Boy Scouts on the Trail

  Produced by Mark C. Orton, Linda McKeown, Emmy and theOnline Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net

  THE BOY SCOUTS ON THE TRAIL

  By GEORGE DURSTON

  THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING COMPANY

  AKRON, OHIO

  Made in U. S. A.

  Copyright, MCMXXI By The Saalfield Publishing Co.

  They sent the message quickly, accurately.]

  THE BOY SCOUTS ON THE TRAIL

  CHAPTER I

  PLANS FOR THE HOLIDAYS

  "Where are you going to spend the holidays, Frank?"

  The speaker was Henri Martin, a French boy of the new type that hassprung up in France since games like football and tennis began to begenerally encouraged. He asked the question of his schoolmate, FrankBarnes, son of a French mother and an American father. Frank's name wasreally Francois; his mother had that much to do with his naming. But hewas a typical American boy, none the less, and there was a sharpcontrast between his sturdy frame and that of the slighter French boywho had become his best chum in the school both were attending nearParis, at St. Denis.

  "I don't really know, Harry," said Frank. "Not exactly, that is. MyUncle Dick is coming over a little later, and I think we'll go toSwitzerland." His face clouded a little. "I--I haven't any real home togo to, you know. My father and mother--"

  "I know--I know, mon vieux," said Henri, with the quick sympathy of hisrace. "But until your uncle comes--what then, hein?"

  "Why, I'm to wait for him here, at the school," said Frank. "He's a verybusy man, you know, and it's hard for him to get away just any time hewants to. He will get here, though, early in August, I think."

  "But that won't do at all, Frank!" exclaimed Harry, impulsively. Likemany French boys, he spoke English perfectly and with practically notrace of an accent. "To spend a week or two weeks here in the school,all alone! No--I tell you what! I've an idea!"

  "What is it?" asked Frank, a little amused at the horror with which hisfriend heard of the notion of staying in school after the holidays hadbegun.

  "Why, come home with me until your uncle comes!" said Harry. "That'swhat you must do. I live not so far away--not so very far. At Amiens.You have heard of it? Oh, we will have fine times, you and I. I am tojoin the Boy Scouts Francais these holidays!"

  He called it Boy Scoots, and Frank roared. The word scout had beenretained, without translation, when the French adopted the Boy Scoutmovement from England, just as words like rosbif, football, and le sporthad been adopted into the language. But all these words, or nearly all,have been given a French pronunciation, which give them a strange soundin Anglo-Saxon ears.

  "Excuse me, Harry," said Frank, in a moment. "I didn't mean to laugh,but it does sound funny."

  "Of course it does, Frank," said Henri, generously. "I speak English, soI can see that. But there's nothing funny about the thing, let me tellyou. We began by calling the Boy Scouts Eclaireurs Francais, butGeneral Baden-Powell didn't like it, so we made the change. Really,we're a good deal like the English and American scouts. We have the sameoath--we call it serment, of course, and our manual is just atranslation of the English one."

  "I was going to join in America, too," said Frank. "But then I came overhere, and I didn't know there were scouts here. Do you wear the samesort of uniforms?"

  "Yes--just like the English," said Harry. "You could join with me,couldn't you? You're going to be here for a whole year more, aren'tyou?"

  "Yes. My mother"--he gulped a little at the word--"wanted me to know allabout France, and never to forget that I had French blood in me, yousee. My French grandfather was killed by the Germans at Gravelotte--hewas a colonel of the line. And my mother, even though my father was anAmerican, was always devoted to France."

  "We are like that--we French," said Harry, simply. Into his eyes camethe look that even French boys have when they remember the days of 1870."The Germans--yes, they beat us then. We were not ready--we were badlyled. But our time will come--the time of La Revanche. Tell me, Frank,you have seen the Place de la Concorde, in Paris?"

  "Yes. Why?"

  "Do you remember the statue of Strassburg? How it is always draped inblack--with mourning wreaths?"

  "Yes."

