Part 1 (1/2)
The Boy Scouts Patrol
by Ralph Victor
CHAPTER I
A MONKEY TRICK
”I think--” began a tall, slenderly-built lad of sixteen, speaking in a somewhat indolent way; then suddenly he paused to look down through the trees to where the river gleamed below
”What's on your mind now, Rand?” his coe, nearly as tall, but ht in co at the top of the road that wound down the side of the mountain from the town of Creston, which was perched, like the nest of soreat bird, in a hollow of the Palisades
”I think--” repeated the first speaker, pausing again
”That's right, Randolph,” approved his companion briskly, ”always think twice before you speak once”
”I always do, Donald Grae to say when you interrupted me with your irrelevant re his cap in answer to the hail of another boy as just then seen hurrying down the road toward them ”Here comes Pepper in a rush, as usual”
It was just after dawn of a JuneIt was still dark and glooht and the stor planned a fishi+ng trip for thiswere not to be deterred by the fear of a wet jacket
”hello, fellows!” panted the newcohter than either of the others, but who y what he lacked in size His hair was a glowing red and with it went a teiven him, was most appropriate It is doubtful if any of his comrades really knew his Christian name Certainly he was always ”Pepper” to every one, even at hoh he was christened Philip
”I say, I was afraid you'd be gone when I got here”
”Well, ould have been,” drawled Randolph, ”only we knew you'd be late, and we took our tihed the other, ”you know I'm not always late”
”Well, maybe not ALWAYS,” conceded Rand; ”but al--breakfast late?”
”Now, you know I didn't wait for breakfast,” protested Pepper, adding rather reluctantly, ”though I did stop for a bite But even if I am late I'm not last Jack isn't here yet, and he left home first”
”Oh, he's out on the trail somewhere, I suppose,” sur for news He'll be coet I believe he thinks the paper couldn't go on if it weren't for him”
”'That re a pa it out to his co of trails, what do you think of that?”
”What is it?” asked Pepper, eying it suspiciously ”Looks as if the cat had been walking on it” goodness, I hope not I thought you were always hungry, but if you are only beginning I foresee a faood food that is wasted on you, Pepper,” went on Donald reflectively ”Why, to look at you any one h to eat”
”That sho deceiving looks are,” replied Pepper ”Though I never did have enough,” he added plaintively
”Of course not,” returned Donald, ”there isn't as much as that anywhere”