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CHAPTER XV
THE BOOGIE OF THE TOWER
"Let Elmer go on, and tell us some more," suggested Toby.
"Yes, we can talk it all over after we know the whole thing," added Lil Artha.
"Once I got that notion in my head," the scout master continued, "and I began to investigate along those lines. When I heard from two farmers in the market, who happened to live up this way, that for weeks they had been missing things off their places, mostly something to eat, I began to figure it out that the crazy man had to live, and would most likely forage for his grub, about like Sherman's bummers did in the Civil War, subsisting on the enemy's country.
"One of the hayseeds told me he had even set a trap for the thief, thinking it might be just an ordinary hobo; and when the alarm came one night he had hurried out to the hen-house only to find a couple of chickens gone, and the trap sprung, but no victim in it, for the thief had been too smart for him. But he said it beat him all hollow when he found tracks of bare feet around on the partly frozen ground in the morning, because it seemed queer that any tramp would be going around without shoes so near winter time!"
"Whew!" gasped Toby, entranced, and almost held spellbound by this thrilling recital of facts and fancies.
"The other farmer," Elmer went on to say, "told me that twice when he had had a visit from the strange thief he managed to glimpse something white that was making off at top speed, and which he expected was a man, though he couldn't be sure. He also said he had loaded up his double-barrel shotgun, and was going to give the rascal a hot reception the next time he called around. All of which kept making me feel that I was on the right track."
"You just bet you were, Elmer!" Lil Artha exclaimed.
"A figure in white, remember, fellows; and the one we saw to-night was dressed that way, as sure as shooting!" said Toby, convincingly.
"The poor Oxley fellow was in Cuba during the Spanish war, and must have fetched the white uniform of a Spanish officer home with him," suggested Ty Collins; "when he went out of his mind he imagined himself a Spanish recruit, and they let him wear that soldier suit to humor him."
"Yes, and right now he believes he has escaped from an American prison, and is trying to hide from the guard. He has to eat to live, and so he steals things from the farmers around. Of course it's only a matter of good luck that he hasn't been shot before now; and it couldn't last much longer."
"Why, when winter gets here in dead earnest the poor fellow would freeze to death, like as not," George remarked, showing that he was being convinced against his will.
"But what gets me is his staying around the old haunted house," remarked Toby.
"Oh! I don't see what there is queer about that," Lil Artha declared. "Course he couldn't know anything about all this talk, so it's hardly likely he's been trying to play ghost on us. We fooled ourselves, that's what," with a quick look toward Chatz, as though to intimate that possibly the Southern boy had had considerable to do with their being hoodwinked; which was a lamentable fact, for a small fraction of yeast will scatter through the whole pan of dough.
"And when you come to think of it," added Lil Artha, who had something of a long head when a knotty question was involved, "where could a crazy man find a better hiding place than in a house said to be haunted, I'd like to know?"
"The poor fellow!" Ted was heard to say, that being his first utterance. "Tell you what, we ought to put in all the rest of our time up here trying to capture him. I'd never feel thatithfied to lie in my comfy bed at home nighth, thinking of him up here, freezing perhapth. Thay we will, Elmer, and you too, boyth!"
Ted was tender-hearted, and could never bear to see any one suffer if he had it in his power to alleviate the pain. He promised to make a fine doctor some day, for his knowledge along the line of medicine and surgery was really wonderful; but while the other scouts had been so deeply interested in figuring things out, and settling the question of the strange man's identity, Ted had doubtless only considered his physical sufferings past and present.
"I promise you that, Ted, with all my heart," Elmer assured him, promptly enough, "because I wouldn't be satisfied to go away and leave a helpless fellow like that here. I only wonder that he hasn't tried to steal some of our stores before now; and perhaps we could set a trap that would catch him, if he ever does come into camp. But we won't depend too much on that. Sometimes the mountain won't come to you; and then you've got to go to the mountain. That's one of the sayings the Mohammedans have about their prophet, you know. Well, to-morrow we'll get busy looking around, and see if we can locate this Ralph Oxley."
"Oh! is that his full name, then?" asked Toby, and he repeated it to himself, as though he rather liked the sound: "Ralph Oxley!"
"He must have some sort of hiding-place around here," Toby ventured, "and who knows but what we might run across the trail of a barefooted man somewhere, that would lead us to his den."
"These crazy people are pretty slick, let me tell you," George hinted; "and it ain't going to be an easy job to run him down."
