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MANAGING SERVICE, EDUCATION AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
IN THE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMIC ERA
PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2016 INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON MANAGEMENT AND
TECHNOLOGY IN KNOWLEDGE, SERVICE, TOURISM & HOSPITALITY (SERVE 2016), JAKARTA,
INDONESIA & VLADIMIR STATE UNIVERSITY, VLADIMIR, RUSSIA, 8–9 OCTOBER 2016

Managing Service, Education and

Knowledge Management in the
Knowledge Economic Era

Editors
Ford Lumban Gaol
Bina Nusantara University, Jakarta, Indonesia

Natalia Filimonova
Vladimir State University, Russia

Fonny Hutagalung
University of Malaya, Malaysia
CRC Press/Balkema is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

© 2017 Taylor & Francis Group, London, UK

Typeset by V Publishing Solutions Pvt Ltd., Chennai, India

All rights reserved. No part of this publication or the information contained herein may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
by photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written prior permission from the publisher.

Although all care is taken to ensure integrity and the quality of this publication and the information
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Published by: CRC Press/Balkema

P.O. Box 11320, 2301 EH Leiden, The Netherlands
e-mail: Pub.NL@taylorandfrancis.com
www.crcpress.com – www.taylorandfrancis.com

ISBN: 978-1-138-03517-1 (Hbk)

ISBN: 978-1-315-26914-6 (eBook)
 Managing Service, Education and Knowledge Management
in the Knowledge Economic Era – Lumban Gaol et al. (Eds)
© 2017 Taylor & Francis Group, London, ISBN 978-1-138-03517-1

Table of contents

Preface ix

Management of innovative development (on the example of tourism in the Pskov region) 1
L.P. Goncharenko, S.A. Sybachin, S.V. Valeeva & S.V. Horshikyan
Assessment of immaterial resources as an innovation tool of long-term social and economic
regional development 7
A.A. Yussuf, R.N. Fedosova & T.V. Starikova
Development of regional forest potential of Russia in the context of bio-economic trend 13
S.V. Makar & A.V. Yarasheva
Practical tools for the assessment of strategic risk factors of entrepreneurial activity 19
Y.V. Kuznetsov, N.V. Kapustina & E.V. Maslova
The impact of human resource management on customer loyalty in the hotel industry
in Russia 23
U.V. Kuznetsov, E.V. Melyakova & N.G. Kizyan
Conformity assessment of concession agreements model to parameters of investment projects
in transport infrastructure area 29
P.N. Zakharov, J.A. Zakharova & K.V. Nazvanova
Instruments for the implementation of import substitution strategy in the agro-industrial complex 33
V.P. Tretyak, O.A. Anichkina & K.G. Abazieva
Enterprise integration in the network electronic market: Choice of the Internet-project
implementation directions 37
N.M. Fomenko
Philosophy of ancient towns’ economy development evidence from Suzdal, a Russian town 41
N.V. Rodionova & A.D. Shapovalova
Dynamic model of the economic and social system control 47
V.E. Krylov
Factors determining whether industrial parks are successful or not 53
S.N. Kuznetsova, E.V. Romanovskaya, Y.S. Potashnik, N.E. Grechkina & A.P. Garin
Methodological solutions for the production of a new product 59
V.P. Kuznetsov, E.P. Garina, N.S. Andriashina, E.P. Kozlova & S.N. Yashin
State instruments choice for strategic planning in Russian regions 65
A.N. Ryakhovskaya, D.I. Ryakhovsky & M.V. Erhov
Harmonization of the tax portfolio of an organization by means of situational
matrix modeling 69
I.V. Frolova, T.V. Matytsyna, T.G. Pogorelova & E.A. Likhatskaya
Assessment of business activity impact on national stock market indices 75
O. Loseva & M. Fedotova
Innovative development of a region: Growth pole approach 81
O. Goiher, A. Posazhennikov, A. Loginov, O. Arkadeva & A. Danilov

