Project Gutenberg's The Boy Scouts of the Geological Survey, by Robert Shaler

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Title: The Boy Scouts of the Geological Survey

Author: Robert Shaler

Release Date: July 19, 2004 [EBook #12945]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GEOLOGICAL SURVEY ***

Produced by Jim Ludwig

THE BOY SCOUTS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

By Scout Master Robert Shaler

CONTENTS

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

CHAPTER I

THE GOLDEN FEATHER

"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 a
quick, appraising eye over the load slung across Keno's broad back.
"Pretty good, eh, old boy?" he added aloud, stroking the velvety
nose of his dumb companion on many a solitary hunt. "Now, Keno, you
hang around, and browse on these young cottonwoods, while I do some
figuring. I want to see what I'm likely to get for this next
shipment of pelts."

The old horse, nothing loath, obeyed his young master's behest as
promptly 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 back
comfortably adjusted to a depression in the rock, he drew a worn
account book from a pocket of his corduroy coat. Moistening his
thumb he began to turn the pages rapidly, until he came to the place
where he had made the last entry in his accounts. With a stubby
pencil, which he had taken from another pocket, he jotted down the
new items:

"So far, one mink, six coon, three skunk, a gray fox, and seventeen
rabbit skins. All told it ought to bring---let me see." He relapsed
into silence, as he estimated the total, and then he s