  "The day is coming when the black shall be stripped off!Alsace-Lorraine--they are French at heart, those lost provinces of ours!They shall be French again in name, too. Strassburg shall guard theRhine for us again--Metz shall be a French fortress once more. We shallfight again--and next time we shall be ready! We shall win!"

  "I hope so--if war comes again," said Frank, soberly. "But--"

  "_If_ war comes?" said Harry, surprised. "Don't you know it must come?France knows that--France makes ready. We shall not seek the war. But itis not enough for us to desire peace. The Prussians are afraid of us.They will never rest content while we are strong. They thought they hadcrushed us forever in 1870--but France was too great for them to crush!They made us pay a thousand million francs--they thought we should takeyears and years to pay, and that meanwhile they would keep theirsoldiers on our land, in our fortresses! But no! France paid, andquickly. And ever since we have prepared for the time when they wouldtry to finish their work."

  "If war comes, I am for France," said Frank, still soberly. "But war isa dreadful thing, Henri."

  "We know that--we in France," said Harry. "But there are things that areworse than war, Frank. A peace that is without honor is among them. Wedo not want to fight, but we are not afraid. When the time comes, as itis sure to come, we shall be ready. But enough of that. There will beno war this year or next. We have not settled about your coming homewith me. You will come?"

  "I'd love to," said Frank. "If the head master says I can, I will mostgladly. But will your people want me?"

  "My friends are their friends," said Harry. "My mother says always,'Bring a friend with you, Henri.' Oh, there will be plenty for us to do,too. We shall take long walks and play tennis and ride and shoot. Let ussettle it to-day. Come now to the office with me. We will ask the headmaster."

  They went forthwith to speak to Monsieur Donnet, the head of the school,who received them in his office. The school was a small one but itnumbered among its pupils several English and American boys, whoseparents wanted them for one reason or another to acquire a thoroughknowledge of French. He heard their request, which was put by Henri,pleasantly.

  "Yes, that will be very well," he said. "I have been thinking of you,Barnes. Your uncle has written to me that he will be here about thetenth or fifteenth of August, and asked permission for you to stay hereuntil then. But--"

  They waited, while M. Donnet thought for a moment.

  "Yes, this will be much better," he said. "I--I have been a littletroubled about you, Barnes. If all were well, you might stay here verywell. But--" Again he paused.

  "These are strange times," he said. "Boys, have you read in thenewspapers of the trouble between Austria and Servia?"

  They looked startled.

  "A little, sir," said Frank. "There's always trouble, isn't there, inthose parts?"

  "Yes, but this may--who knows?--be different. I do not say there is moredanger than usual but I have heard things, from friends, that have mademe thoughtful. I am a colonel of the reserve!"

  Henri's eyes gleamed suddenly, as they had a few minutes before when hehad talked of how France was ready for what might be in store for her.

  "Do you mean that there may be war, sir?" he asked, leaning forwardeagerly.

  "No one knows," said the master. "But there are strange tales.Aeroplanes that no one recognizes have flown above the border in theVosges. There are tales of fresh troops that the Germans are sending toMetz, to Duesseldorf, to Neu Breisach." He struck his ha
nd suddenly onhis desk. "But this I feel--that when war comes it will be like thestroke of lightning from a clear sky! When there is much talk, there isnever war. When it comes it will be because the diplomats will not havetime, they and the men with money, the Rothschilds and the others, tostop it. And if there should be trouble, not a man would be left in thisschool. So, Barnes, I should be easier if you were with Martin. Iapprove. That is well, boys."

  Both boys were excited as they left the office.

  "He talks as if he knew something, or felt something, that is still asecret!" said Frank, excitedly. "I wonder--"

  "Of no use to wonder," said Henri. Really, he was calmer than hiscompanion. "What is to come must come. But you are coming home with me,Frank. We know that much. And that is good--that is the best news wecould have, isn't it?"

  "It's certainly good news for me," said Frank, happily. "Oh, Harry, Iget so tired of living in school or in hotels all the time! It will seemgood to be in a home again, even if it isn't my own home!"