v
The methodical approach to the assessment of regional innovation and investment processes 87
O.A. Donichev, S.A. Grachev, D.Yu. Fraymovich & A.K. Kholodnaya
Development of public–private entrepreneurship projects 93
N.Y. Omarova, M.M. Omarov & V.A. Shultsev
Methodology of e-economy infrastructure research 99
T.N. Beliatskaya & V.S. Knyazkova
Assessment of factors influencing the quality of human resources 105
M.V. Rakhova, S.A. Grachev, M.A. Gundorova & M.I. Zakirova
Impact of industrial policy on the competiveness of high-technology businesses 111
N.N. Polzunova, N.M. Filimonova, M.Y. Malkerov, O.S. Starostina & I.S. Polzunov
Effectiveness of innovations in the process of complex industrial and domestic waste
utilization in Vladimir region as a source of raw materials for the modern construction sector 117
I.A. Gandelsman, L.V. Zakrevskaya & I.V. Kozlov
Values of modern youth and state youth policy 121
N.V. Morgunova, R.V. Morgunova & I.A. Zaytseva
Influence of the state support on the development of small and medium-size
entrepreneurship of the Vladimir region 127
T.N. Kashitsina, E.S. Lovkova & S.M. Basharina
Predictive analysis of the tourism hospitality development in Slovakia 131
A. Antonyová, P. Antony & B. Soewito
Urban areas as educational tourism destinations 137
A.R. Lebedev
Methodological aspects of forming a regional benchmarking partnership 141
A.E. Panyagina
Current barriers of innovation development of Russian entrepreneurship 145
I.B. Teslenko, A.G. Bezdudnaya & A.M. Gubernatorov
The role of innovations in the modern economy and their economic essence 151
L.I. Pugina, N.V. Chaikovskaya & D.V. Chaikovsky
Problems of establishment and development of start-ups in Russia 155
I.B. Teslenko & O.B. Digilina
Rise and development of the ecosystem of innovative entrepreneurship in Russia 161
O.A. Kornilova & N.V. Abdullayev
Exploring the appeals used in creative advertising: A conceptual theory 167
A.R. Rushdan, I. Zulkifli & F.D. Hutagalung
Innovative thinking as a factor in the establishment of an innovation-based economy in
Russia: Spiritual and moral aspects 173
N.V. Manuilov, S.Z. Mekhdiev, T.A. Iskyanderova & I.N. Novokupova
Contemporary regional planning in Russia: Systemic problems and development issues 177
I.I. Saveliyev & T.A. Iskyanderova
Employees’ personal potential as the main factor of the innovation activity
of a Russian organisation 181
R.N. Fedosova, Yu.I. Petrova, Ye.V. Rodionova & Yu.Ye. Galkina
Analysis of the current situation of the production structure of the dairy industry
of the Russian Federation regions: Optimization reserves 185
G.V. Jazev, J.F. Anoshina & V.P. Tretyak
Competitive differentiators of money-and-credit institutions of modern Russia 191
N.A. Amosova, A.Yu. Kosobutskaya, U.I. Treshevski & A.V. Lodyshkin

vi
Environmental activities in Indonesian Islamic commercial banks’ corporate social responsibility 199
Y. Andriansyah, A. Sugeng & M. Iqbal
Impact of small business sector on quality of life in Russian regions 207
D. Clark & N. Filimonova
Model of innovation activities situation in regions 215
S.V. Shtebner, Y.N. Kochetova, M.A. Shumilina & M.I. Lapshina
Factors reducing a company’s value in the system of internal financial control 221
S.R. Dreving & L.Y. Khrustova

Author index 227

vii
 Managing Service, Education and Knowledge Management
in the Knowledge Economic Era – Lumban Gaol et al. (Eds)
© 2017 Taylor & Francis Group, London, ISBN 978-1-138-03517-1

