207
XIX. A Guardian Needing Guarding. 220
XX. The Spoil of the Locks. 233
XXI. The Tangle Straightened Out. 245

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BOY SCOUTS IN THE CANAL ZONE
or
THE PLOT AGAINST UNCLE SAM

CHAPTER I

THE PLOT AGAINST THE GATUN DAM.

"Five Black Bears, two Wolves, and a Panther. That would be a choice
collection of wild animals to take to the Canal Zone."

The remark was greeted with shouts of laughter, and then the boys in the
handsome clubroom of the Black Bear Patrol, in the city of New York,
settled down to a serious discussion of the topic of the evening. There
were seven present, Ned Nestor and Jimmie McGraw, of the Wolf Patrol;
George Tolford, Harry Stevens, Glen Howard, and Jack Bosworth, of the
famous Black Bear Patrol; and Peter Fenton, of the Panther Patrol. They
ranged in age from thirteen to seventeen, Jimmie being the youngest and
Ned Nestor the oldest of the group.

They were all enthusiastic Boy Scouts, and their clubrooms were well
supplied with boxing gloves, foils, and footballs, as well as weapons and
articles necessary on camping expeditions. The clubroom in which the boys
were assembled on this gusty night in early April was situated in the
upper part of the fine residence of Jack's father, on Fifth avenue. The
Black Bear Patrol was composed almost entirely of the sons of very wealthy
parents, and the boys were off to the woods and waters whenever
opportunity offered.

In company with Lieutenant Gordon, of the United States Secret Service,
and Frank Shaw, a member of the Black Bear Patrol, whose arrival was
momentarily expected, the boys present had, on the previous day, returned
from a series of unusual and exciting experiences in Mexico, and now they
were discussing a proposed plan for an excursion to the Canal Zone. Of
course they could make the trip if they desired, but what they wanted was
to go in the company of Lieutenant Gordon, sent there on a secret mission
by the Secretary of War.

"Aw, come on, Ned, an' be a good feller," Jimmie McGraw urged, as Nestor
expressed a doubt as to the advisability of taking the boys on the Canal
Zone trip, to which he had been invited by the lieutenant, both as
assistant and companion. "Let us go! We'll talk the lieutenant into
letting us go along if you'll say a good word for us."

During the trip to Mexico to which reference has been made, Ned