Roy Blakeley's Funny-bone Hike

In Short

When six scouts from Temple Camp accidentally miss their chance to get off a train, they embark on a delightfully chaotic journey through the surrounding countryside. Led by the relentlessly upbeat Roy Blakeley and the imaginative Hervey Willetts, the boys navigate backwards directions, a bell-chiming ghost, and a hungry search for food. Along the way, they perform classic scout good turns, rescue a stranded troop of newcomers, and acquire a portable garage to serve as their permanent clubhouse. It endures as a charming, timeless snapshot of youthful camaraderie, mischief, and unbridled imagination.

The Story

The adventure begins at Catskill Landing, where six boy scouts from Temple Camp accidentally board a moving train instead of running their simple errand, plunging straight into a chaotic expedition they dub the Funny-bone Hike. Roy Blakeley, the humorous narrator equipped with a Safety First badge and a love for lemonade, takes the blunder in stride, while the perpetually flustered Pee-wee Harris protests their unintended journey north. Forced to disembark further up the line, they encounter an Italian knife-grinder struggling with a stubborn donkey, setting a whimsical tone of accidental encounters.

Continuing their trek, the boys stumble upon a fickle signpost, which Warde cleverly realigns using environmental clues like dried mud and shade. However, when Pee-wee attempts to lead a shortcut back home, he loops them right back to the very same signpost, much to his mortification and his companions' amusement. Relief arrives in the form of a passing drawbridge over a creek, where friendly boatmen hand them a large, fresh fish. Starving and determined, Pee-wee fetches a piece of tin to fry it on, while the others gather firewood, turning their bridge into a temporary desert island of culinary salvation.

Nutritional recovery is short-lived as the boys push onward through rural backroads, eventually reaching the ramshackle, abandoned village of Old Corners. Climbing into the steeple of an old church behind Hervey Willetts, they experience a chilling brush with the supernatural when a hollow bell echoes a mysterious voice crying for help. Warde logically explains this away as a reflex echo, transforming a spooky ghost story into a physics lesson. Reinvigorated, they press on toward camp, encountering a young boy named Willie Cook struggling to complete his second-class scout requirements by lugging a heavy bundle of meat and potatoes.

As evening approaches, the weary hikers spot a portable garage being hauled along the road. Inspired by their scouting duty to perform a daily good turn, Pee-wee and Roy hatch a brilliant, absurd scheme to purchase the garage and offer it as emergency housing for a newly arrived troop of Columbus scouts who are stranded without accommodations at an overcrowded Temple Camp. After negotiating with the driver, the boys lead the garage and the new scouts in a triumphant parade back to camp. The structure is established near the road as the "Good Turn Cabin," providing a permanent haven for future vagabonds and outlaws. The narrative concludes with a final tumble down a hill in a broken-down buggy, leaving the scouts laughing, eating, and resting up for tomorrow's tennis and lawn parties.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins Six scouts accidentally remain on a train leaving Catskill Landing and are swept away on an unintended journey northward. Roy cracks jokes while Pee-wee panics about missing camp, leaving their self-proclaimed conservative leader to manage the unexpected detour.

The stubborn roadblock Disembarking further down the track, the boys find their path blocked by an Italian knife-grinder whose donkey stubbornly refuses to budge. They laugh at the roadside commotion and marvel at the animal's resolute, immovable independence.

The fickle signpost Warde fixes a confusing, turned-around signpost using natural indicators like dried mud and sun exposure. Later, when Pee-wee tries to guide a shortcut home, he accidentally leads the group right back to this exact spot, causing immense embarrassment.

Marooned on a drawbridge Stranded temporarily on a rotating drawbridge over a creek, the hungry boys receive a large fresh fish from passing boatmen. Pee-wee secures a piece of tin while the others build a campfire to cook their hard-won meal.