Preface

Managing service, education and knowledge management in the Knowledge Economic Era are all impor-
tant factors. Managing service focuses on optimizing the service-intensive supply chains that are integrated
into supply chain management at the intersection between the actual sales and the customer using infor-
mation technology. Information technology is an important necessity in this era of globalization, when
any organization without IT is considered incomplete. Information management, service management
and web intelligence are important components of IT technology, which are now playing an increasingly
important role in modern society. In short, information management is the collection and management of
information from one or more sources and the distribution of that information to one or more audiences,
which control the planning, structure and organization, controlling, processing, evaluating and reporting
of information activities in order to meet client objectives and enable corporate functions in the delivery
of information. Especially in the field of education, IT systems are being used more and more frequently
in teaching and learning.
The SERVE conference and the resultant conference proceedings provide a platform for all research-
ers, enterprisers and students to exchange new ideas and application experiences face to face, to establish
business or research relations and to find global partners for future collaboration. The research topics
addressed cover every discipline in all fields of social science, economics and arts. The conference topic
areas especially focus on such disciplines as language, cultural studies, economics, behavior studies, politi-
cal sciences, media and communication, psychology and human development.
We do hope that this book will have a positive impact on the social sciences, including the disciplines
of education, psychology, tourism and knowledge management.

Best regards,

Ford Lumban Gaol

Bina Nusantara University, Indonesia
Natalia Filimonova
Vladimir State University, Russia
Fonny Hutagalung
University of Malaya, Malaysia

ix
 Managing Service, Education and Knowledge Management
in the Knowledge Economic Era – Lumban Gaol et al. (Eds)
© 2017 Taylor & Francis Group, London, ISBN 978-1-138-03517-1

Management of innovative development (on the example of tourism

in the Pskov region)

L.P. Goncharenko, S.A. Sybachin, S.V. Valeeva & S.V. Horshikyan

Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Moscow, Russia

ABSTRACT: This paper considers the problems of domestic and inbound tourism. The objective was
to identify the necessary conditions for the successful development of tourism and to estimate the role of
the cluster and technology platform as tools of innovative management for the development of tourism.
For the purposes of the development of proposals aimed at creating innovative approaches for the pro-
motion of tourism services, the experience of the Pskov region was studied, and the statistical data and
federal and regional legislation were analyzed.

1 INTRODUCTION of tourism can be an additional advantage of

Consumer demand in Russia increased significantly
in late 2015 because of the closure of the popular
outbound tourist destinations. Satisfaction of this
demand is a high-priority task for 2016 and sub-
sequent years. According to the Federal Tourism
Agency, data growth in demand for domestic tour-
ism is ahead of the development of infrastructure,
reception infrastructure, and competitive tourism
products that meet the world standards of quality.
The key condition for the implementation of the
tourist potential of Russia is the implementation
of modern tools of state support for the devel-
opment of domestic tourism in Russia. Russia
has huge natural and recreational, cultural, and
historical potentials. It is necessary to develop
mechanisms to convert the potential into a liquid
competitive product.
The Russian government has paid full atten-
tion to the development of domestic tourism
lately. It should be noted that the cluster approach
underlies the Russian state policy in the sphere of
tourism development for the period until 2020.
Clusters form a new mechanism for the coopera-
tion of entrepreneurship and the government. Cre-
ating a tourist or tourism and recreation cluster
actually determines the positioning of the territory
and influences the formation of the region’s image
[Bunakov, 2011].
Nowadays, security issues of tourism are
extremely important especially at the level of
research works dedicated to security issues.
We should note the research works of L.P.
Goncharenko on the security issues [Goncharenko,
1999]. According to Russians, high level of security
domestic tourism.
As a matter of necessity to develop domestic
tourism, it is necessary to take measures to ensure
the collection and analysis of statistics; compre-
hensive consideration of hazards, planning, and
forecasting of security threats; and the application
of innovative technical security systems.
Innovative development is a system of meas-
ures distinguished by novelty and lead to positive
changes in the development of branches of economy.
Separate issues of innovative development were
studied by many researchers such as E.V. Bochkova
[Bochkova, 2013], S.S. Eletskaya [Eletskaya,
2011], and Yu.A. Arutyunova [Arutyunov,
2013, Arutyunov & Bashkatov, 2009, Arutyunov &
Sharanin, 2011, Arutyunov et al., 2014]. Several
authors examined the ways of innovative develop-
ment in the field of tourism [Barzykin, 2013,
Grinenko, 2012, Kalinina, 2013, Matyukhina,
2013, Shepelev, 2012, Uvalov, 2009].
It should be noted that the innovative param-
eters information platform of different areas of the
service sector is not sufficiently developed. Service
industry includes sectors that have undoubtedly
high level of innovative development. These are
industries that have their own research base offer-
ing the market improvements and radical techno-
logies. However, the tourism industry is not among
these sectors [Carson, 2005].
On that basis, it is necessary to develop inno-
vative approaches to the organization and devel-
opment of the tourism sector at the federal and
regional levels and the management of the inno-
vative development of tourism. The cluster app-
roach and the application of technology platform