"It mightn't be for some fellows who knew next to nothing about tracking," Lil Artha spoke up, proudly; "but when scouts have been through as much as we have it's different. Once we get a sight of his tracks, and believe me there'll be something doing right away."
"I'm glad to hear you say that, Lil Artha," the scout master told him; "it shows that you've got a heap of confidence in your knowledge of the trail. Well, you've a right to feel that way. I can remember several times when you beat us all out in finding signs, and getting there in the end. We'll all do our level best to find his lair, and bring back Mr. Oxley's son in the flesh. They must be dreadfully worried about his absence by this time, and believe he has been drowned in either Lake Jupiter or the Sweetwater River. It would be a feather in our caps if we could restore the poor fellow to his folks."
"You told us he was a soldier, didn't you, Elmer?" pursued Toby; "and say, p'raps now he thought he was on guard when he kept marching back and forth dozens of times to-night. How about that, Elmer?"
"No doubt about it at all, Toby," came the reply; "for that was what he was doing. I remembered what they had told me about his wearing white clothes, even if they were soiled some by now, and thinking he is a Spanish soldier. I believe he had a stick held up against his shoulder, for all the world like a sentry's gun, and if we hadn't frightened him off he might have kept that thing up for hours."
They continued to talk it over for some further time, and then having apparently about exhausted the subject made ready to turn in. First Elmer picked out two others who were to constitute the first watch with him. They had to sit it out for a certain length of time, and keep constantly on the lookout for a visitor; but as the limit of their vigil was reached, and nothing happened, Elmer aroused three other scouts, and bade them take the places vacated by himself, Toby and Lil Artha.
Morning arrived, and there had been no alarm. It was to be assumed that those who had fulfilled the duties of sentries during the latter part of the night had not slept on their posts. Elmer made an examination of the stores, and found nothing amiss there; so it was settled that the crazy man could not have mustered up enough courage to invade the camp of those he considered his enemies.
After breakfast Elmer, accompanied by Chatz and Lil Artha, started out to take a turn around in the woods, and look for signs of a trail made by bare feet. Some of the others amused themselves as they saw fit, sure that if the trail-seekers did make any interesting discovery they would hear all about the same, and undoubtedly be given a chance to help follow it.
It was Saturday, and had they been at home no doubt these same boys might have been kicking the pigskin oval around with their fellows, since it was still the gridiron season, and most of them belonged to the Hickory Ridge football squad. They were much happier, however, in having chosen this last camping trip of the season, for like true scouts their keenest enjoyment lay in getting in close touch with Nature, and learning many of her most cherished secrets. Football was all very good in its way, but there were better things, as they had learned through experience; and a search after practical knowledge was one of them.
"Now, I'll never get a better time to try it out," Toby up and declared as he began to gather that bundle of his in his arms; "and I hope a couple of you fellows will come with me to see my crowning triumph."
"I s'pose that means you're thinking of taking that fool jump off the tower of the old house, and want us to be parties to the crime?" George suggested, bitingly.
Toby surveyed him scornfully.
"I'm intending to make a glorious drop, and land on the ground as light as any chicken feather might," he went on to say, with emphasis. "If that's all the faith you've got in your chum's ability, George, mebbe you'd better stay here in camp. It will spare you the sight of my getting a broken leg, you know. I didn't ask you when I extended that invitation; but I would like to have Ty and Ted come along; Landy too if he wants to join us, and shout when I prove the great value of my noble invention along humanitarian lines."
"Whew! you have got it down pat," chuckled Landy.
"Sure you want Doctor Ted along," sneered George; "you know which side of your bread's buttered, don't you, Toby? If a cog slips in your wheels, and you take a hard tumble you'll find his being on hand mighty acceptable. I'd carry splints and bandages in plenty, Ted. And if I have time I think I'll start to shaping up some kind of crutch while you're away. Things like that come in handy sometimes. This is going to be one of those times, I'm afraid."
"Rats! you old croaker, nothing would ever be accomplished in this world if everybody was like you. They'd be afraid to take a chance. Things that their ancestors used 'd be good enough for them, like the Chinese. But thank goodness there are some progressive people livin' these days, like Edison, Marconi, and a few others."
"Jones, f'r instance!" chuckled George. "Well, if I don't show up at the exhibition good luck to you, Toby. I hope it won't be anything worse than a leg, or your collarbone, or five teeth knocked out. I wish you great success. Tell me all about it when you get back. And I'm in dead earnest about that crutch, too. I think I know how to shape one out of a thick wild grapevine, if I can only find the right sort."
