Novel Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Camping and Beans on toast.

Senior boys and Scoutmasters were up and at it long before the four sleepy heads from Finbar's tent, and breakfast for everybody on the site was ready. They were in a field surrounded by trees and hills. Tables had been set out for the boys to eat breakfast and the Scoutmasters were well aware that this might have been the first time, some of the boys, had spent time away from their parents and been away from home.

A long table had been erected at the end of the smaller tables and senior scouts were ready to serve breakfast.

Breakfast on this first morning was beans on toast. The toast was made using toasting forks at the little fires they had kindled, without matches, and the beans were in a big pot on one of the fires. The scouts managed to get one third pint milk bottles, which were issued in the schools at this time, to those who wanted milk.

Finbar joined the queue of boys for breakfast and stopped when he saw what was on the menu.

'What's the matter, Finbar?' said one of the senior scouts from the Saint Agatha troop.

'I usually have Shredded Wheat and Weetabix' he said.

As soon as he looked up, Finbar recognised the older boy who messed with the little boys on the bombed building; Tommy.

He had wondered how he knew his name.

'Oh dear' said Tommy 'don't you like beans?'

'Yes, but I've never had them for breakfast.'

He didn't let on.

'Will you try them?'

Finbar looked at the beans and the delicious looking toast, near by.

'We have marmalade too for the toast.'

'Okay' said Finbar.

He joined his tent mates at one of the tables and Danny was there too. Finbar's troop only had ten boys, at the camp, and they spread out over two tables.

It was unusual for Finbar to have beans for breakfast and he noticed some of the boys used a spoon to put the beans on to a slice of toast which they picked up with their hands to put into their mouths. He looked at Danny who used a knife and fork, as Finbar was used to so he ate like Danny.

The marmalade was another story as he didn't like it so ate his toast just buttered.

The job on the first morning was to gather wood from the surrounding trees, for the evening camp fire, and Finbar harkened back to the picnic in the rain with Gillian and her parents, which was a pleasant memory for him.

He liked Gillian but not as much as Sofia whom he had not seen for a long time.

He didn't even know if he could call her his girl-friend, or if she had the same ideas, but it gave him a warm feeling to think of her.

'One thing we must all remember' said Mr. York to everybody 'is not to bring any wood back that isn't dead. Branches from the tree wouldn't burn in any case so no toasted marshmallows.'

'How do we know the wood is dead?' said Alan.

'Feel for a heart beat' said York.

Everybody laughed

'It won't be attached to a tree.' said Mr. York, assuringly.

With breakfast finished, the boys had to take their plates and cutlery to another big table where they deposited any food and crumbs left on their plates, in a big bin; then in line they washed their utensils, in a basin of very hot water, folded their cutlery sets together and putting them into their bags with their mess tins.

Finbar looked at his mess tin and realised Shredded Wheat and Weetabix would look a bit silly in it.

Off they set for the woods; Mr. Reynolds, Mr. York and Dennis went off with a number of boys each. It interested Finbar that he didn't have to call Dennis mister anything; maybe Dennis wasn't that old, he didn't know.

After a few hours they had so much wood that it piled higher than Danny, who was over six feet tall. Finbar noticed that the wood, where the fire was going to be lit, was far away from the tents in which the boys slept.

After lunch, they practised knot tying and Finbar learned a few more; all the boys knew the reef knot and Finbar knew the square knot, the two half hitches and the taut-line hitch and he was practising the sheet bend and the bowline knots. He didn't know if would ever need to use them but liked tying them. Some of the seniors knew and could tie loads more.

Later on, the fire was built, the cooking on the fire was successful and, once again, baked beans was the bill of fare with baked potatoes, marshmallows and chestnuts.

Finbar went to the tent as he wanted to get a clean handkerchief, which Carmel had packed for him and they were with his harmonica. Then the heard chanting from around the fire: Callaghan – Callaghan - Callaghan - Callaghan.

'Come on Finbar' said Mr. York 'We want to hear you play.'

'Oh' said Finbar 'I better get my harmonica' and he ran back to his tent where he had laid the harmonica down.

The crowd laughed as he ran back: 'Now' he said 'what does everybody want?'

'The Dambusters March' came various replies.

Dara bup bup bup bup bup bara dar ee da de da – was the beginning of the tune which he had only recently learned. The boys looked on and then – da da de da da da da da, da da de da da da da da – that was the bit they all knew and they sang along with no words but dar dar dar dar da dat dar dar - dar dar dar dar dat dat dar. And when Finbar finished they gave him a huge round of applause. Then 'more, more.'

Finbar played 'Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring' and when he started to play Danny stood up and sang the counterpoint in English Jesu, joy of man's desiring, Holy wisdom, Love most bright, Drawn by thee, our souls aspiring, Soar to uncreated light.

It came as a surprise to Finbar especially to hear the beautiful tenor voice of Danny.

Even though it had come as a surprise, the boys loved it and the Scoutmasters too.

Chapter 26

Trouble