1
mechanism are the important approaches in
modern science and practice.
2 METHODS AND THE RESEARCH BASE
Development and promotion of inter-regional
routes, «The Golden Ring of Russia», «The
Russian Estate», «The Great Volga», «The Silver
Ring of Russia», «The Great Tea Road», «The
Great Silk Road», and «Semiprecious Ring of the
Urals», are conducted for the strategy implementa-
tion of tourist potential promotion of Russia at the
state level. However, at the same time, these routes
are poorly developed, which prevents cultural
enrichment and health recovery of the population.
The Coordinating Council on the implementa-
tion of inter-regional and historical-cultural pro-
ject, «The Silver Ring of Russia», which brings
together 11 entities of the Russian Federation
forming part of the North-West Federal District,
was formed in December 2015. The project was
initiated and supported by the Ministry of Culture
and the Federal Agency for Tourism. «The Silver
Ring of Russia» includes the Pskov region.
Analysis of the current state of tourism in the
Pskov region shows that this area has been devel-
oped quite actively in recent years. One of the main
prerequisites for the development of tourism in the
Pskov region is the high historical and cultural
potential of the region. There are 537 units of fed-
eral significance and 3570 monuments of regional
significance, which affect the formation of the
tourism product in this region.
There are 17 museums (including branches),
3 theaters, and 414 institutions of cultural and
leisure type (361 of them located in rural areas)
in the region. The detail of number of visitors to
museums is shown on Table 1.
In total, there are 74 accommodation facilities in
the Pskov region, of which 51 are hotels and simi-
lar accommodation facilities and 18 are specialized
accommodation facilities, including 6 sanatorium
organizations and 12 organizations of rest and tour-
ist bases [Pskov Statistical Yearbook, 2015]. The
capacity of the hotel is 3203 rooms, including 1,613
rooms in hotels and similar accommodation facili-
ties and 1410 rooms in specialized accommodation
facilities. According to the results of 2014, the utili-
zation of the types of rooms amounted to 0.29.

Table 1. Dynamics of the number of visitors to museums (1000 people).

Visits to Museums 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

State Memorial Historical-Literary and 275, 4 261,9 340, 9 382 445,5 −

Natural-Landscape Museum-Reserve of
A.S. Pushkin “Mikhailovskoye”. 286, 217
Pskov State Integrated Historical and 159,2 187,1 185,6 198,3 210 262,3
Architectural and Art Museum Reserve
State Historical-Architectural, Landscape 122,4 134,8 222,8 250,1 280,2 297,3
and Natural Museum-Preserve «Izborsk»
“Military-Historical Museum of Pskov region” 11,7 11,8 13,2 14,4 14,9 15,3
TOTAL 580,1 609,1 683,5 803,7 887,1 1020,4

Table 2. Dynamics of the number of spa facilities and leisure facilities in the Pskov region (number of units) [Pskov
Statistical Yearbook, 2015].

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

The number of summer recreational facilities—in total: 253 255 236 227 223
Among them:
Country stationary 19 23 22 21 21
with day stay 227 229 211 203 199
The number of hotels and similar accommodation 40 50 43 39 43
facilities
One-time capacity of hotels and similar accommodation 2536 2876 2816 2731 3897
facilities, rooms
The number of institutions of cultural and leisure type 352 438 414 409 394
including:
in cities and urban-type settlements 35 50 53 53 67
In the countryside 317 388 361 356 327

