At that moment a distant squealing told that the Otters were waxing enthusiastic, also. Down by the pier at the lakeside, Tom Sherwood had gathered his patrol,---to which Ralph Kenyon had been added for the period of his visit.

Tom had just been explaining some facts that he had learned while with the surveyors on Ralph's farm, and even Buck Winter had shown a responsive interest.

d.i.c.k Bellamy, as usual, was keenly alive to the prospects in store, foreseeing plenty of fun as well as work.

"I'll tell you one thing, fellows," he began.

"And that's not two," interrupted Sam Winter impudently.

"Somebody, please put the lid on that youngster a minute," continued d.i.c.k, looking at Sam in well-a.s.sumed indignation. "As I was saying,---or about to say,---I have often wished that I knew more about the queer formations along the banks of rivers where I have gone on fishing trips. My father has always had a good deal to say about 'erosion,' and 'glacial periods' and 'stratification' and 'natural boundaries,' and I shall feel mighty proud to go back home knowing a few of 'them things,' as Injun Joe would say."

This was an unusually serious speech from the imaginative and sometimes irrepressible d.i.c.k, and the boys were correspondingly moved by it.

"Oh, if it is like _that_," acknowledged Sam Winter, in a different tone of voice than he had previously used, "we-----"

"We will all want to do our best," finished his brother. "I have often wondered about the same things on my tramps after photographs of animals. I've come across lots of queer formations and odd rocks and natural caves and things."

As Buck ended his remarks a little lamely, Bud Morgan hastened to say, "You fellows have the idea now,---and mark my word: the Otters are going to win out!"

CHAPTER XII

AN ILl.u.s.tRIOUS EXAMPLE

That night the Scout Master was much gratified at the interest manifested by the boys as they a.s.sembled around the council fire.

It was plain that they had all found "food for thought" in what he had told them on the previous evening. Their questions showed that they were anxious to understand how to make the most of the promised course, and that they realized it was bound to prove intensely interesting.

"Some of the boys asked me to remind you of the book you had last night," said Don Miller, coming up to Lieutenant Denmead as the latter had a moment's freedom.

"Surely! I must not forget my promise," responded the Scout Master.

"See that the troop is a.s.sembled and ready, Miller, and I will secure the volume."

A few moments later the erect, impressive figure of the lieutenant faced the waiting a.s.sembly of silent scouts.

"Scouts of Pioneer Camp," he said, "among the heroes of our nation is one whose name is particularly familiar to you and to whom public honor is frequently given. His character has borne the searchlight of investigation for more than a century, and as a man of fine moral fiber and a military leader of superior judgment, he still stands preeminent. I refer, boys, to General George Washington!"

So impressive and so compelling were these words that instinctively the patrol leaders rose to their feet and stood at salute. In an instant every scout had joined them, and the Scout Master gravely returned the proffered courtesy.

At a gesture the boys sat down again, and the lieutenant, sitting so that the fire light fell steadily on the open book in his hand, began to read:

"'George Washington was not more than thirteen or fourteen years of age when he was encouraged to put his skill in mathematics into definite use by learning surveying. He applied himself so thoroughly that before long he surveyed the land about the schoolhouse which he attended. As he was the first pupil who had performed such a practical piece of work, his schoolmates were deeply interested in his exploit.'"

"'A little later, when he had advanced so far in his study as to give him some idea of the proper use and handling of the chain and compa.s.s, he began to put his knowledge into practice by taking surveys of the farms lying in the immediate neighborhood of his schoolhouse.'"

"'a.s.sisted by his schoolmates, he would follow up and measure off the boundary lines between the farms, such as fences, roads, and water courses; then those dividing the different parts of the same farm; determining at the same time, with the help of his compa.s.s, their various courses, their crooks and windings, and the angles formed at their points of meeting or intersection. This done, he would make a map or drawing on paper of the land surveyed, whereon would be clearly traced the lines dividing the different parts with the name and number of acres of each attached, while on the opposite page he would write down the long and difficult tables of figures by which these results had been reached. All this he would execute with as much neatness and accuracy as if it had been left with him to decide thereby some gravely disputed land claim.'"

Lieutenant Denmead paused and glanced at the group of faces steadily turned toward him. Then he resumed:

"'The habit of mind thus cultivated continued through life; so that, however complicated his tasks and overwhelming his cares, he found time to do everything, and to do it well. He had acquired the magic of method, which of itself works wonders.'"

