  Hugh shut his teeth together with a snap, as though his mind had been suddenly made up. Billy knew that there would be no shirking, for when the leader of the Wolf Patrol saw his duty clear before him he never allowed anything to stand between himself and its accomplishment. “Come, you must show me that identical shack, Billy,” he announced. “But hold on, Hugh,” hoarsely whispered the other, “if some of those men saw us go in there they’d believe we were connected with the detective squad, and trying to get them sent to prison. Why, they’d be furious enough to murder us.” Hugh realized that there was indeed need of caution. These ignorant and explosive foreigners could not be reasoned with by one who was unacquainted with their language. There may be times when signs will not answer to cool the heated blood of men driven to extremes by what they feel to be a gross injustice. “Billy, you’re right, and we must first of all get the old padrone to accompany us. If, as you seem to fear, those things turn out to be real bombs, then his are the hands that must put them in water so as to forever destroy their destructive properties. Come along with me, Billy.” It was not difficult to find the padrone, for he was hovering near where the men were groaning, with Arthur and an assistant doing all they could to ease their sufferings. Hugh managed to explain, partly through signs, that he wanted the padrone to go with him. After that Billy led the way straight to the rude shack he had by accident entered, and in which he had found such suspicious things being made. As soon as Hugh set his eyes on the three-foot sections of old gaspipe he knew Billy had sensed the truth. One of the bombs was apparently ready for use. It had a short fuse at one end, and looked terribly suggestive. “You see what some of your men have been thinking of doing,” Hugh said to the old padrone, as he held up this iron bomb. The other showed all the signs of being both astonished and angry. Billy wondered if such an enterprise could have been going on all this time in the settlement and one so wise as the padrone not know it. “It is bad biz!” the padrone said in a husky voice, as he, too, picked up one of the metal tubes and examined it; “some of my men they be near crazy with mad. When they see the children cry for be hungry they no care what they do to get what you call even. It is the strike-breaker they hate, you understan’.” “But this will never do, padrone,” said the scout master. “Once they start to using bombs and they lose the sympathy of the community. You understand what that means. If your men even hope to win this strike they must be held in and kept from violence. So far it has all been on the other side, and that is going to gain you many friends. The owner of the works will find that he has to call it off and give you living wages. Do you understand that?” The padrone nodded his head violently. “Whatever you tell me that will I do, for I know you scouts ver’ good friend to the workingman,” he hastened to say. “All right,” Hugh told him promptly, “then first of all get a bucket of water, and soak every one of these things in it so as to render them harmless.” “Here’s just what you want, right in this corner,” remarked Billy, pointing to a half barrel used as a tub, and which was more than two-thirds full of suspicious looking water, but which could be made useful to “pull the teeth” of the dangerous bombs. The padrone not only dumped the gaspipe infernal machines in the tub but followed with every article connected with their manufacture that he could lay hands on. “Now, tell what you want me do next?” he asked Hugh, as though he meant to leave no stone unturned in order to follow out the orders of this energetic young Boy Scout whose coming with his comrades had meant so much for the people under his care. “You know who the men are who have been doing this black work, padrone?” Hugh asserted, looking the old man straight in the eye. For a few seconds the old man wavered, and then unconditionally surrendered. “Si, young sigÑor, I know,” he admitted. “All right, padrone,” said Hugh, sternly; “I want you to go and find them, and make them swear that there shall be no more of this sort of black work. Everything depends on how you manage to control your people through this crisis. You will win, if you get them to behave.” “I will promise it shall be so,” said the old man, hurrying away. Hugh and Billy returned to where they had been standing at the time the latter made his astonishing disclosure that had resulted in their action; and they could see the padrone talking earnestly to some of the men. Just then Arthur called to Hugh to come and give him his advice about something he was doing in connection with one of the men, who had finally consented to have his injured shoulder treated. Up to that time he had stubbornly held out, and seemed to be suspicious of these boys, as though he feared that they would not do the right thing. The extreme pain, however, had finally brought him around, or else the wise old padrone had told him he was taking many more chances by waiting than he would in having his wound dressed, even by amateur surgeons. From one thing they went to another, so that they were kept constantly busy. In the midst of it all, Billy discovered a woman carrying a sick child straight to where Hugh and Arthur were engaged. “There’s a compliment for you fellows, and a feather in your caps,” he told the others. “At first they were afraid you didn’t know the first principles of surgery, and they’ve been watching you like hawks. Now