2
 According to the results of 2014, tourists in Kess—employment rate in service sphere
the Pskov region are serviced by 50 tourist ser-
vice companies engaged in tour operation, travel K ees
number of people employed in the enterprises of the cluster
agency services, or sightseeing activities. =
numbe
b r of people employed in the tertiary industry of a region
According to expert estimates, the tourist traffic
in the Pskov region in 2015 amounted to 370,000 (1)
people (according to SBD “Information Tour-
ist Center”, with increasing number of foreign 1. The proportion of manufacturing activity of
tourists, the tourist traffic as a whole does not the cluster enterprises within the service sphere
reduce below the level of 300,000 people for the Kpass—rate of production activity of service
past several years) as stated in Table 2. sphere
The formation of tourist cluster core has not K pass
taken place in the Pskov region yet. The main fac- added value of the cluster ent-es related to the service sphere
tor impeding the development of the cluster is the =
added value of the service sector of a region
lack of integrated tourism products, the formation
of which is largely determined by the lack of coor- (2)
dination and interagency disunity of the infrastruc- 2. The proportion of investments directed to the
ture. Each subject of tourist sectors tries to create its cluster in the total mass of the investment in the
own product and sell it by itself. In addition, there region economy.
is a weak development of innovation, information, Kia—rate of investment attractiveness
and educational infrastructure in the region. It includes two subrates:
Furthermore, it is important to note the lack Kiia—rate of in-country investment
of methodology for calculating the efficiency of attractiveness
cluster—quantitative analysis of its activities. To Kfia—rate of foreign investment attraction
date, the effectiveness of the cluster has been evalu-
ated on a number of quantitative indicators: iia
V of in country inv s directed to the development of a cluster
− An increase in tourist traffic of the Pskov region; =
V of
o foreign inv. s directed to the development of a reg.economy
− An increase in the total area of the hotel
infrastructure; (3)
− The number of additional beds created in collec- K fia
tive accommodation facilities; =
volume of foreign inv.directed to the development of a cluster
− Investment in fixed capital of means of accom- vvolume of foreign inv.directed to the development of a reg.econom
o y
modation (hotels, places for temporary resi- (4)
dence), invited during the implementation of the
project; The integral rate of investment attractiveness is
− Number of created additional jobs, for example, calculated as:
through the creation of new or modernization
of old sanatoriums, organization of eco-farms, Kiia + Kfia
development of walking roots, and so on; K ia = (5)
2
Quantitative indicators are considered from the
perspective of compliance with indicators charac- 3. The proportion of the cluster costs on innova-
terizing the degree of achievement of the project tion and R&D in the total mass of such costs of
objectives defined in the federal and regional fore- a region.
cast programs of the socioeconomic development Ksra—rate of scientific research activity
in the Pskov region.
Thus, there is no quantitative analysis of the cluster costs on innovations and R & D
K sra = (6)
cluster by collecting documentary and statistical n and R & D
region costs on innovations
information, the statistical in-depth study using
specific statistical data. It is necessary to imple- 4. The proportion of tax revenues to the regional
ment such econometric approaches as data colla- budget from the cluster structure in the total
tion and statistical grouping. amount of tax revenues to the regional budget.
It is important to note the need to introduce a
system of indicators that would allow evaluating Ktk—rate of tax revenue
the contribution of the cluster in the social sphere
of the region [Bochkova, 2011]: K tr
The proportion of people employed in enter- tax revenues of a cluster to the regional budget
= (7)
prises cluster related to the service sphere general tax revenue
n s to the regional budget

