every member of the blue tortoise patrol was on edge, eager to show pat that though they were city born and bred they still knew something of practical woodcraft and the art of tracking; also of the even more difficult art of covering up tracks. but it was ordained that things should be otherwise that day and that the big woodsman should witness a real and not an artificial test of scout resources and pluck.
chick, studying what struck him as a suspiciously broad trail leading west from the point where the enemy had last been seen, and suspecting a ruse, was startled by the faint sound of a whistle to the north. it was the patrol signal for help and was used only in case of an emergency or when, as in the present game, a scout was in danger of capture by the opposite side and wanted to summon aid. his first thought was that one of his own side had run onto the enemy and was summoning help. then he remembered that he was the only one who had gone out on that side of camp and so it was manifestly impossible that this could be.
"wonder if that's a trick to lead us into an ambuscade," he muttered, listening with growing suspicion. again he heard the signal, and there was something in the sound of it that banished all idea of trickery. "something's happened to one of the fellows!" he exclaimed, and scrambled up a knoll to his left where he could get a fairly clear view. far in the distance toward the outer boundary of the park he saw a figure which the instant he came in sight began to signal with a whistle in the morse code.
"m-o-t-o-r s-m-a-s-h o-n r-o-a-d h-e-l-p c-o-p-s," he spelled out. raising his own whistle he signaled o. k. and saw the distant figure turn and race away at top speed.
"phew!" he gasped. "must be bad if they need the cops. that must mean they need an ambulance." he whirled toward camp, and caught sight, of a figure on the hill just back of it. it was upton watching for signals, and chick knew that he must have heard him whistle the o. k. once more raising the whistle he repeated the message, adding the location of the accident as nearly as he could judge. he heard upton whistle for norwood and then saw him bound down into the hollow where the camp lay. a minute later patterson, the best runner in the patrol, sprang into view headed for the park administration buildings at top speed. satisfied that help would come in the shortest possible time chick picked up his staff and started swiftly for the point where he had seen sparrer disappear, for it was he who had first signaled.
meanwhile pat, hal and the three members of the blue tortoise patrol who had started out with them were working with might and main at the scene of the accident and in their hearts praying that help would reach them speedily. it was one of those disasters which in these days have become so common that often they receive no more than a paragraph or two in the daily papers. two automobiles had come together on a turn in a road at this time of year little frequented, and the smaller of the two had turned turtle. the other, a powerful roadster, had escaped with but trifling damage and the driver of it had not even paused to ascertain the results of the collision, but had thrown on full power and left the scene at racing speed.
the accident had occurred at a point about one hundred yards from where pat and sparrer were about to emerge from a thicket of bushes lining the drive and at the sound of the crash they sprang out. an instant later a big roadster tore past and they caught a fleeting glimpse of a strained white face behind the big steering wheel and beyond, partly raised and half turned to look back, a fur-coated figure, evidently that of a young man. for just a second his face turned toward them, then hastily turned away. but that brief glimpse was enough to show them that it bore the stamp of guilty fear.
pat confessed later that the whole thing was so sudden and so wholly foreign to anything within his experience that he was too confused to think or act quickly. not so sparrer. his life in the streets of new york had made him no stranger to accidents of a more or less tragic nature, and he had seen too many violators of the law seeking to escape the consequences of their own acts not to grasp the situation instantly.
"they are trying to make a get-away!" he snapped. "get de number!"
this was greek to pat, whose acquaintance with automobiles was too recent for him to appreciate the importance of a license number at a time like this. but sparrer had not practiced taking automobile numbers in the rush hours at madison square for nothing. it had been only fun there, by way of training his eyes to quick and sure observation. now as a result eye and brain worked in unison and almost automatically and despite the speed of the car he got the number as surely as if it had been at a standstill.