the women are running to fetch any sick kids they may happen to have at home, for the wonderful doctors to examine and prescribe for. Look solemn now when you make your diagnosis, fellows; you’re making reputations that are bound to go ringing down the ages. Doctor Blake and Doctor Cameron of the Boy Scouts of Oakvale to the front. Here she is. Now, listen to the poor mother chatter like a poll-parrot, would you?” Even if they could not understand one word she said, there was no difficulty whatever in knowing what the woman wanted. She held out the sick child, and there was a beseeching look on her face. Hugh hardly knew what to do, but he had common-sense in plenty, and urged on by the confident Billy, he proceeded to take a professional look at the youngster. Then he nodded toward Arthur, as though he fancied that two heads would be better than one in a case like this. “I’d be on the safe side in saying that it’s eaten something that doesn’t agree with it,” ventured Doctor Blake, solemnly. “Just my idea to a fraction,” added the second amateur physician. Upon that Hugh opened his little medicine kit, and taking out a phial proceeded to fix up a remedy which he knew was excellent for cramps and indigestion. It would do no harm, that he knew for a fact, and there was a fair chance of its taking effect. It certainly pleased the anxious mother, and she went away with a satisfied look on her swarthy face. “If that ambulance does come along,” said Hugh, with a whimsical look at his fellow-worker, “we’ll get the doctor to take a look at the child so as to make a sure thing of it.” “No need,” sang out Billy, blithely; “it began getting better right away after its maw got it to take that remedy. Why, you fellows must be wizards, that’s what. Whenever I get sick again, I’m going to insist on having you attend me. And that’s praise not many doctors ever get, let me tell you.” An hour had gone by since Ralph returned with the news that he had heard the telegraph operator at the station send the message to Farmingdale. Still there was no sign of anything happening, nor for that matter had the authorities of the county taken a hand in the matter. The guards still walked the platform back of the heavy stockade, and the sunlight glinted from the polished barrels of their guns as they moved to and fro. In the foreign settlement there were more or less ominous gatherings, and the scouts began to grow a little uneasy when they saw how furious the men were becoming under the lash of the tongues of the women. “There’ll be more trouble around here before long unless the right kind of officers are sent to keep order,” said Billy to Hugh, as they hurried from one patient to another, so as to keep up the good work. “What makes you say that, Billy?” demanded the other, uneasily. “Well, they’ve got some old shotguns and the like, and they’re talking things over now in little bunches!” Billy declared. “Whenever the old padrone comes around they hide these things, and let on that they’re not plotting mischief; but before night gets here they’ll make an attack on that stockade, unless the officers come up before, or something else happens.” “The trouble is they keep seeing all these injured people,” complained Arthur. “There is a whole lot in that,” admitted Hugh. “If only we could get them away somewhere, it might be easier to handle the mob.” “Hugh, as sure as you live there’s a cloud of dust up the road there!” exclaimed Ralph Kenyon, joyously. Every eye was instantly turned in that direction, for all of the scouts realized that it meant a great deal, not only to them but for the future peace of the community that something occurred to make these ignorant foreigners understand they were not objects of indifference in the eyes of the authorities, who would permit them to be shot down like dogs and never interpose a hand to prevent the deed or punish the aggressors. Ten seconds later a cheer broke forth from the six khaki-clad boys as they saw a motor ambulance bearing the magical red cross on its side, swinging around the bend of the road that led toward distant Farmingdale. On the front seat with the chauffeur was a man dressed in white clothes, who had a badge around his arm, doubtless bearing the insignia of his calling; and further back in the commodious up-to-date ambulance could be seen a couple of nurses also garbed in the snowy dress that characterized their profession. No wonder the weary scouts felt like throwing up their hats and shouting with an excess of joy; for their long vigil was about to be ended, since they could hand over all their patients to the care of these experienced workers in the Army of Mercy. Even the ignorant foreigners seemed to understand that the coming of the ambulance with its Red Cross, known throughout the whole world, meant a new chance of life and hope for the sufferers. There was no cheering on their part, for their hearts were heavy with the dismal outlook confronting them; but some of the black looks began to give way to a feeling of confidence that the worst was over. It was the coming of Hugh and his fellow scouts on the scene, as the wise old padrone knew very well, that had started the scales to moving in their favor. If you have been interested in following the adventures of Hugh and his comrades as detailed in these pages, and would know more about their further activities, it is easily possible to do so by purchasing the next volume of this series, now on sale everywhere, under the title of “The Boy Scouts and the Red Cross.” THE END. |
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