3
 After calculating the above rates, we can calcu-
late the aggregate.
Pc—the aggregate, the socioeconomic efficiency
of the cluster, and its role in the territorial division
of labor (power of cluster)
This indicator is calculated as the average of the
sum of the five proposed rates, namely:
Ks+Kpa+Kia+Ksra+Ktr
Pc = (8)
5
By calculating the value of this indicator over
the years, it is possible to trace the dynamics of
the cluster and its impact on the economy of the
region. It is also advisable to track the dynamics
of each of the proposed indicators over a number
of years.
3 STUDY RESULTS
Unfortunately, at present, there is no common
statistical database of Russian clusters. Statistical
reports on cluster activities should be made avail-
able to the statistical authorities, on the basis of
which the information about a cluster should be
formed. There is no specialized regional structure,
which would monitor the activities of enterprises
and organizations belonging to the cluster, to sub-
mit the data in the form of relevant reports, which
should contain data on the statistical concentration
of firms in the cluster compared to the total num-
ber of sector companies in the region and the state.
This predetermines the need to use new manage-
ment tools, namely the technological platform—
the communication tool for accelerating efforts for
developing promising commercial technologies,
new products (services), mobilization of additional
resources for research and development with the
participation of all stakeholders (business, science,
government, civil society), and improvement of
the legal framework in the field of innovation
development.
Technology platforms were initially developed
in Europe in the 2000s. Within its framework, stud-
ies in the field of aviation were conducted, and by
the way, it is associated with almost all of the most
significant achievements of the EU in the aviation
industry in recent years.
Among the successful technology platforms,
we can note a number of European programs:
European Technology Platform on Nanoelectron-
ics ENIAC, the European Construction Techno-
logy Platform AETR), and others [Porter, 2006].
By the EU definition, the Technology Platform
is an association of the representatives of govern-
ment, science, education, and business around
4
a common vision of technological development
and common approaches to the development of
relevant technologies. Thus, business does not give
science a task to undertake any specific studies
within the Technology Platform, but arranges it on
the general prospects for the development of a par-
ticular sector of the economy. Their joint actions
should provide a breakthrough movement in this
direction.
The value of a technology platform in the inno-
vative development of the tourism sector in the
region consists in the following:
1. joining efforts of science, education, business,
government, and community organizations
to search new directions of development on
public–private partnership and the collection
and study of statistics;
2. creation of additional incentives to coordi-
nate public, private, and international research
programs;
3. provision of motivation for business, education,
and science to search mutually beneficial coop-
eration in investment in the priority areas of the
tourism industry;
4. improving the structure of the tourism econ-
omy and the entire national economy and the
development of innovative services.
The implementation of Technology Platforms
will enhance the influence of the business sector
(businesses) to identify and implement the most
important activities, identify new scientific and
technical capabilities of the upgrading of exist-
ing areas of tourist activity, create new areas to
expand the scientific and industrial cooperation,
and improve the scientific and technical potential
of the tourism industry to implement complex
innovation projects.
4 CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
An organizational model of the innovative devel-
opment of tourist cluster of the Pskov region is
proposed in Figure 1. The development of nowa-
days Pskov region is impossible without strong
innovation tourism cluster. The popularity of
internal tourism is increasing, and it is high time to
meet the demand. On the basis of the above equa-
tions, the monetary efficiency (primary evaluation)
is beating 0,5% of the Pskov region DGP that
definitely points out the importance of innovation
development.
Let us consider the role of each element of the
proposed model:
1. Association of tourist companies performs the
communication functions, both vertically and
 horizontally. It is especially important for the
tourism industry, as enterprises of the cluster
core and the infrastructure (accommodation,
transport, catering, etc.) are represented by
small and medium-sized businesses, which are in
essential need to be provided by centralized ser-
vices, which they are unable to provide on their
own (consulting, promotion of international
markets, training, innovation, information ser-
vices, etc.). Creation of a public organization
(association) would greatly facilitate the imple-
