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A terrible and icy chill crept down the spine of Fred Keep。 He
moved so that the light from the hall fell full upon the face of
the stranger。
〃Will you kindly tell me；〃 Fred demanded； 〃who the devil you
are？〃
The stranger exclaimed peevishly。 〃I've BEEN telling you all
evening；〃 he protested。 〃I'm Harry Van Warden！〃
Gridley； the ancient butler； appeared in the open door。
〃Dinner is served； madam；〃 he said。
The stranger gave an exclamation of pleasure。 〃Hello； Gridley！〃
he cried。 〃Will you please tell Mr。 Keep who I am？ Tell him； if
he'll ask me to dinner； I won't steal the spoons。〃
Upon the face of Gridley appeared a smile it never had been the
privilege of Fred Keep to behold。 The butler beamed upon the
stranger fondly； proudly； by the right of long acquaintanceship；
with the affection of an old friend。 Still beaming； he bowed to
Keep。
〃If Mr。 HarryMr。 Van Warden；〃 he said； 〃is to stay to dinner；
might I suggest； sir； he is very partial to the Paul Vibert；
'84。〃
Fred Keep gazed stupidly from his butler to the stranger and then
at his wife。 She was again radiantly beautiful and smilingly
happy。
Gridley coughed tentatively。 〃Shall I open a bottle； sir？〃 he
asked。
Hopelessly Fred tossed his arms heavenward。
〃Open a case！〃 he roared。
At ten o'clock； when they were still at table and reaching a
state of such mutual appreciation that soon they would be calling
each other by their first names； Gridley brought in a written
message he had taken from the telephone。 It was a long…distance
call from Yonkers； sent by James； the faithful chauffeur。
Fred read it aloud。
〃I got that party the articles he needed；〃 it read； 〃and saw him
safe on a train to Boston。 On the way back I got arrested for
speeding the car on the way down。 Please send money。 I am in a
cell in Yonkers。〃
Chapter 8。 THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF
Before he finally arrested him； 〃Jimmie〃 Sniffen had seen the man
with the golf…cap； and the blue eyes that laughed at you； three
times。 Twice； unexpectedly； he had come upon him in a wood road
and once on Round Hill where the stranger was pretending to watch
the sunset。 Jimmie knew people do not climb hills merely to look
at sunsets； so he was not deceived。 He guessed the man was a
German spy seeking gun sites； and secretly vowed to 〃stalk〃 him。
From that moment； had the stranger known it； he was as good as
dead。 For a boy scout with badges on his sleeve for 〃stalking〃
and 〃path…finding；〃 not to boast of others for 〃gardening〃 and
〃cooking；〃 can outwit any spy。 Even had； General Baden…Powell
remained in Mafeking and not invented the boy scout； Jimmie
Sniffen would have been one。 Because； by birth he was a boy； and
by inheritance； a scout。 In Westchester County the Sniffens are
one of the county families。 If it isn't a Sarles； it's a Sniffen；
and with Brundages； Platts； and Jays； the Sniffens date back to
when the acres of the first Charles Ferris ran from the Boston
post road to the coach road to Albany； and when the first
Gouverneur Morris stood on one of his hills and saw the Indian
canoes in the Hudson and in the Sound and rejoiced that all the
land between belonged to him。
If you do not believe in heredity； the fact that Jimmie's
great…great…grandfather was a scout for General Washington and
hunted deer； and even bear； over exactly the same hills where
Jimmie hunted weasles will count for nothing。 It will not explain
why to Jimmie； from Tarrytown to Port Chester； the hills； the
roads； the woods； and the cow…paths； caves； streams； and springs
hidden in the woods were as familiar as his own kitchen garden；
Nor explain why； when you could not see a Pease and Elliman 〃For
Sale〃 sign nailed to a tree； Jimmie could see in the highest
branches a last year's bird's nest。
Or why； when he was out alone playing Indians and had sunk his
scout's axe into a fallen log and then scalped the log； he felt
that once before in those same woods he had trailed that same
Indian； and with his own tomahawk split open his skull。 Sometimes
when he knelt to drink at a secret spring in the forest； the
autumn leaves would crackle and he would raise his eyes fearing
to see a panther facing him。
But there ain't no panthers in Westchester；〃 Jimmie would
reassure himself。 And in the distance the roar of an automobile
climbing a hill with the muffler open would seem to suggest he
was right。 But still Jimmie remembered once before he had knelt
at that same spring； and that when he raised his eyes he had
faced a crouching panther。 〃Mebbe dad told me it happened to