"jersey car! dey'll beat it fer across de river," said he as he jotted down the number in his note-book. "did yer pipe dere monikers? oi'd know dem in a tousand! now let's see wot happened to de others."
they started on a run for the overturned car and as they drew near the sound of moaning from the wreck gave wings to their feet. a small touring car was bottom up at the side of the road, a rear wheel off at one side. half among the bushes and half in the road lay the body of a young woman, whether dead or simply unconscious they did not take time to find out. if dead there was nothing for them to do. if unconscious she could receive attention later. the moans from beneath the wrecked car told them that there was where aid was needed first.
the driver, a middle-aged man, was pinned under the steering post, which was bent and rested across his chest in such a way that while the full weight of the car did not fall on it, still it was crushing in the ribs on one side. one leg was doubled under him in a way that denoted a bad break. his face was badly cut by the glass of the wind-shield and what was worse, the crimson stream gushing in little spurts from a jagged gash on one arm, fortunately thrust beyond the edge of the car, proclaimed a severed artery.
that must be stopped immediately at all costs, before any attempt was made to get the man out, or he would bleed to death. both boys saw this on the instant, and without a word pat stooped and gripped the arm above the cut, bringing to bear all the strength of his powerful fingers. the effect was immediately apparent. the wound still bled, but no longer in those fateful jets. sparrer meanwhile had snatched off his neckerchief and was preparing a tourniquet. from a shrub by the roadside he cut a stout stick a foot long, then hastily made search for a smooth pebble. finding none he started to feel in his pockets for some small object that would serve his purpose when his alert glance fell on pat's mackinaw. whipping out his knife once more he cut one of the big smooth buttons from the mackinaw. tying the handkerchief loosely around the injured arm just above where pat was gripping it he slipped the button in so that it rested directly on the artery. then putting the stick under the handkerchief on the outer side he rapidly twisted it until the pressure of the button on the artery was sufficient to stop the flow of blood and pat could release his grip. the stick was then tied so that it could not untwist, and they were ready for the next move.
by this time harrison, mcnulty and bernstein had come up. they had not been so far away but that they had heard the crash. then, too, sparrer had whistled for help as soon as he had seen the extent of the disaster. the quick wits of the newsboy, trained to acute sharpness in the school of the streets, peculiarly fitted him to take command of the situation. also familiarity with suffering and with scenes of violence made him less susceptible to the shock of the grim spectacle before them than was the case with his comrades, and he now assumed leadership by right of fitness. indeed, he did it quite unconsciously and his comrades quite as unconsciously accepted the situation and turned to him for directions.
"we got to git de cops and an amb'lance. youse guys git de man out from under de car and oi'll chase fer de cops!" without waiting another second he plunged through the bushes and started in the direction of the camp, which lay in almost a direct line with the park administration buildings, the nearest point at which he could be sure of getting help. he knew the lay of the land perfectly, and he reasoned that by this time one or more of the other party would be out on the trail and that if he could signal them and they in turn signal those behind valuable time would be saved. so on the first high ground he stopped to blow the help signal with the result already noted. to gain time he made his message as brief as possible. "motor smash" told the nature of the accident. "help—cops" told the urgency of the case and the need of police aid. he counted on upton's knowledge of the way things are handled in a big city to make the message as clear as if he took precious time to spell out the full story, and when he heard chick's o. k. he turned back confident that help would reach them in the shortest time possible.
nor was his confidence misplaced. as soon as upton got the message from chick he understood the situation exactly. getting down into the hollow where the camp was he issued orders. the others had heard chick's message and knew where the accident had occurred. "get over to the administration building as fast as you can run," he ordered patterson. "tell 'em to notify the police and put in an ambulance call. if you meet a mounted cop on the way tell him. it may be life or death, so run for a record."
patterson was off before the last words were out of upton's mouth. upton, with the other two boys at his heels, at once started for the scene of the accident, running at top speed. half-way to his goal patterson caught sight of a mounted policeman, hailed him with a shrill yell, and brought him at a gallop. briefly he told his story, and the officer was away to put in a call for an ambulance and get help.
meanwhile the boys at the wreck had been working with might and main. pat's great strength had stood them in good stead, and they had managed to raise the car sufficiently to free the victim and draw him out. the cushions and robes were pulled out of the wreck and on these the still unconscious woman and the man were laid. by the time upton and his comrades, panting for breath, reached the scene both victims had been made as comfortable as possible. the first aid kits had been opened and temporary bandages were being applied where most needed. in this work the newcomers at once took a hand.
seeing that his assistance was not needed sparrer had busied himself elsewhere. he went along the road for some little distance in each direction, studying the ground carefully. the top surface of the ground had softened a little in the sun and in places the wheel marks were visible. this was especially true of the wrecked car, as this had been fitted with chains. it was comparatively easy to trace the course of this car, and sparrer was soon satisfied in regard to it. on the wheel marks of the other car he spent more time, and he had just completed his examination as two mounted police dashed up. swinging down from their horses they made hasty examination of the victims.
