Produced by Jim Ludwig
By Scout Master Robert Shaler
CHAPTERS
I. The Golden Feather
II. A Timely Suggestion
III. The Combat on the Cliff
IV. A Night in the Woods
V. Friends at the Farm
VI. A Nocturnal Visitor
VII. Boy Scout Detectives
VIII. The Surveying Squad
IX. Awaiting a Decision
X. Camp Life
XI. The New Project
XII. An Illustrious Example
XIII. The Result of the Surveys
"This was a pretty fair catch, for a change," thought Ralph Kenyon,as he tied the limp animal to his pack-saddle, and reset the trap,hoping next time to catch the dead mink's larger mate. He ran aquick, appraising eye over the load slung across Keno's broad back."Pretty good, eh, old boy?" he added aloud, stroking the velvetynose of his dumb companion on many a solitary hunt. "Now, Keno, youhang around, and browse on these young cottonwoods, while I do somefiguring. I want to see what I'm likely to get for this nextshipment of pelts."
The old horse, nothing loath, obeyed his young master's behest aspromptly as though he had fully understood the words. Meanwhile,Ralph found a mossy spot on the shady side of a big gray,lichen-covered boulder, and, seating himself thereon, with his backcomfortably adjusted to a depression in the rock, he drew a wornaccount book from a pocket of his corduroy coat. Moistening histhumb he began to turn the pages rapidly, until he came to the placewhere he had made the last entry in his accounts. With a stubbypencil, which he had taken from another pocket, he jotted down thenew items:
"So far, one mink, six coon, three skunk, a gray fox, and seventeenrabbit skins. All told it ought to bring—-let me see." He relapsedinto silence, as he estimated the total, and then he sighed deeply."Not very much," was his inward comment; "not anywhere near enough!"
Ralph felt that it was high time that he brought to a close hisseason's operations with trap and gun. The spring was unusuallyearly this year, and the fallow truck patches were fairly clamoringfor his attention. Yet he was reluctant to abandon his winterpursuit of pelts and to return to the sterner and less thrillinglabor of ploughing and planting and peddling vegetables.
Not that he was averse to hard work—-far from it! Ralph Kenyonwas as industrious, energetic, and sensible a young fellow asone would wish to know; yet, being a very average, normal lad, andat that age when love of freedom and adventure is foremost, henaturally preferred the varied life of a huntsman and trapper—-eventhough his field of activity was not extensive—-to the moilingoccupation of a market gardener.
On the other hand, there were times when he thoroughly enjoyed thelabor of wresting a livelihood from the soil, and he took pride inraising the choicest products that could be offered for sale. Suchspells were most frequent in midsummer, when all nature was in aplacid mood for growth; but in autumn and spring came livelier hopesand a stronger call to this lad, and in his own way he set aboutaccomplishing the chief aim of his life, the great end to whichthese winter pursuits were but a means.
After the death of his father, which had occurred less than a monthafter his graduation from High School, Ralph had taken theresponsibility of the small farm upon his eighteen-year-old shoulders,bravely putting aside