The High Point Scout
VOL, 1
HIGH POINT, NORTH CAROLINA, OCTOBER, 1919
NO. 7
THE 1500ZE TUXXEE.
(WAETEK ('KISSMAX)
CHAPTER I.
The First Smell.
It was during the later part of one
of those bright weeks we sometimes
see in February, about the 6th day,
when,the Scouts of “Troop Three,”
were notified to, “be prepared.” the
next evening at 6:30 o’clock at their
regular meeting place with all things
necessary to pass off their cooking in
the Second Class test. The notice
was short (yet long for scouts) and
showed the promptness of the boys
for there were eight of them pres
ent and each had his scout staff.
Jack West, our |)atrol leader, gave
the word to get in line and we read
ily did so. He then said, “Boys, we
will go to the “spring.” We all knew
what he meant when he said this for
it was a small spring fixed up very
nicely with a rock and cement com
bination. It was sometimes called
the Mineral Spring, as there was a
lot of mineral rock around it. The
place was about four miles from our
towm, Higboro, N. C. Jack said,
“Boys, we must come back home to
night and you know that means step
lively.” We marched joyfully.
Just before gettingj to the spring
there was a path that led through the
woods to it. Of course we scouts
took it, for the scout loves to explore
the woods.
Dow'n this path about two hun
dred yards I had noticed before, off
a little distance to one side, tw'o or
three mounds and a deep tunnel-like
hole at the center of one. As I
passed these mounds that night,
somehow, I wanted to Idok into that
hole at night. I said nothing then
but went on with the boys and we
arrived at the spring about 7:30
o’clock.
The first thing to do was to get
wood for a fire so we scattered out
and got it. We soon had a roaring
fire. Some of the boys were now mak
ing ready for cooking.
While the boys were all very busy
around the fire I slipped away into
the darkness of the woods and made
my way around to the( hole I have
mentioned. I kept under the shad
ow of the trees so that I would not
be so easily seen. I was now very
near the hole and I stopped and view
ed the surroundings to make sure
there was no one to see me. B'eeling
satisfied about this I crept up to the
hole and stood beside a tree on the
shadowed side. I could now see into
the hole and I Avatched for an open
ing in what appeared to be the bot
tom. As I stood there looking down
into the dark cavern, suddenly I .saw
n light and it seemed to get brighter
step by step. This caused me to think
that some one might be coming out
of the cave, for I no longer called it
a hole, as I was now satisfied that it
Avas a caA'e for some purpose, and if
I Avas caught standing there at this
time, matters might be Avorse for
me. With these thoughts I turned
to go back and join the boys for a
Avhile ,but as I did so I stood face
to face with a cruel looking man Avho
Avore a broad brim hat, a heavy
beard, and long hair. His clothes
hung about him in rough-neck style
making him appear A'ery unpleasant
to me. A man from the cave now
joined him.
I tell you I had many thoughts
while these two men stood there with
me. I AA-ished that I had stayed
around the camp fire with the boys.
Then I thought, “there is no use cry
ing over spilt milk, I will make
the best of it.”
The men hurried me into the cave
in a very rough manner. When we
Avere in the cave, the men took me
over to one corner of what I called
the main room and tied me. They
Avent off to one side and began.to talk
in undertone so that I could not un
derstand. W^hile they were mumbl
ing I had time to look around and see
Avhat kind of a place I was in.
It was a very large room, to my
estimation about fifteen by thirty
feet. The room was fixed with all
modern conveniences necessary for
that purpose. It was braced very
mechanically so that there was no
danger of the earth falling in. The
poAA’er was received from a force of
water AA’hich came through a pipe on
the East side, and ran out at the
North end. A turbine was run by the
Avater and it was connected up with
a generater wTiich made electricity
for the lights and the different breAA'-
ing machines. It was indeed a very
up-to-date plant.
The men now came over to me
and one of them gruflly said, (the
one I learned to be Cal), “Say kid,
what are yeu prowling around here
and nosing into every thing at night
for?” I replied, “Can’t you see I am
a Boy Scout by my uniform? You
said it right when you said prowling
around for that was just what I was
doin’. I was seeing what I could see.
I came down here with a party of
scouts and we intended to go back to
town to-night.” Then Cal said, “I
guess you will spend the night with
us and no tollin’ how much longer
and Avhat we will have you doin.’ ”
The men turned and went down to
the other end of the cave. Here they
stopped, looked very straight at me
and then disappeared through an al
most hidden opening. There I lay
tied, over in one corner of! a large
underground room all alone. How
could I escape?
(To be continued.)
The Reliable Scout.
Here’s to the steadfast, reliable
scout.
The scout w’ith the tongue that is
true.
Who won’t promise to do any more
than he can.
But who’ll do AA’hat he says he will
do.
He may not be clever, he is often
quite blunt.
Without either polish or air;
Yet though it’s not him to "put up
a front,”
He is there when you need him,
he’s there.
So here’s to the scout on whom one
can rely.
And here’s to his lasting success.
May his species continue to e’re mul
tiply.
And his shadow, may it never
grow less.
—Boys’ Life.
DII> YOU KNOW that every day
spent in school means twenty-five
dollar added to your life’s earnings?