor, looking for a chance to use the Life Saver and I couldn't find anybody even in swimming, let alone drowning. The water isn't deep enough for drowning in most places, anyhow. But when I got to Ches.h.i.+re Harbor I found a kid sitting on the bank of the race, fis.h.i.+ng.

"'What you got?' he asked, when he saw me fooling with the Life Saver.

"'Jump in,' I said, after I had told him about it. 'I'll show you how it works.'

"'Jump in yourself,' he said. 'I don't want to get my feet wet. Let's see the old thing, anyway.'

"I handed it to him and he blew up the bag until I thought it would bust, and then tied it on with the strings.

"'Say, that's great stuff,' said he. 'I'll bet it will work all right.'

"When he said that, I don't know why I did it, but it seemed as if I couldn't help it. I felt as if I just had to save him. I pushed him in, balloon and all."

"Gee-e-ewhilikens!" shouted Skinny.

"You mutt!" said Bill.

Mr. Norton was too surprised to say anything, but he had the funniest look on his face.

"Did it work?" Benny asked.

"It worked all right, but----"

"But what?" I said, beginning to get mad because Hank kept stopping at the most interesting parts.

"He had tied it on to one ankle, instead of around his neck. It made his ankle float, but his head went under, and he couldn't swim. I rescued him, but I had to jump in after him and pull him out. It was hard work because he kept trying to hit me all the time. Then, after I'd got him out, I had to lick him before he would let me go on and do my stunt."

"I hardly think that was according to Scout law," said Mr. Norton, when the rest of us had finished laughing and pounding Hank on the back.

"I rescued somebody, just the same. Only it wasn't a maiden."

"We still have a few minutes," said Mr. Norton. "Suppose that we play a new game which I have here. It is a kind of invention of my own and is called baseball."

"Seems as if I'd heard of that game somewhere," said Skinny, poking me in the ribs.

"Not this one. This is parlor baseball and is brand new," replied the Scoutmaster.

He brought out a chart, marked off in squares to represent different plays, and laid it flat on the floor, about six inches from the wall, at the end of the room.