There was no use trying to talk George down, once he got started, and no one knew this better than Toby, who had been worsted in many a verbal encounter before now, so he only jerked his head contemptuously, and lifting his burden, called out to the others:
"Come along, boys, if you've decided to be witnesses to my triumph. Mebbe your names will go ringing down the ages too, as being present when the glorious test was made that marked the end of aviators' perils."
"One thing I think we'd better do, Toby," suggested Ty.
"Well, name it," the other threw over his shoulder as he tramped sturdily along, carrying his wonderful parachute ready for business.
"When you say you're all ready for the jump I'm going to give the wolf call, so Elmer, Lil Artha and Chatz can have a chance to come around, and share the honor with us of being living witnesses of your work."
Toby seemed to ponder this for half a minute; and then remarked:
"I guess that would only be fair, because Elmer might feel huffed if I jumped into glory, and him not there to see it. Yes, I'll get up on the tower and when I say the word you give the 'how – oooo' call that'll fetch 'em running."
"Consider that a bargain then, Toby," Ty told him; "and remember, don't you go to making your jump till they come up. Elmer might be provoked, and believe you sneaked off unbeknown to him to try the same. They're likely somewhere close by, I reckon, and we're apt to run across the trackers hard at work while we're on our way to the haunted house right now."
But they did not, although they caught the sound of voices through the aisles of the dense woods, and knew that Elmer with his comrades must be somewhere, not far away.
The old building stood there just as they had seen it before. Landy and Ty had not been along when the nutting party met with their first adventure here; but on the preceding afternoon they had surveyed the wreck of a house, so that their only experience had not been the one at midnight.
Besides, now that the halo of mystery had been removed, so that they knew the white object they had seen was only a poor crazy fellow and not a ghost from the other world, the boys experienced far less timidity about approaching the house.
"We'll stay down here, Toby," said Ty, as he took up a position that was directly underneath the tower.
Ted had carried a burden along with him also. This he now threw upon the ground, and it proved to be one of the stout camping blankets. Toby only chuckled when he saw that.
"Please yourselves, fellows," he assured his comrades, "but you won't need anything like that. I'm going to float like a thistledown. It'll be the triumph of the age, and don't you forget it. Watch what I do, now, everybody!"
With that Toby boldly entered the house, and started to make his way up to the tower. Apparently he must have noticed how one could reach that elevated region, though as yet none of them had thought to go there. Inside of five minutes the boys below saw him looking down at them from far above.
"Wait till I get my parachute ready, fellows!" he called; "and there's Elmer and the rest hurrying up, waving their hands like they wanted me to hold on till they got here. Mebbe I will; the more the merrier! Stretchin' out your old blanket, are you? Well, take my word for it you won't need to grab me any. I'm staking a heap on this thing to hold me up easy. Wow! what's this? Let go, there, you don't get that precious thing away from me! Hey! fellows, here's that crazy man tackled me! He's wantin' to grab everything! Quit pushin' or you'll have us both tumblin' over the edge! Whoop! somebody come up here and help, or he'll get me!"
The two boys below heard all this shouted at the top of Toby's voice; although of course they had but slight glimpses of the struggling figures above. A desperate wrestling for the possession of the parachute was evidently going on, for they could hear the sound of scuffling feet; and besides, Elmer and the others who were fast coming on the run, seemed to be shouting at the top of their voices, as though under the impression that by the noise of their yells they might alarm the man who was out of his mind and had attacked the scout, believing him an enemy.
CHAPTER XVI
HOMEWARD BOUND – CONCLUSION
"Help! Let go of me! Hi! Elmer, he's up here! Come quick, I can't hold him any longer!"
That was what Toby was shrieking excitedly, as he struggled with the poor demented Spanish War veteran. Then there came answering shouts from Elmer, now close at hand; but of course Toby could not carry out any directions that were fired at him.
Presently those below saw the two figures topple over the edge, Toby still frantically clutching his beloved parachute, which was extended to its fullest dimensions, and the other evidently fiercely trying to hold on to his supposed enemy.
The extended blanket was torn from the grasp of the two boys, despite their earnest attempt to hold it taut; but at the same time it must have helped break the fall of the pair. The parachute had not been built for two, and could not be expected to bear their combined weight, in spite of Toby's boasts about half a ton not being too much.
One of the recumbent figures instantly sprang to his knees. It was Toby, and he still gripped the rod of his parachute with a determined hold.
