Chapter VIII: The First Night Out

Asa was very thankful to be on land again after his recent adventure. He was shivering with cold, and Mr. Rowland realized that the first thing to be done was to push around to the place where the tents had been raised, and get some fires under way.

“Here, everybody turn in and make for the camp!” he called out, when he could get the happy boys to stop shaking hands with Dick and the shivering Asa. “We want warmth, and we want it right away, too. Fire brigade to the fore. Show us what you can do about getting a blaze started.”

Laughing and joking, now that all danger was past, the boys hastened toward the spot where they had pitched their camp. This was at the place used by the berry pickers and what few fishermen came to the lake for sport.

“The first thing necessary,” said Mr. Bartlett, who was serving as camp leader, “is to get a good fire going.”

“We were smart enough to have a lot of fine dry wood thrown into one of the two shanties, Dick,” announced Leslie with a vein of pride in his voice.

“That was clever of you, I must say,” remarked Dick. “Let’s make a number of fires, for we’re all pretty well soaked, and it’s going to be some job, believe me, drying everything after that ducking. Sha’n’t we have several, Mr. Bartlett?”

Presently the first blaze began to crackle. Then others took hold, and in ten minutes there were four good fires burning merrily.

“Now strip off those wet clothes, boys,” ordered Mr. Rowland. “Here are your bags, and if you carried out the directions I gave you the other day, you both have dry stuff in plenty for a complete change, and shoes as well. Keep near the fire, and exercise your arms all you can.”

Asa was looking blue about the lips, and shivering just as you have seen a hungry and cold dog do when begging to be let in at the door on a wintry day. It was evident that only his will power was keeping him up.

As Dick was stronger and was, as well, hardened to such things, he could stand it and not suffer.

Mr. Rowland had Sunny Jim get one of the several coffeepots, and soon had some water heating on a fire in order to make some hot coffee.

“Nothing to beat hot coffee when you’ve been ducked and feel shivery,” Dick said to Asa, after they had got their wet garments off and, under the directions of Mr. Rowland, were rubbing themselves briskly all over with coarse huck towels before starting to dress again in dry clothes.

Already the pinched blue look was leaving Asa’s lips, and a touch of color had appeared in his pale cheeks. His eyes had a sparkle, too, as though the excitement of his recent adventure still possessed him.

In the end all managed to get thoroughly dry. The sun was shining once more, and this helped to make things look cheerful again.

“I move we have a bite to eat before starting to work again at the camp!” Dan Fenwick was heard to say. To this suggestion unanimous assent was given, for like all boys they were made up mostly of appetite.

“A few slices of ham wouldn’t go bad!” exclaimed Phil Harkness, smacking his lips.

“And a few cans of those Boston baked beans strikes me as extra prime!” added Clint Babbett.

So it was ordered by Mr. Bartlett, and before long a delightful odor began to steal about that vicinity, causing some of the boys to groan dismally, and declare they were almost famishing for want of lunch.

“Why, it’s nearly two o’clock I want you to know,” asserted Andy Hale, reproachfully. “And I had my breakfast at six this morning, because I was afraid I might be late and find the rest of you gone.”

In time the call came to gather around a rough table those boys first on the island had put together.

“Any way will do this time,” Mr. Bartlett announced; “but by another meal we must have some system arranged. This camp is going to be systematically conducted, you understand, and not be Liberty Hall, where every boy can go as he pleases.”

“Yes,” remarked Dick. “Mr. Holwell is coming up to-morrow, too, and we want him to see that we can behave ourselves, and not act like a lot of savages.”

The hungry crowd devoured every scrap of food that had been prepared, and drained both coffeepots to the dregs. There was considerable merriment shown during the first meal on Bass Island, and everybody agreed that the prospects for an enjoyable stay looked promising.

Afterwards they rested a little while, and then the camp leader set them all certain tasks. Several commenced to patch the roof of one of the cabins, which was found to be in a leaky condition. Others aired such blankets as had got wet--those which had been in the bundles carried in the boat at the time the storm overtook the voyagers.

Still more of the boys were engaged in cutting wood. Here Eddie Grant and his two chums showed that they were quite at home, for they had long ago learned to use an axe as well as most wood-choppers. In fact, Eddie confessed he had actually spent a winter in a logging camp assisting the cook, and in that way learned many things that promised to be useful now.

Leslie and Dick were looking over the stock of provisions, so that their supplies might be kept track of, the camp leader having delegated this task to them.

