The Boy Scouts in the Blue Ridge; Or, Marooned Among the Moonshiners

"The Boy Scouts in the Blue Ridge; Or, Marooned Among the Moonshiners" by Herbert Carter is an early 20th-century adventure tale about a troop of Boy Scouts hiking through the rugged Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, and stumbling into a world of mystery and danger. Led by the determined Thad Brewster, the group – including the funny Step Hen, the towering Giraffe, and the local Bob White – starts out with cheerful camaraderie and minor mishaps, like lost gear and quicksand incidents, as they explore the Smoky Range. However, their lighthearted trip takes a sharp turn when they hear whispers of secretive moonshiners in the area, especially the intimidating Old Phin, and they realize their scout uniforms might land them in trouble, because of local law enforcement. Hints of underlying tension and Bob White's personal connection to a young cousin named Bertha and her guardian suggest a deeper, more perilous mystery lurking in the hills.