mentation of communications, interaction
with authorities, and companies’ access to the
resources necessary for their activities.
2. Technology Platform (Innovation Center) of
a cluster. The developed tourist cluster of the
Pskov region should include such an element as
the Innovation Center or Technology Platform,
which together with the Association of tourist
companies will take over the role of the cluster-
forming core. The main objective of the Innova-
tion Center or Technology Platform of a cluster
should be to ensure the shortest possible path
through the chain of creation and implementa-
tion of the tourism product, its substantive con-
tent, marketing, consulting, and other support
activities of the core and cluster infrastructure
and to support the informational and educa-
tional infrastructure.
Figure 1. Organizational model of the innovative devel-
opment of tourist cluster of the Pskov region [Eletskaya,
2011].
5
Figure 2 highlights the main activities that need
to be addressed by the Technology Platform (Inno-
vation Center) of a cluster in the Pskov region.
Thus, the Technology Platform of the tourist
cluster of the Pskov region shall assume the fol-
lowing functions: statistics monitoring; analyti-
cal and consulting support for all elements of the
cluster; market surveys, analysis, and forecast of its
development; generation of recommendations on
various aspects of the tourism product promotion;
monitoring of the state of the cluster and its com-
ponents; and providing access to new technologies
and products. It is here where specialized informa-
tion database may be concentrated; counseling and
support as the organization and content of small
and medium-sized companies, providing access
to various types of intellectual resources; and the
implementation of continuous training for all ele-
ments of the cluster on their profiles. Such training
should be carried out on the platform where the
specialized information is aggregated and processed
and the professional communication environment
is formed. Formal and informal events held within
the framework of a technology platform are a way
of technology transfer.
In order to promote domestic and inbound
tourism, it is necessary to implement innovation
policy through the coordination of efforts to
create an innovative infrastructure and develop
innovative businesses as well as improve the inter-
action between government, business, and public
organizations. This work analyzes the problems
hampering more intense development of tourism,
including tourism security issue and the lack of
uniform statistical basis and, accordingly, in-depth
statistical analysis. By the example of the tourism
Figure 2. Branch of activities of the Technology Plat-
form (Innovation Center) of the developed tourist cluster
of the Pskov region.
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operation has been determined, and the intro- Innovation for Regional Tourism Development,
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allow assessing the contribution of the cluster Cross University: 4.
[8] Eletskaya, S.S. 2011. Management of process of
in the social sphere of the region, and the model formation of technological platforms as an effec-
of a technology platform has been proposed in tive tool of innovative development of regions:
order to elaborate the coordination of stakehold- Abstract. dis.kand. ekon.nauk: 08.00.05: 24. Orel.
ers, develop a transparent information system, [9] Goncharenko, L.P. 1999. Development of the meth-
and change the mentality for susceptibility to the odology of economic security of a personality:
innovations. monograph. Ivanovo.
[10] Kalinina, L.E. 2013. Tourism planning as part of
the program-target method of state governance
REFERENCES Tourism: law and economics 2: 25–26.
[11] Kluchnikov, M.S., Samoilov, A.S., Arutyunov,
Yu.A. 2014. Scientific and innovative development
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Practice 3: 72–79.
[2] Arutyunov, Yu.A., Bashkatov, I.P., Sharanin, A.S.
[12] Matyukhina, Y.A. 2013. The tourism industry. Flint:
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[13] Porter, M.E., Kramer, M.R. 2006. Strategy and
[3] Arutyunov, Yu.A., Sharanin, A.S. 2011. Develop-
Society: The Link Between Competitive Advantage
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and Corporate Social Responsibility. Harvard Busi-
an economic category. Creative Economy 2: 8–12.
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[4] Barzykin, Yu. 2013. Tourist is a small investor. Busi-
[14] Pskov Statistical Yearbook. 2015. Stat.sb. Pskovstat
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[5] Bochkova, E.V. 2013. The method of computing
[15] Shepelev, I.G., Markova, Yu.A. 2012. Tourism and
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improve the strategic management development of
[6] Bunakov, O.A. 2011. The cluster approach to the
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6
 Managing Service, Education and Knowledge Management
in the Knowledge Economic Era – Lumban Gaol et al. (Eds)
© 2017 Taylor & Francis Group, London, ISBN 978-1-138-03517-1

