Pluck on the Long Trail

get up, and then it was hot and late. That was a lazy camp as well as a dirty one. The early mo

from the old quilts I looked over to see the man. He wasn't there. His horse wasn't there and

im, and he swore and tried to make m

nybody else or not. "Red! General!" I used b

ed, too,

ha

isn't there. He's go

ose from Bill; and Fitz's head bobbed up. Th

up!" gro

we ordered. "We've got to go.

your parole; see?" and they pulled us down into the quilts again, and yawned and would sleep some more

es and squirrels were busy for the day. A

rub. The camp hadn't been policed, and seemed dirtier than ever. Tin cans were scattered about, and pieces of bacon and of other stuff, and there was nothing sanitary or regular. Our

de the fire and cooked some bacon and fried some potatoes, and we all ate, with the flies buzzing around. A dirty ca

here seemed no way. They would be starting out after us, according to instructions, and we didn't want them to be cap

rough the messy breakfast, and then most of

to untie our feet?

r promise not to sk

r parole till

lock something might happen-the other Scouts might b

le if we tie your feet, loo

rick and I nodded. Jiminy, we didn't

then they went off laughing, but they left Walt and Bat to watch us! That wasn't fair. It broke our

arned Bat, "or we'll tie you tighter. If you

was

eneral, meekly; but I could s

tgun. They smoked their bad-smelling pipes, and played with an old deck of cards. Camping doesn't seem to amount to

I signed to the g

o'clock." He was going to keep our word,

will you, please?" a

want of it?"

. We haven't anyt

Take pictures of yourselves, and show f

him, was all. There weren't any animals around this kind of a camp. But the general and I didn't ask him

hty hot, and they yawned and yawned. Tobacco smoking so much made them stupid. But we yawned, too. The general made the sleep s

going to slee

nted a

'll go to sleep," he said. "Come

t in the bargain," o

lied that Walt. "We didn't say how long we'd leave your hands loose. We aren't going

tied the general's hands and my

d. "And I've got only one hand anywa

hey just moved him and fastened him by the

," they warned. "And if you try

y were hard knots, drawn tight, and the rope was a clothes-line; and he was set against a tree with the rope about his body and the knots behind him on

d what do you think? He had taken his camera apart, and unscrewed the lenses, and had focused on the rope about him. He had wriggled so that the sun shone on the lenses,

ope charred and fumed, and he snapped it; and then he began on his feet. Good old Fitz

and fooling with his camera. Walt thought that everything was all right and rolled over; and afte

napped the rope that bound together his feet. Now he began to crawl for the two fellows. Inch by inch he moved along, like an Indian; and he never made a sound. That was go

gun. Like lightning he opened the breech and shook loose the shell and kic

es a fuss, I'll pull the trigger." He had the gun aiming straight at them bo

ight have pulled trigger, but nothing would have happened, because the gun wasn't loaded. Of course none of us Scouts would have shot anybody and had blood on our hands. Fitz had thrown away the shell

they pleaded; we could hear their teeth chatter. "If

You had us, and now we have you! Unbuckle that belt, you Bat. Do

d at the belt and unbuckled it, and

'em

. Fitz put his

kid bluff you for?" began Walt; and

I'll give you a job, too. You take your k

a knife," g

it. Will you, or do you

ouldn'

You watch t

know he will! See his finger? He might do

. Just roll,"

. Walt cut me free (his hands were shaking as

me for congratulations, or anyth

their feet. My rope wil

et loose?" s

business," r

uld work loose. We tied their feet, and then with a bowline noose tied their e

shotgun and gra

our parole,

elve," answere

nd there was an answering whoop near at h

e general. "Meet

re, except that as I passed I grabbed up the bow and arrows and with

t were hurrying and voices were answering. I caught a glimpse of the gener

top 'em!" were ca

he timber and the brush, with him pelting after. Now all the timber was full of cries and threats, and

ed Tony. "Head hi

training was good for, in giving him lungs and legs and endurance. So I ran at a springy lope, up-hill, as a rabbit does. Two voices were panting at me; I save

ny and the other fellow who had been chasing me had quit-and now I saw the general and Fitz. They must have had to double and dodge, because they had not got so far away: but here they came, out fr

streamed the gang, Bill Delaney leading and the rest lumbering after. Tony and

d sharp to make straight up-hill-and then the general fell. He must have slipped. He picked himself up almost before he had touc

I heard

ed the gener

ht to him, although the enemy was drawing close

was hurt, and he was telling Fitz to go and save himself, and Fitz wouldn't. He sat there, too, and waited. Then, just as the gang

as the most important thing. We must get that through no matter what happened. And while Fitz and the general coul

st hobble, and Fitz, back to the camp. Loyal old Fitzpatrick the