"Never hurt me a teenty bit!" he shrilled, in his excitement; and then he suddenly stilled his ardor, for on looking down he saw the crazy man, dressed in that soiled white uniform brought from Cuba, lying there with the blood trickling down the side of his head, and the sight shocked Toby into repressing his exultation.
But Elmer was coming on the run, and already Doctor Ted had knelt beside Ralph Oxley, with his professional instincts all aroused. He sent one of the boys racing to the camp for his medicine case; and Elmer on his arrival suggested that they carry the unconscious young man to where the fire burned.
Being scouts, and accustomed to making a good litter out of almost anything, they speedily arranged it so that between four of them the victim of the fall was borne to the camp. On the way they met Lil Artha and George, hurrying toward the house; but of course these parties now returned with them, since the medicine case was needed in camp.
Ted first of all washed the wound in the young soldier's head with cold water, and then applied a cloth soaked in soothing balm, that would assist in stopping the bleeding.
"Oh! I hope he isn't going to die on us," said Toby, who seemed to feel that in some way his desire to test his parachute life-saving appliance from the tower of the old house had brought this near-tragedy about, and hence he felt unusually sorry.
"I don't think tho," Doctor Ted hastened to tell him; "he got a nathty cwack on the head, and it's fwactured it thome, but right now he theems to be coming out of the daze. There, did you thee his eyeth open and thut again? Next time he'll keep them open, believe me, fellowth."
Imagine the amazement and consternation of the boys when a minute later Ralph Oxley not only opened his eyes, but stared all around at each one in turn, then at the tents and the burning camp fire.
"Where am I?" he stammered, weakly. "What's all this mean? Are we still at the front? Where's my khaki uniform like the ones you're wearing, and why have you put this old white one on me? It's a Spanish suit. I know because I've got one like it home. Who are you? I don't seem to recognize any of you boys."
What seemed next door to a miracle had been wrought! Elmer and Ted stared eagerly at each other as though they could hardly believe their senses.
"He's got his mind back again!" exclaimed Chatz, wildly exultant. "It must have been the crack on the head did it. I've heard of such things, but never thought I'd ever run up against a case. Why, he's as sensible as any of us, fellows!"
Elmer rushed forward, and stood over the recumbent man, who looked at him with a puzzled air.
"Your name is Ralph Oxley, isn't it?" asked the scout master, quietly.
"Yes, it is, but – " began the other, when Elmer raised his hand to stop him.
"I'll explain as near as I can to you," he went on to say. "You were hurt on the head a few years ago, and went out of your mind. Ever since your folks have kept you at home because they said you were not dangerous, but there was an attendant employed to look after you. Some weeks ago you escaped, and nobody has ever found where you went. They feared you had been drowned somewhere. But you must have had the idea you were a Spanish soldier escaped from an American prison, for you have been in hiding up here at the old Cartaret house, and getting what food you could by raiding the farms all around. We are Boy Scouts belonging at Hickory Ridge, and the other day when we were up here we thought we glimpsed somebody, but a few of my chums believed it was a ghost. Now we've come to spend our Thanksgiving holidays in camp. You had a bad tumble, striking your head again, and cutting it; but somehow it has brought you back to your right mind, Ralph Oxley."
The young man, who could hardly have been more than thirty-five years of age, though a veteran of the Spanish war, put up his hand, and felt of his head, wincing with the pain the contact gave him. A tinge of color was creeping back into his pale face, which Elmer was delighted to see.
"It is all a mystery to me," Ralph Oxley told them, shaking his head. "I have no recollection of doing anything like you say. In fact, the last thing I remember seems to be of riding out to look over a new farm my father had bought, and of my horse running away when some one shot close by the road. After that it is all a dead blank; and yet you say some years have passed since then?"
He seemed awed by the thought.
"That must have been where you were thrown, striking on your head, received the injury that caused your mind to become a blank," Elmer told him; while Doctor Ted nodded vigorously as though seconding the motion.
"But I'm in a terrible position, with only these thin clothes on, and no shoes or socks on my feet," remarked the man, who, now that he had returned to his senses, could apparently feel the sting of the cold air, something that doubtless he may not have been sensitive to before.
"Perhaps we can fix you up with something to tide over," Chatz told him. "Here's Lil Artha, whose feet must be the same size as yours, and I happen to know he brought a pair of new extra moccasins along, which he hasn't worn yet."
First one, and then another proposed lending Ralph certain garments, until in the end he was well taken care of. He even sat with them, propped up in a comfortable seat, and ate the dinner the scouts prepared, asking dozens of eager questions, many of which they were not able to answer, because they concerned his people, and none of the scouts happened to know them.
