Boy Scouts in the White Mountains: The Story of a Long HikeEaton, Walter Prichard
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Boy Scouts in the White Mountains: The Story of a Long Hike
Eaton, Walter Prichard
Boy Scouts -- Juvenile fiction; Hiking -- Juvenile fiction; White Mountains (N.H. and Me.) -- Juvenile fiction
To the left they could see other houses, a row of them, close together,
and in the trees, directly at their left, they could distinguish the
outline of what seemed to be the last house of all. They stole toward
it, on tiptoe, along a path in front. It was quiet. There was not
a sound in the world. The whole settlement seemed asleep. But Art
suddenly put his hand on Peanut’s shoulder, and they dropped down
together on the ground. The two men were sneaking from behind this
house toward the next one. Art had seen their figures, as they passed a
dimly lighted window of the second house. A second later, and the boys
heard a faint, curious sound.
“I know it!” Peanut whispered. “It’s a glass cutter. Heard it at the
painter’s shop.”
They waited breathlessly, and heard a window catch sprung, and a window
opened.
“They’re climbing in!” said Art. “Quick, now, to rouse the house!”
He sprang up, Peanut after him, and emitted a Comanche yell, and then
began shouting at the top of his lungs, “Robbers! Robbers!”
“Robbers! Robbers!” yelled Peanut.
The two of them sprang up the steps of the house and began to pound the
door with their fists, crying, “Robbers, robbers!” all the while, as
loud as they could.
The response was startlingly sudden, and came from all directions at
once. The first thing was a switching on of lights in the house itself,
in the upper rooms. Then the hall light came on. A second later, the
boys saw the two burglars come rushing around the corner to the path,
and make hot footed by the nearest way, which was the path, for the
road and their auto. Art, so excited he hardly knew what he was doing,
jumped off the veranda and started to follow, yelling “Stop!” But
they kept on running. Across the clearing from the Profile House came
the sounds of running feet, as two watchmen raced to the scene. In the
other houses lights came on, heads appeared in windows, the front door
of the house where the boys were pounding was thrown open, and two men
appeared there in pajamas and dressing gowns. Behind them the boys had
a glimpse of frightened women in nightgowns, and servants in night
clothes, also.
“What’s the matter, what’s the matter?” the men exclaimed.
“Two burglars--got in your house--side window--they’ve run down the
road to their auto--we punctured the tires----” Peanut gasped out.
“We can catch ’em if we hurry,” cried Art.
The watchmen were now on the scene.
“After ’em, then, boys!” they shouted. “Show us the way!”
Two or three other men, half dressed, had now appeared on the scene,
the boys never knew from where. They were too excited. Peanut and Art
dashed down the path, the rest following, and led the way toward the
stalled motor.
“They can’t use the car,” Peanut panted back over his shoulder.
“They’ll have to beat it on foot!”
The pursuing party was going rapidly, but Peanut was running faster
than the rest. He was now fifty yards ahead. He suddenly heard the
engine of the motor start.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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