The haunted steeple Exploring the abandoned village of Old Corners, the scouts climb into a ramshackle church steeple and hear a terrifying, disembodied voice calling out for help. Warde calmly reassures them that the hollow bell is merely creating a reflex echo of a distant sound.

The grand acquisition Finding a portable garage being carted along the country road, the scouts decide to purchase it to solve an overcrowding problem at camp. They successfully negotiate with the driver and transform the structure into housing for stranded newcomers.

The final parade The boys lead a triumphant, chaotic parade into Temple Camp with the portable garage serving as a festive float. They conclude their epic hike by tumbling down a hill in a broken-down buggy, eagerly racing toward the evening mess call.

The People

Roy Blakeley serves as the humorous, unflappable narrator and leader who wants to keep spirits high despite constant mishaps, using cheerful wit as his primary tool against hunger and confusion. His main obstacle is the unpredictable geography and the relentless chaos of the hike, ending the journey just as cheerful, ready for lemonade and lawn parties. Pee-wee Harris acts as the ambitious, easily flustered foil who desperately wants to prove his scouting prowess and get home on time, constantly hindered by Roy's teasing and his own poor sense of direction. He evolves slightly by embracing the group's absurd good turns, though he remains a prime target for good-natured ribbing. Hervey Willetts is the knowledgeable wanderer who knows every local shortcut, abandoned shack, and rural secret, wanting to experience unconventional adventures. His obstacle is the physical confusion of the countryside, which he masters by treating getting lost as a game, ultimately guiding the final parade. Warde provides the grounded intellect, wanting logic and order amid the madness. He overcomes the group's superstitious fears by explaining phenomena like the reflex echo, ensuring the boys safely navigate their responsibilities and complete their grand acts of service with clear-headed business sense.

In Its Own Voice

Reflecting on his unconventional approach to leadership and storytelling right at the outset, the narrator warns the reader about the tale's eccentric nature:

This is going to be the craziest story I ever wrote. But anyway every word of it is true—except a few small words.

Describing the ridiculous culinary daydreams that sustain the starving scouts while they are trapped on the drawbridge, Roy quips about his extreme hunger:

I could eat a sheet of galvanized iron. A little salt and pepper and I could eat a piece of railroad track.

Summarizing the core philosophy that guides their erratic navigation and spontaneous acts of kindness throughout the countryside, Hervey's repeating verse captures the spirit of the hike:

Don’t start to go back if it freezes or snows, Don’t weaken or flunk or suggest or oppose; Your job is to follow and not to suppose.

What It's Really About

Beneath its lighthearted surface, the book explores the transformative power of perspective and youthful imagination over rigid structure. Fitzhugh questions the utility of strict adherence to rules, geography, and traditional expectations, suggesting that getting lost can sometimes lead to more meaningful discoveries than staying on the beaten path. The narrative champions the Boy Scout ethos of the "good turn," but reinterprets it through a lens of comic absurdity—turning structural inconveniences like a housing shortage into opportunities for creative community-building. Ultimately, it argues that resilience, humor, and camaraderie matter far more than navigational perfection, celebrating the joy of embracing life's unexpected detours with a smile and a song.

Why Read It Today

Modern readers who appreciate vintage juvenile literature filled with quick-witted banter and unabashed silliness will find immense charm in this energetic narrative. Reading it feels like stepping into a sunlit, nostalgic afternoon where every wrong turn blossoms into an impromptu adventure. However, contemporary audiences should be prepared for early twentieth-century pacing, occasional period idioms, and dated colloquialisms, such as brief archaic references to camp staff, which reflect the racial language common in 1920s America. Despite these historical text hurdles, the book's core warmth and infectious humor remain entirely intact. The camaraderie among the boys, the rhythm of Hervey’s catchy verses, and the sheer joy of transforming a disaster into a triumph will stay with you long after the final page. It offers a refreshing antidote to cynicism, inviting readers to laugh at their own misfortunes and follow wherever curiosity leads.