"I'm going to make a proposition to you, fellows," said Elmer, when they had finished their meal; "and here it is. You know Stackhouse is about eleven miles away from here, though twice that far from Hickory Ridge. My map shows a fairly decent road leading there. Suppose we pull up stakes and start for Mr. Oxley's home? We could make it before sunset, I should think. It's true that our camping trip would be cut short a day, but I'm sure I voice the sentiments of every fellow that we'll feel mighty well repaid for any little sacrifice like that when we turn in to the Oxley place and bring back their lost son, not what he was when he ran away, but clothed in his right mind. Everybody in favor of that move say aye!"
A chorus answered him in the affirmative; why, even that hardened objector, Doubting George, shouted with the rest; for once having apparently chosen to be what Toby called "civilized."
Ralph Oxley had tears in his eyes as he insisted on shaking hands with every one of the scouts.
"You're a fine lot of boys, let me tell you!" he declared, with deep feeling; "and I wouldn't accept your sacrifice only for my mother's sake. They ought to know the happy news as soon as possible. Every minute that I'm delayed is just so much more suffering for my dear parents; and a sweet girl too that I was going to marry when that accident came about. But I'll never forget it, fellows; and you'll hear from the Oxley family later on."
"Not a word about any money reward, suh!" cried Chatz, sternly; "we're scouts, and we'd scorn to accept anything in the way of pay for doing a thing like this. It's given us a heap more pleasure than anything that's happened for many moons, believe me, suh!"
"And to think," added Toby, with a beaming smile on his face, "my remarkable parachute came near holding up double weight. I really believe if only Mr. Oxley here hadn't managed to strike his head on that cornice when he fell, both of us would have landed without a scratch. And let me tell you that I think it's already shown what a life-saver it's bound to be."
"Hurrah for Jones, the greatest after Edison this country has ever produced," cried Lil Artha, pretending to wave his hat furiously.
They were soon all at work, and the tents came down with a rush, for long experience along these lines had made Elmer and his scouts clever hands at anything pertaining to camp life. Nancy was hitched up, and the wagon loaded. They made a comfortable seat with the tents and the blankets for the injured young man; and before an hour had elapsed, after finishing that last meal, they had said good-bye to the haunted house, and were on their way.
It was a long though not uninteresting afternoon ride; because they were passing over a district that was practically new to them.
Presently they overtook a young woman who was tripping along ahead of them. Just as Elmer was about to ask her something about the Oxleys she gave a shriek, and rushing to the tail-end of the wagon commenced to reach out toward the wounded passenger, calling his name in great excitement.
It developed, of course, that this was the same girl Ralph had been about to marry at the time of his unfortunate accident; and her wild delight at finding that the missing one had not only been found, but was restored to his proper senses as by a miracle, can better be imagined than described.
Shortly afterwards they turned in at the fine Oxley farm, and it was not long before the greatest excitement came about that had been known in that region for many a month. The mother had her boy in her arms, and was trying to laugh and cry at the same time; the father came running madly to the spot; and what with dogs barking, and people shouting, persons passing must have thought a lunatic asylum had broken loose.
The boys did not linger long after they had seen the family reunited; though everybody wanted to shower them with thanks, and praise for their having brought such happiness to the bereft home of the Oxleys. And Ralph assured them that he and the young woman who was to be his wife would certainly drive over to see the Hickory Ridge folks just as soon as he was able to be about again.
Well, as they were a long distance from home, with darkness near at hand, the boys determined to go as far along the road toward Hickory Ridge as Nancy could draw the load, and then proceed to camp somewhere for one night.
It was all a part of the outing, and no one appeared to regret having followed the generous dictates of their warm young hearts.
While their camp that night may not have been as comfortable as before, because of the lack of time to do certain things, they managed to get a fair amount of sleep. No doubt the consciousness of having responded to the demands of scout duty afforded them more or less solid satisfaction; for even George was heard to say, as they drew near the familiar home scenes on that quiet Sunday afternoon, it had been one of the best little outings the Hickory Ridge Boy Scouts had ever enjoyed; and it must needs be something beyond the ordinary that could coax this kind of stuff from Doubting George.
But that year was fated not to die out without Elmer and his chums being given another splendid opportunity to show what their scout training was worth, as the reader will discover upon securing the volume that follows this, and which is to be had under the title of "The Hickory Ridge Boy Scouts Storm-Bound; or, A Vacation Among the Snow Drifts."