"good work, boys," said one of them. "you've done all that can be done, so far as i can see, until the ambulance gets here. now then, which of you is the leader?"
upton stepped forward. "tell us what you know about the accident," commanded the officer.
"i know nothing about it," replied upton curtly. "everything was practically as you see it now when i reached here. pat, did any of your party see the thing happen?"
pat shook his head. "none of us saw it, but two of us were right handy when it happened, and were on the spot in less than two minutes," said he, addressing the policemen. "we heard the crash and saw a car which seemed to be trying to get away, and then we saw this car overturned. when we got here the young woman was lying by the side of the road half in the bushes, and out of her senses, just as she is now. the man was pinned under the car and bleeding like a buck that has just felt the knife. we stopped that as soon as we could, and then got him out. muldoon there can tell you more than i can, because he saw more than i did. he proved himself a better scout."
sparrer flushed with pleasure. praise from this source meant more to him than it would have from any one else, and at a sign from one of the officers he stepped forward to tell what he knew.
"we was in de bushes," said he, "about a hundred yards up de road, when we heard de smash an' jumped out just in time to lamp a big gray roadster wid two guys in it making dere get-away, and dey was beatin' it fer fair."
"don't suppose you thought to get the number," interrupted one of the officers.
sparrer grinned as he fished out his note-book. "sure oi got it," said he. "jersey car, and dey was beatin' it fer de ferry loike new york was bad fer de health. no cops around, same as usual." sparrer winked at the other boys. "prob'ly dey think dey made dere get-away and dey would have, if some real scouts hadn't happened to be around."
one of the officers had reached for the note-book and hastily glanced at the number. "i'll 'phone this number in and see if we can't head off that car while you take care of things here," said he, as he vaulted into the saddle, and a second later was off at full gallop.
"go on with your story," commanded the other.
"dey ain't no more 'cept while de others was getting the man out from under de car oi signaled to de fellows over across de park to get word to youse, and dey done it," replied sparrer, quite as if his quick-witted handling of the matter was as commonplace as his grammar was bad.
"the man didn't come to, and make any statement?"
the boys shook their heads. "he's been just as you see him now," said pat, with a pitying glance at the injured man.
the officer shook his head. "too bad," said he, "that there wasn't a witness. if we nab those fellows they'll swear that it was this fellow's fault. their running away will make it look bad for them, but they'll frame up some sort of cock and bull story about being so frightened that they didn't realize what they were doing and without evidence their word will be as good as the other man's. if the latter doesn't recover sufficiently to make a statement, and the young lady doesn't either, the case will fall through. was that car right where it is now when you first saw it?"
"say," drawled sparrer scornfully, "do 'youse tink we had nothing to do but to pick up a ton or two of scrap and lug it 'round?"
the policeman grinned. "you chaps seem to be equal to about anything," said he. "i didn't know but that you had moved the car in getting that fellow out. unless he was knocked over here by the collision it appears that he was on the right side of the road."
"sure thing," retorted sparrer. "he was on de right side of de road and driving easy. de other blokes was burning up de road and tried to make de turn wide. dey skidded and side-swiped de little car, and it turned turtle. dat's all dey is to it."
he spoke with such an air of finality that the officer looked at him suspiciously. "i thought you said none of you saw this happen," said he.
"none of us did, but even a cop orter be able ter see what has happened," retorted sparrer. he walked back up the road a short distance. "here's de marks of de chains," he called, "an' dey's all on de right side of de road. here's a place where de ground is pretty soft, but de tracks are clean-cut. if de car had been beatin' it de mud would have been trown more. now lamp de tracks comin' de other way."
he led the way around the curve in the opposite direction, pointing out soft spots where the tracks of a heavy car without chains were clearly visible. little globules of mud had been thrown some distance on both sides, conclusive evidence that the car was being driven at high speed. the curve was rather sharp, and the tracks showed that the car had started to take it wide, but at the scene of the accident had been pulled sharply to the right and had skidded, striking the smaller machine and causing it to turn turtle. for those with eyes to see the whole story was written out on the road surface, and yet the tracks were comparatively faint, because the surface had softened only where the sun had lain longest, and might easily have been overlooked by those not trained to close observation.
the officer looked at sparrer curiously. "hurry up and grow, sonny," said he; "we need you on the force."
sparrer's retort was interrupted by the clang of a gong as an ambulance dashed up. the young surgeon made a hasty examination of the two victims and then as they were lifted into the ambulance he turned to the group of boys and spoke crisply.