“There may be wild animals around here, for all we know,” Dick was saying, “and on that account we’ll make sure to keep things safe. It would be mighty disappointing if we woke up some morning and found that a bear had carried off our entire stock of smoked hams and bacon, or spilt the bags of flour so we couldn’t have the flap-jacks Sunny Jim has promised to make for us at breakfast time.”

“By the way, Dick,” remarked Leslie, lowering his voice as he glanced toward the spot where several of the boys were carrying in armfuls of wood, Humbert Loft among the number, though he carefully brushed himself off each time, “Humbert is showing signs of being a boy after all.”

“Did he turn to and help when you landed, and found so much to do?” asked Dick.

“Just what he did, as well as he could with his dainty ways. You see, Dick, it’s got to be second nature with him to be eternally brushing himself off. He hates the sight of dirt, which is just the opposite of some boys. But then Humbert has been made a sissy by his uncle and his aunts. He should have been called Geraldine or something like that. Still, I will say he did a heap better than I ever thought he would.”

“Give him half a chance, Leslie,” urged Dick. “In spite of his superior airs and high-flown language I think he’s a boy after all. What you saw was a glimpse of the real nature showing under all the veneer they’ve plastered on him. For years this thing of ‘cultuah’ as he calls it has been drilled into the poor chap, so that he just can’t help it if he acts the way he does.”

“Well, I certainly hope he wakes up real soon then,” asserted Leslie; “because some of the fellows say they won’t stand for his lofty ways much longer. A ducking a day would wash some of it out of him, according to my notion. My father says that true culture brings simplicity, and what Humbert’s got is snobbery.”

The afternoon wore on, and much was accomplished. It is true the camp did not present such a trim appearance as Mr. Bartlett intended should be the case; but then they would have most of another day before Mr. Holwell arrived.

Supper was prepared amidst much confusion, which would also have to be remedied.

“‘Too many cooks spoil the broth,’” the camp leader quoted, “and I’ll arrange it so that those who know something about the business of getting up meals will have regular turns helping Jim at the job.”

“What about the greenhorns, sir?” asked Asa Gardner.

“For the moment they get off scot-free,” laughed Mr. Bartlett. “But they will have to act as scullions and wood-bearers to the cook. That’s the penalty for ignorance. The one who understands things always gets to the top of the heap, and the one who doesn’t know beans, except when he tastes them, has to do the drudgery in this world. So if you’re wise, Asa, hang around when the meals are being prepared and pick up all the information you can.”

“I certainly mean to, sir. And I want to say right now that I’ve eaten twice as much supper as I would have done at home. It was just bully!”

“Oh! you’ve come by your camp appetite in a hurry it seems,” laughed Dick.

They sat around for a long time afterwards, chatting, and singing some of their school songs. For the first evening Mr. Bartlett meant to be easy with the campers, he told them. The real discipline would begin in the morning.

It was a novel experience for some of the lads who had never camped out before. The fretting of the water along the shore; the mysterious murmur of the soft wind through the tops of the pines and hemlocks; the cries of certain night birds, such as an owl and a heron and a hawk, foraging for food; gave them an excuse for looking half fearfully around at times, and wondering if the darkness were peopled with all manner of strange creatures. And the boys had not forgotten Mr. Nocker’s remarks about watching out for a thief.

“What did he mean by looking out for a thief?” asked Leslie.

“I don’t know,” answered Peg. “Maybe we’ll find out some day.” And they did--as we shall learn later.

Then came the moon, a little past her prime, peeping over the hills far to the east, and looking down upon them, as though questioning in a mild way their right to the occupancy of that island camp.

It was all very romantic, and even Asa Gardner confessed that he liked it. The day, however, had been a strenuous one for all of them, and several of the boys could already be detected slily yawning when they thought no one was looking; so Mr. Bartlett concluded it would be wise for them to think of taking to their blankets.

Before the order was given for retiring at nine o’clock, however, Mr. Bartlett announced the programme for the early morning.

“At sunrise reveille will be sounded, when every boy is expected on the campus, as we shall call this open space here. Mr. Rowland will put you through the usual United States Army setting-up exercises. After that the flag will be raised on the flagpole we’ve prepared, and will be saluted. Then comes the morning bath and swim in which all are expected to join. After breakfast we will have a brief chapel service in the big tent. At that time I expect to announce the programme for the first day in camp. And now good night to you all, boys. I hope every one of you will sleep well.”

After a little confusion, all sounds gradually died away, and only the crackling of the fire could be heard, together with the wash of the waves against the rocks. Camp Russabaga was asleep.