"'When about sixteen years old, George Washington was asked by his friend, Lord Fairfax, to make a survey of the latter's extensive lands, a vast territory lying between the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers. He undertook the commission in the early spring, when the mountains were still white with snow and the streams had swollen into torrents. He was clad in a buckskin hunting shirt, with leggings and moccasins of the same material, the simple garb of a backwoodsman, in perfect keeping with the wildness of the scenes he had to encounter. In his broad leathern belt were stuck a long hunting-knife and an Indian tomahawk. As he rode his horse, he frequently carried in his left hand his useful compa.s.sstaff.'"

"'The enterprise upon which Washington had entered was one of romance, toil, and peril. It required the exercise of constant vigilance and sagacity. Here and there in the wilds ran narrow trails through dense thickets, over craggy hills, and along the banks of streams; but when they might lead the young surveyor into the camps of squatters or Indians, no one could tell.'"

As the Scout Master stopped again, he found the boys listening with breathless interest, and he guessed that many of them were following the explorations of Washington in imagination.

"This next paragraph," he said, "reminds me of some of our own experiences on a hike. Listen: 'My companions and I,' wrote Washington in his journal on April eighth of that year, 'camped in the woods; and after we had pitched our tent and made a large fire we pulled out our knapsacks to recruit ourselves. Every one was his own cook. Our spits were forked sticks, our plates were large chips. As for dishes, we had none.'"

"I shall read only two more brief paragraphs:"

"'Washington's success as a surveyor for Lord Fairfax called the attention of the Virginia authorities to him and to the unusual accuracy of his surveys. As a consequence, he was appointed public surveyor, deriving a discipline therefrom which was of great service to him in his later career. By making him an able civil engineer, it laid the foundation of his future eminence in a military capacity.

And by making him known to the princ.i.p.al landholders of the State, it led to his appointment, at the age of nineteen, to the office of adjutant-general, with the rank of major. This gave him the charge of a district, with the duty of exercising the militia, inspecting their arms, and superintending their discipline.'"

"That is all, boys," concluded the Scout Master, rising and closing the volume. "But as we take up our course in surveying, with the additional interest of its geological significance, we may like to remember that we are following in the footsteps of no less a man than George Washington!"

CHAPTER XIII

THE RESULT OF THE SURVEYS

Promptly at nine o'clock on the following Monday morning, a clean-cut, well-knit, strong-featured young man stood before an eager-faced group of khaki-clad scouts in Pioneer Camp.

The businesslike att.i.tude of the young instructor, Ransom Thayer, was reflected in the appearance of the boys; and from the first crisp greeting of Mr. Thayer to his curt dismissal an hour and a half later, the interest and attention of his auditors never wavered.

His first lesson emphasized the historical phase of geology; and as he talked and pointed here and there in ill.u.s.tration, it seemed to the boys that every stone and boulder and pebble and overhanging cliff responded with the story of its life. This crevice, that oblique angle, this smooth indentation, that rough ma.s.s,---each marking had its significant meaning to the enthusiastic leader.

Walter Osborne said to Blake after "school" was over for the morning, "I have always felt as though the trees of the forest were alive, but now it seems to me that every rock is a breathing, changing, growing thing, too."

That afternoon Mr. Thayer led his troop afield and showed them other volumes of rock history,---how this proved that in ages past water had forced a channel through the hills; how that gave evidences of internal disturbances, of molten ma.s.ses, of slowly cooling and hardening structure.

Many of the boys had had courses in textbook geology and had gathered "specimens," but this man made all these things new and wonderful and fascinatingly interesting.

Day after day pa.s.sed and still the enthusiasm grew. "Dry facts"

wore absorbed unconsciously; angular diagrams of mathematical relations appeared on the big blackboard so clearly and concisely that even Shorty Mcneil ceased to dread the problems; hours were cheerfully spent at the big mess table in making out tabulated reports and drawing neat maps; and many more hours were spent with compa.s.ses and levels, telescopes and heliotropes measuring and judging distances and noting results on the hills and by the lake near camp.

"The man is a born leader and a born teacher," said Lieutenant Denmead, commenting on Mr Thayer one day "We shall hear from him yet."

All too soon the two weeks of study were over and the squad compet.i.tions were on. Then they, too, were completed and notice of the results was eagerly awaited by the four patrols.

At length the evening came when the announcements were to be made public. Mr. Thayer had accepted an invitation to be present and to make the final report.

Breathlessly the boys waited, the four leaders scarcely able to control their anxious interest, while the Scout Master, his a.s.sistant, and Mr. Thayer took their places within the circle near the council fire.