grandpop；〃 Jimmie would explain； 〃or I dreamed it； or； mebbe； I
read it in a story book。〃
The 〃German spy〃 mania attacked Round Hill after the visit to the
boy scouts of Clavering Gould； the war correspondent。 He was
spending the week end with 〃Squire〃 Harry Van Vorst； and as young
Van Vorst； besides being a justice of the peace and a Master of
Beagles and President of the Country Club； was also a local
〃councilman〃 for the Round Hill Scouts； he brought his guest to a
camp…fire meeting to talk to them。 In deference to his audience；
Gould told them of the boy scouts he had seen in Belgium and of
the part they were playing in the great war。 It was his
peroration that made trouble。
〃And any day；〃 he assured his audience； 〃this country may be at
war with Germany； and every one of you boys will be expected to
do his bit。 You can begin now。 When the Germans land it will be
near New Haven； or New Bedford。 They will first capture the
munition works at Springfield； Hartford； and Watervliet so as to
make sure of their ammunition； and then they will start for New
York City。 They will follow the New Haven and New York Central
railroads； and march straight through this village。 I haven't the
least doubt；〃 exclaimed the enthusiastic war prophet； 〃that at
this moment German spies are as thick in Westchester as
blackberries。 They are here to select camp sites and gun
positions； to find out which of these hills enfilade the others
and to learn to what extent their armies can live on the country。
They are counting the cows； the horses； the barns where fodder is
stored； and they are marking down on their maps the wells and
streams。〃
As though at that moment a German spy might be crouching behind
the door； Mr。 Gould spoke in a whisper。 〃Keep your eyes open！〃 he
commanded。 〃Watch every stranger。 If he acts suspiciously； get
word quick to your sheriff； or to Judge Van Vorst here。 Remember
the scouts' motto； 'Be prepared！'〃
That night as the scouts walked home； behind each wall and
hayrick they saw spiked helmets。
Young Van Vorst was extremely annoyed。
〃Next time you talk to my scouts；〃 he declared； you'll talk on
'Votes for Women。' After what you said to…night every real estate
agent who dares open a map will be arrested。 We're not trying to
drive people away from Westchester； we're trying to sell them
building sites。〃
〃YOU are not！〃 retorted his friend； 〃you own half the county now；
and you're trying to buy the other half。〃
〃I'm a justice of the peace；〃 explained Van Vorst。 〃I don't know
WHY I am； except that they wished it on me。 All I get out of it
is trouble。 The Italians make charges against my best friends for
overspeeding and I have to fine them； and my best friends bring
charges against the Italians for poaching； and when I fine the
Italians； they send me Black Hand letters。 And now every day I'll
be asked to issue a warrant for a German spy who is selecting gun
sites。 And he will turn out to be a millionaire who is tired of
living at the Ritz…Carlton and wants to 'own his own home' and
his own golf…links。 And he'll be so hot at being arrested that
he'll take his millions to Long Island and try to break into the
Piping Rock Club。 And； it will be your fault！〃
The young justice of the peace was right。 At least so far as
Jimmie Sniffen was concerned； the words of the war prophet had
filled one mind with unrest。 In the past Jimmie's idea of a
holiday had been to spend it scouting in the woods。 In this
pleasure he was selfish。 He did not want companions who talked；
and trampled upon the dead leaves so that they frightened the
wild animals and gave the Indians warning。 Jimmie liked to
pretend。 He liked to fill the woods with wary and hostile
adversaries。 It was a game of his own inventing。 If he crept to
the top of a hill and on peering over it； surprised a fat
woodchuck； he pretended the woodchuck was a bear； weighing two
hundred pounds； if； himself unobserved； he could lie and watch；
off its guard； a rabbit； squirrel； or； most difficult of all； a
crow； it became a deer and that night at supper Jimmie made
believe he was eating venison。 Sometimes he was a scout of the
Continental Army and carried despatches to General Washington。
The rules of that game were that if any man ploughing in the
fields； or cutting trees in the woods； or even approaching along
the same road； saw Jimmie before Jimmie saw him； Jimmie was taken
prisoner； and before sunrise was shot as a spy。 He was seldom
shot。 Or else why on his sleeve was the badge for 〃stalking。〃 But
always to have to make believe became monotonous。 Even 〃dry
shopping〃 along the