CHAPTER IX.

THE GOAL IN SIGHT.

It was fine of the mayor to say that. Had the women who had labored so long and so arduously in order to accomplish this end overheard what he remarked, they might have whispered among themselves that it was a great pity Mr. Strunk could not have reached the desired resolution many months previously.

But then “better late than never,” and if his eyes were now opened to the enormity of the offenses that had previously been winked at as unavoidable in a bustling community of Oakvale’s size and rapid growth, there was good hope of the future.

Before Hugh and Ralph left the parsonage to hurry home to supper they had heard the whole thing thrashed out, and even found their opinions asked by the trio of deeply interested gentlemen.

A plan was fairly well arranged that would serve as a trap, for from what Ralph had caught, the conspirators would not be in position to attempt the daring robbery until then. In fact, as Ralph very well understood, it was actually Hugh who proposed the idea upon which the minister, Doctor Kane and the mayor finally settled as promising the best results. But then Ralph saw nothing strange about that, for as a member of the scouts he was accustomed to have Hugh Hardin naturally take the lead in almost everything.

Ralph was greatly pleased. He considered, and rightly, too, Hugh told him, that once again his knowledge of woodcraft and the Indian art of creeping up close to an enemy’s camp had proved of value to the cause he represented. Many fellows similarly situated, even if they had thought to make the attempt, might have bungled, and only brought down some sort of chastisement on their own heads for their temerity.

It was to remain a dead secret; even the rest of the scouts would not be told why Hugh ordered them to be at their place of meeting on the following night, prepared to have a number of the stoutest and most adept chosen for a special mission.

The mayor promised to see Chief Wallis on the following morning and get him interested in the matter, so that he and several of his men could have a hand in trapping the thieves. Just as likely as not these men would be in a desperate mood, and liable to show fight when they realized how completely the tables had been turned upon them. Hence it was deemed wise to have some of the regulars on the police force handy in order to assist the scouts make the arrests.

No doubt the home folks at the Hardin and Kenyon domiciles must have thought the boys were unusually serious all that evening, perhaps absent-minded, for often they would start when spoken to suddenly, as though wrapped up in some far-away subject.

However, as it was known that their hearts were concerned in the successful carrying out of the cleaning up of Oakvale, allowances were made for them. Fond mothers, though, may have found themselves wondering if it were really wise to allow such weights to rest upon young shoulders.

Another day came around, and its duties were taken up by the scouts with their accustomed alacrity. Every fellow seemed to vie with his mates in doing his share of the work in a way that would allow of no fault finding. There was indeed what might be called a healthy rivalry among the scouts, to see who could command the highest number of clean scores; for Hugh had arranged matters in the shape of a contest, to make it more interesting.

The opposition had not yet died out, for when men have fallen into certain bad habits that become as second nature, it is most difficult to break the bonds binding them.

True, the drivers and chauffeurs in and about Oakvale had by degrees become accustomed to the new order of things, which was moving along as smoothly as clockwork. They found there was absolutely no need of any friction, and that while occasionally held up by the amateur “traffic cop” in order to allow a safe passage for a squad of school children, they really lost little or no time. Besides, a vast amount of argument and hard words was saved by this orderly way of running things at congested crossings.

Already the new system had borne fruit, for the railway company, while not compelled to do so by any town ordinance, doubtless falling in with the general scheme of uplift, stationed a flagman at the perilous crossing, who would be on duty from six in the morning until sundown.

Those of the scouts who had the duty of searching for infractions of the health code ran across the greatest trouble, because they were dealing with private individuals, some of whom nursed petty “grouches” against them because compelled to do what the boys demanded or take the chances of being summoned before a Squire and heavily fined.

Hugh used considerable diplomacy in dealing with these offenders. He did not wish the scouts to make any enemies when it could be avoided. So when there happened to be some stubborn fellow who firmly believed he had a right to do things that were offensive to the neighbors and the community at large, just because he was on his own grounds, and threatened to go to law to resist, Hugh tried other measures besides violence and threats.

In several instances he performed what seemed next door to miracles, in the eyes of the boys, and the amused people as well. Hugh could “blarney” most any one into coming around to his way of thinking, given half a chance, was what Billy Worth always said, and in fact the young scout master proved the truth of this assertion in several instances.

One crabbed and rich old fellow in particular, who had little to do with his neighbors, but persisted in keeping several fierce dogs that barked most of the night, upon being threatened with the passage of a new law that would proclaim such animals within the corporate limits of the town a public nuisance if complaint were handed in signed by six neighbors, told them they could pass all the regulations they wanted and he would take out an injunction, which by the delay of the law would allow him to do about as he pleased the rest of his life.

Judge Coffin, from the town of Lawrence, whose acquaintance some of the scouts had made at the time of the famous flood,[1] when they were enabled to save several lives and win the esteem of the entire community, chancing to visit Oakvale on some official business just about that time, confided to Hugh the fact that unfortunately what Mr. Griffin claimed was true, and that by successive injunctions it was possible to fend off a decision for months, sometimes years.

This was not the worst of it, for if one man could baffle the desire of the community in that way his example might become contagious and the precedent thus set be copied by others, until all the good the reform wave had done would be lost.

So clever Hugh had figured out it was essential that Mr. Griffin be won over to the cause, even if it took much of his spare time to accomplish the seemingly impossible result.

Like a wise general, Hugh first looked over the field. He knew that when a battle is to be fought the side that knows the various conformations of the ground always possesses an advantage over those less posted.

