As the procession came abreast of the adults, the patrol leader gave them a wave in greeting, the merit badges on his sleeve flashing in the sun. The three waved back and watched them trudge out of sight up the slope..Phil watched them with a faraway look. “Those were the good old days,” he said, “I almost envy them.”
“Were you one?” Ben said, his eyes still on the boys. “I remember how proud I was the day I got my merit badge in first aid.”
“Born to be a doctor, eh, Ben?” commented Joan, her eyes maternal, approving. “I didn’t— say!”
“What’s up?”
“Phil! That’s your answer! That’s how to reach the children in spite of parents and school boards.”
She snapped into telepathic contact, her ideas spilling excitedly into their minds. They went into rapport and ironed out the details. After a time Ben nodded and spoke aloud.
“It might work,” he said, “let’s go back and talk it over with Ephraim.”
“Senator Moulton, these are the young people I was telling you about.” Almost in awe, Joan looked at the face of the little white-haired, old man whose name had become a synonym for integrity. She felt the same impulse to fold her hands across her middle and bow which Master Ling inspired. She noted that Ben and Phil were having trouble not to seem gawky and coltish.
Ephraim Howe continued, “I have gone into their scheme and I think it is practical. If you do too, the council will go ahead with it. But it largely depends on you.
The Senator took them to himself with a smile, the smile that had softened the hearts of two generations of hard politicians. “Tell me about it,” he invited.
They did so—how they had tried and failed at Western University, how they had cudgeled their brains for a way, how a party of boys on a hike up the mountain had given them an inspiration. “You see Senator, if we could just get enough boys up here all at once, boys too young to have been corrupted by their environment, and already trained, as these boys are, in the ideals of the ancients—human dignity, helpfulness, self-reliance, kindness, all those things set forth in their code—if we could get even five thousand such boys up here all at once, we could train them in telepathy, and how to impart telepathy to others.
“Once they were taught, and sent back to their homes, each one would be a center for spreading the knowledge. The antagonists could never stop it; it would be too wide spread, epidemic. In a few years every child in the country would be telepathic, and they would even teach their elders—those that haven’t grown too calloused to learn.
“And once a human being is telepathic, we can lead him along the path of the ancient wisdom!”
Moulton was nodding, and talking to himself. “Yes. Yes indeed. It could be done.
Fortunately Shasta is a national park. Let me see, who is on that committee? It would take a joint resolution and a small appropriation. Ephraim, old friend, I am afraid I shall have to practice a little logrolling to accomplish this, will you forgive me?”
Howe grinned broadly.
“Oh, I mean it,” Moulton continued, “people are so cynical, so harsh, about political expediency—even some of our brothers. Let me see, this will take about two years, I think, before the first camp can be held—”
“As long as that?” Joan was disappointed.
“Oh, yes, my dear. There are two bills to get before Congress, and much arranging to do to get them passed in the face of a full legislative calendar. There are arrangements to be made with.the railroads and bus companies to give the boys special rates so that they can afford to come.
We must start a publicity campaign to make the idea popular. Then there must be time for as many of our brothers as possible to get into the administration of the movement in order that the camp executives may be liberally interspersed with adepts. Fortunately I am a national trustee of the organization. Yes, I can manage it in two years’ time, I believe.”