Chapter XXX: Breaking Camp--Conclusion

Dick chanced to be talking with Mr. Holwell on the morning of departure, asking his advice regarding several things that might arise later on, when Asa Gardner approached.

Seeing the boy hesitate the minister smiled, and beckoned to him.

“I’m glad you’re having such a good time up here, Asa,” he said in his kindly fashion, as his strong hand grasped that of the boy in whom he felt such a deep interest.

“Oh! I certainly am feeling splendid just now,” Asa told him, brightening up. “I was worried for a while, as Dick knows, sir, because I had begun to be afraid that in spite of all I could do my old trouble was getting the better of me. But when we found out about that gorilla, why, of course, I just knew it couldn’t be so.”

“Take my advice, Asa,” said Mr. Holwell, steadily, “and never allow yourself to believe for even a minute that you can go back to the old ways again. That weakness is dead, I tell you! It lost its grip when you gave your dear mother that solemn promise. I knew you would win out, and redeem the past; and I’m proud of the way you’re doing it, son.”

Asa should have beamed with pleasure on hearing this, but then he was an odd sort of boy, Dick knew. He was therefore not much surprised to hear him give a big sigh, and then go on to say with a whimsical smile:

“Sometimes I do feel that I’ve done pretty well, sir; and then I think of the story I once heard you tell at a meeting of boys.”

“What was that, Asa?” asked the minister, realizing that the shadow of the past would be likely to haunt the sensitive lad for a long while, until time had healed the wound.

“I’ll tell you, sir. It certainly did make a great impression on me,” said Asa. “There was once a boy who got to doing so many bad things that his father took him to task. He had him set up a nice clean post, and made him promise that every time he did a thing that he shouldn’t he would drive a nail into it. Then when he did a good deed he could draw a nail out.”

Mr. Holwell knew what was coming, but he only smiled, and said encouragingly when Asa stopped to catch his breath:

“Yes, go on, Asa.”

“One day, sir, as you told us, that boy suddenly began to notice that his post was getting pretty full of nails. That scared him, and made him feel bad; so he set himself to stopping his bad deeds, and did things worth while. Then one day he took his father out to look at the post. There wasn’t a nail left in it, sir. He had drawn them every one out!”

Again Asa gulped hard, and then managed to continue.

“The boy’s father was proud of him, you said, because he knew he had managed by his little scheme to make the boy think, which was just what he had wished to do. So he told him that he was pleased to see the post without a nail. And then, Mr. Holwell, the boy turned to him and said sadly: ‘But Father, the _holes_ are still there!’ And that’s the way with me, sir. I seem to have managed to reform, but every little while I see all those terrible holes in the post to remind me of what I’ve done in the past!”

Mr. Holwell patted Asa on the shoulder.

“Cheer up, my son,” he said, heartily. “It is that regret which is bound to make your footing sure on the rocks. When any one can forget his weaknesses of the past he is in danger of slipping again. That conscience of yours is going to be your best asset. Don’t fret about what is past, but look hopefully into the future. If the chance ever comes your way, help some other fellow to get his feet on a firm and sure foundation. Remember, I believe in you, and I have no fear.”

Dick’s hand-grip, too, caused Asa to color. With such good friends beside him what boy need worry about the future? So the look of foreboding began to leave his face from that hour, and Asa showed that he could be a good comrade in the sports of the camp, as well as in its obligations.

The campers gave Mr. Holwell a royal send-off. The cheers followed him across the water, and broke out again when he and Dick started for the station, for the latter insisted on accompanying him that far on his way, to carry his bag, and have a last little talk.

It was well on toward noon when Dick and Asa returned to camp. The boys, together with Harry Bartlett and the physical instructor, settled down to enjoy the remainder of their stay on Bass Island as best they could. There could be no doubt about their having a fine time; but all the same most of them would miss Mr. Holwell very much.

Nat Silmore was beginning to grow tired of it all. He missed something that he was accustomed to having when off on any such trip as this. This was the liberty to play pranks without being reprimanded by Harry Bartlett or the athletic director.

So Nat and his two cronies fretted under the galling conditions. They would have only too willingly accompanied the circus men when they went away with the captured gorilla, except for the fact that Mr. Bartlett had the return railway tickets, and the distance was much too far for them to dream of trying to walk.

Nat and his cronies on one occasion refused to do their share of the work, whereupon Mr. Bartlett promptly gave them to understand that those who did not take part in the camp routine and daily exercises could not have anything to eat. That, of course, brought the rebels to terms, but from that time on, while they picked berries and chopped wood in turn, and forced themselves to play their parts, they kept pretty much to themselves, and looked gloomy, as though counting the days when this irksome camp life would come to an end.