In making all sorts of inquiries Hugh learned a lot about the past of this crabbed old man who seemed so like vinegar. There was a reason, it seemed, for his “drawing within his shell,” and refusing to have more than casual communication with his neighbors.

Mr. Griffin had suffered a cruel shock many years before, losing his wife and two lovely children in a fire. One girl was left to him, and she grew up to womanhood, gave him a great deal of trouble, and finally ran away with a worthless fellow. Some years afterwards, the old gentleman, now become estranged from the world that had treated him so cruelly, went away, and came back with a child he announced as his grandson, the last of his stock, for the daughter had died.

Alas! this little boy was a cripple and deformed. Hugh had seen him several times, but the old man kept a strict watch, and allowed no intruders in his grounds where those dogs roamed at night time.

The hunchback was now all of ten years of age, and when Hugh saw Mr. Griffin buying some boys’ books before Christmas he understood that the little fellow at least must love to read.

Here then was the scheme which Hugh worked out. He had plenty of books that told of the doings of Boy Scouts. Besides, he had an old manual that he could easily spare. So he bribed the grocer’s boy, who daily visited the Griffin home, and admitted that he chatted with the hunchback frequently, to give Archibald the package of books on the sly, and tell him the leader of the Wolf Patrol had sent them with his compliments to help a “shut-in” realize what scout life meant.

Hugh heard from his kind act, for on the very next day he received a splendid little note from the boy, thanking him heartily for his thoughtfulness, and saying that he would devour those books “ferociously,” he was so “crazy” about reading of what boys more fortunate than himself were doing.

Hugh kept it up after that, and before long there was a most friendly feeling springing up between the two. One fine day Hugh was surprised to have Mr. Griffin stop him on the street, and he realized that the severe look could leave the face of the well-named man when he chose to drop the mask.

“My little grandchild has been telling me about your kindness in sending him books to read,” the gentleman started to say. “Now, I have been very particular about the type of books I select for him, because I want the poor little fellow to know only the better side of life. At first I was afraid you had broken down the barrier I have erected, but when I came to look over the handbook of the scouts, and found what a splendid foundation the organization is built upon I felt sure that books written along similar lines could do a boy only good. I am pleased to say that upon glancing over those you sent him, I have been immensely satisfied.”

He offered his hand to Hugh, something no boy in Oakvale had ever known Mr. Griffin to do in all the years past. Hugh flushed with a sense of satisfaction upon realizing that he was on the road to success, and that his diagnosis of the stern old gentleman’s real nature had not been amiss.

“I am glad you do not think I was playing a mean part in getting those books to Archibald,” he said, simply. “We scouts feel for any chap who is deprived of the glorious chances we have to spend many good times in the open. I thought he would be glad to learn about scout life, even if he could never hope to enjoy it himself.”

“What is more to the point,” continued Mr. Griffin, “I’ve had my eyes opened to the fact that it is a bad thing for any man to allow himself to remain in ignorance with what is going on around him as the years progress. I am ashamed to admit that I never dreamed there had been such a vast revolution in the training of boys during the years I’ve kept aloof from the world. I’ve seen mention of the scouts many times in my papers, but never took the trouble to investigate—in fact, treated the whole matter as somewhat of a military movement copied after the Old World methods. I am delighted to learn that such is not the case.”

Then he went on to say Archibald was eager to meet Hugh, and that if only he could come over and take supper with them that evening it would give both of the “shut-ins” great pleasure indeed.

Such luck Hugh had hardly anticipated, but he was only too glad to accept the invitation in the spirit it was given.

“I have some more really splendid books I want you to let him read,” he went on to say with spirit. “If you don’t object I’ll come over this very evening,” for, as we happen to know, the scout master believed in “striking when the iron is hot.”

After that it was easy for Hugh. Once he had gained entrance to the Griffin home he found a means for occupying a place in the hearts of both the hunchback boy and his grandfather. By a wise system of approaching the subject discreetly Hugh quickly found a way of getting Mr. Griffin to change his mind about keeping those noisy dogs.

It was once more a case of the gentle sun’s rays accomplishing what even the most violent wind could not do.

Hugh never boasted of his victories, but in some way the truth became known. Possibly Mr. Griffin, now mingling more than in the past with his neighbors, secretly amused, told it himself. At any rate it served to add to the laurels Hugh had already won as a diplomat, as well as a scout leader.

So the good work went on. This incident connected with Mr. Griffin and his pests of barking dogs was only one example of how the scouts managed to accomplish their ends. It is not by mere promises of prosecution alone that nuisances can be abated, for sometimes reason goes a great ways toward effecting a cure.

A few threats had been made, but so far none of the boys had really suffered actual violence. Truth to tell, the cowards who had been bullies knew that when they assailed the scout uniform they really went up against the entire vested authority of the town as represented by the mayor, the police, and the better element of the citizens.

Speedy retaliation had fallen upon those astonished offenders who had laughed at the warnings given by the Auxiliary Police. They realized that because a fellow is under a man’s size and wears a khaki uniform, it is no sign that he cannot enforce his authority.

Things had apparently been going on swimmingly, and there seemed every indication that victory was in sight when Ralph by accident overheard that plot to bring about the undoing of the scouts in the estimation of the town people. It was plainly the last desperate effort of the opposition. If they were beaten in this round the chances were there would be a clean sweep to crown the efforts of those who were working so hard for home protection in Oakvale. It would have been proven conclusively that a new rule must hereafter be reckoned with, which was founded on _order_ and the rights of the community as against private privileges.