"you fellows have done just the things to be done and all that could be done here. if this man lives he'll owe his life to you. if you hadn't known enough to get a tourniquet on that arm at once he would have bled to death by this time. officer, i hope you will report the good work of these scouts. if there was nothing more to scouting than the teaching of first aid to the injured it would be a great thing."
he swung up on the rear of the ambulance, and as it dashed away raised his hand in the scout salute, which was promptly returned by the patrol. meanwhile the officer was taking down the names and addresses of the boys, as they would in all probability be needed later as witnesses in court. when he had finished upton ordered the patrol to fall in.
"i guess, fellows," said he, "that none of us feels much like continuing our game after what's happened. what do you say if we spend the rest of the afternoon showing pat around the park? those in favor say aye."
the vote was unanimous. as soon as it had been taken pat stepped forward. "mr. leader," said he, "i want to say just a few words."
"speech! speech!" shouted half a dozen together.
pat's face lighted with a grin, and his eyes began to dance. "arrah now, yez be looking for a bear in the wrong tree," said he, "for there be no silver on me tongue and me thoughts be too bashful to be dressed in wor-rds. so 'tis no spache yez will be getting from me this day." then abruptly he dropped the brogue. "mr. leader, you started out this day to show me what city scouts can do, and you have shown me in a way that none of us dreamed of. i take off my hat to the blue tortoise patrol. that was as good scouting as ever i have seen, and we've got some scouts up where i come from. they can do stunts in the woods that probably would make you fellows green with envy if you could see them. if you were to come up there in the woods i expect that they would laugh at you behind your backs, just as you would laugh at them if they should come down here. as nearly as i can make out that seems to be the way with the world—to laugh at others who happen to be different in speech or ways or dress. you city boys call a country boy a rube and green just because his ways are different from your ways and he isn't wise to the things that you are. he thinks just the same way of you when you visit him in the country. what i have seen to-day has taught me a lesson. out in the woods i know just what to do, how to do it and when to do it, no matter what happens. when i started out with you to-day i smiled down inside at the idea of you being able to show me anything in the way of scouting. i wished i had the bull moose patrol here to show you what real scouting is like.
"then that accident happened, and found me as helpless as a new-born babe. but sparrer here was right on the job from the jump. he had the number of that car before i had it through my head what had happened, and he knew just what to do next. i expect that it would have been the same with any of the rest of you in his place. anyway, i've been shown the very finest kind of scoutcraft, and that little smile i started with has turned to pride. i'm proud to be out with the blue tortoise patrol, as fine a bunch of real scouts as i know of. and i am particularly proud of my friend sparrer muldoon. i might be able to give him some points on tracking a deer or a moose or even a man in the woods, but when it comes to tracking a crazy motorcar sparrer has got my number. i would like to propose, mr. leader, three cheers for scout muldoon."
the cheers were given with a will and with a rousing tiger at the end, to the confusion of sparrer. then upton called for the patrol yell for pat malone, and in that sparrer found vent for his own feelings. these preliminaries out of the way the patrol fell in to escort pat about the park and show him the hardier animals which winter out-of-doors. nor was their courtesy without gain to themselves, for the young naturalist's comments as they visited one enclosure after another revealed an intimate knowledge of the characteristics and habits, not only of those species with which he was familiar in their native wilds, but of many which he was now seeing for the first time, which was a revelation to his young admirers. chick wasn't far wrong when he whispered to norwood:
"we ain't showing him anything; he's showing us."
it was an afternoon never to be forgotten by the blue tortoise patrol, and it was an equally memorable one for pat. and when they parted that night there was a mutual respect and liking which found expression in the hearty grip of scout brotherhood.