With the three mill boys the exact opposite came about. They learned that these other lads were not in the least snobbish. Then the kindly spirit in which most of the boys helped pick berries so that Eddie, Ban and Cub could enjoy their afternoons in any way they wished, made a deep impression on the three.

“One thing sure!” Eddie told Dick, on the day before they were to break camp and start back to Cliffwood. “You’ll see a lot of the mill boys fairly tumble over themselves to join the Junior Department of the Y. M. C. A. when they hear how royally we three have been taken care of up here. From Mr. Holwell, Mr. Bartlett and Mr. Rowland, all the way down, I want to say you’re the whitest bunch that I ever traveled with--all but Nat Silmore and his pair of black sheep.”

The last night came, and the camp paraphernalia was pretty well packed up. Mr. Bartlett had made arrangements for the wagons to be on hand early on the following morning to haul the camp material down to the railroad, where it could be put aboard the same train which Mr. Holwell had taken, coming along about ten o’clock.

Although they had certainly had a wonderfully fine time of it, apparently nobody seemed sorry because they were about to start back to Cliffwood. Home yearnings had commenced to be felt of late, and some of the boys could hardly wait for the dawn to break. Indeed, the last night in camp promised to be about as sleepless as the first had been, judging from their excitement.

All through their stay keen rivalry had continued between those who were entered for the various prizes. The result would not be known until Mr. Bartlett and the physical director could have a chance to count up the scores and announce results. This, of course, served to keep the interest of the contestants at fever heat.

There was also the interest in the plan aided and abetted by Mr. Bartlett, who contributed liberally toward raising a certain sum. This was presented to the genial cook, whose good nature had endured through the entire stretch of camp life.

Mr. Bartlett made the presentation, heartily applauded by the boys.

“Here’s ten dollars we’ve chipped in, Sunny Jim,” he said to the astonished cook, whose eyes danced with pleasure. “We want you to buy the best watch you can find in Cliffwood for the money. Every time you look at it think of Camp Russabaga. And I voice the sentiments of every boy here when I say we hope to have you cook for us again next summer. Give Jim three cheers, lads, for he deserves well of us.”

That was one of the proudest moments of Sunny Jim’s life, though he had lost his voice apparently, so that he could only stand, nod his woolly head violently and grin.

We shall hope to meet Dick and his many friends again in the pages of another volume. That the seed of his prophecy regarding the brightening of Cliffwood’s skies in the matter of athletic sports among the younger element was not doomed to fall by the roadside, or among thorns that would choke it, can be guessed from the title of our next book, which will be called “The Y. M. C. A. Boys at Football; Or, Lively Doings On and Off the Gridiron.”

All of the lads were up before daylight on the last morning on Bass Island. The tents came down and were hastily packed, while breakfast was being prepared. Indeed, a trip across with both boats had been made before the campers sat down to the morning meal.

“It’s our last breakfast on Bass Island, boys,” said Mr. Bartlett, looking around at the circle of eager faces; “and if I know what I’m talking about we’ll all remember for many a day the great times we’ve had up here. We hope we shall have good luck in developing and printing the pictures, because they’ll illustrate our story about the gorilla. And last, but not least, we’re glad to know that little Josh Jones is well on the road to recovery. When we get all the stuff over to the mainland we’ll stand around and give dear old Bass Island one last jolly cheer. Then it’s home for us. Now hurry and finish, for we ought to start before long.”

With this last glimpse of the Y. M. C. A. Boys we will draw the curtain and say good-bye.

THE END

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Transcriber’s Notes

Italicized text is indicated by underscores: _italics_.

Small capitals were changed to all capitals.

Inconsistent word hyphenation has been regularized.

On the title page, the subtitle “The Mystery Russabaga Camp” was changed to “The Mystery of Russabaga Camp”.

Page 22: “report as the commitee” changed to “report as the committee”.

Page 41: “They seeemed to understand” changed to “They seemed to understand”.

Page 86: “taking the things that has disappeared” changed to “taking the things that had disappeared”.

Page 153: “sit around talking maters over” changed to “sit around talking matters over”.

Page 160: “the boy would would probably have died” was changed to “the boy would probably have died”.

Page 177: “Every little while somthing” changed to “Every little while something”.

Page 236: “from Mr. Capes, as has been agreed upon” changed to “from Mr. Capes, as had been agreed upon”.

Page 237: “the aggregate rereipts” changed to “the aggregate receipts”.