Assessment of immaterial resources as an innovation tool of long-term

social and economic regional development

A.A. Yussuf
Vladimir State University, Vladimir, Russian Federation

R.N. Fedosova
Financial University Under the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russian Federation

T.V. Starikova
The Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Vladimir,
Russian Federation

ABSTRACT: This paper underlines the important role of innovation-oriented development of regions
to improve the competitiveness of not only their territories but also the country as a whole. The influ-
ence of immaterial resources on the process of regional development was demonstrated. The proprietary
methodology of the assessment of immaterial resources of the region, including the quality of usage, was
represented and tested. The selection of priority directions for the development of immaterial resources
of specific regions that contribute to their improved innovation activity was justified.

1 INTRODUCTION • the availability of internal resources of regional

The activation of innovation processes plays an
important role in the renewal of the regional envi-
ronment. Innovation is the base of modern eco-
nomic growth and precondition for the successful
implementation of any programs and development
projects.
The current worldwide trend toward inno-
vative development and internal challenges of
Russia involves searching for additional com-
petitive advantages for improving the efficiency
and competitiveness of the national economy.
The immaterial resources of the region (informa-
tion, knowledge and skills of the region’s resi-
dents, brand and image of the region, software,
intellectual property, etc.) have a high competi-
tive potential in the knowledge economy. Infor-
mation and knowledge together with material
resources (natural, industrial, etc.) are the cru-
cial factors of development in the making of a
competitive economy. Experience of progres-
sive countries (Germany, Japan, and the United
States) has shown that the part of immaterial
resources of the region is a priority for ensuring
the improvement of quality and social and eco-
nomic development.
Accordingly, it is possible to determine the num-
ber of factors that improve the innovation activity
in the regions:
development in the form of material and imma-
terial resources;
• the acquisition by the prior material factors of
the development of the new “knowledge” nature
that causes the “adaptation” to the solution
of problems of creation and development of
regional innovation systems;
• the increase of budget component, which is
focused on the innovation development of the
region (Starikova 2014);
• the emergence of fundamentally new factors of
regional development that are directly related
to the new knowledge and innovation: the flow
of knowledge and technology transfer, creative
staff, etc. (Pelyasov 2012).
It should be noted that regional authorities pay
insufficient attention to the implementation of a
systematic and complex approach to the improve-
ment of innovation activity of the catchment areas
that allows focusing the attention of the widest
range of both internal and external resources on
the solution of problems of regional development.
At the same time, in the context of postindus-
trial society formation, involving global comput-
erization and activation of innovation processes,
the improvement of innovation activity of regional
economies should be considered in the context of
effective engagement in the regional development

7
process of all not only all types of materials but
also various types of immaterial resources. A well-
built regional development strategy is able to join
the efforts of all regional actors as well as to attract
external (including foreign) investors to provide
the efficient use of all resources taken together.
The studies of immaterial resources of the
region as an economic category are insufficient.
Studies conducted in this area are mainly focused
on the corporate level (Bulyga 2014, Gileva 2014,
Hussi 2004, Mokrova 2011, Sullivan 2000).
Unfortunately, the public does not pay attention
to the meaning of immaterial resources (brand of
the region, branding, strategy, etc.) in the regional
development.
The issues of regional development given the
importance of the immaterial component began
to attract increased attention of scientists and
experts with the development of ideas about inno-
vation processes in the regional economy and the
formation of the concept of Regional Innovation
Systems (RIS) from approximately the early 2000s.
Regional innovation systems, bringing together
organizations and institutions, private and public
interests, contribute to the accumulation, use, and
dissemination of knowledge (Doloreux 2003). The
emerging systemic effects encourage enterprises of
a certain region to develop specific forms of capi-
tal that are derived from social relations, norms,
values, and interactions within a society in order
to strengthen the innovative capacity and competi-
tiveness of the region (Asheim & Gertler 2006).
Currently, works on theoretical and applied
nature, devoted to the study of the regional imma-
terial resources formation and their role in ensur-
ing innovation development and competitiveness
of the region have become common (Brumshteyn
2014, Erohina 2015, Labra et al. 2016, Loseva et al.
2014, Yakushkina 2012).
However, there is virtually no work devoted to
the development of methods for the evaluation of
quality of structural components of immaterial
resources of the region, as the most important that
ensures the efficiency of regional innovation sys-
tem. Thus, the analysis of this problem becomes
apparent.
The purpose of the paper is to clarify the con-
tent of the “immaterial resources of the region”
category and the development of assessment meth-
ods to justify the selection of priority directions
of development that contribute to the increase of
innovation activity of regions.
2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Because the “immaterial resources” category is
wide enough for further characteristics, evaluation,
8
and analysis of immaterial resources, it is necessary
to define its key components. It should be noted
that the systematization of the scattered informa-
tion about immaterial resources at the regional
level has not been carried out.
Some researchers distinguish human and social
capitals in the structure of immaterial resources
(Crescenzi et al. 2013, Helliwell et al. 2014, Popa
2010), as well as intellectual property and research
capacity (Bontis 2004, Loseva et al. 2014). The
human capital is a central element of regional
development resources, and the social capital is
considered as a result of the interaction between
formal or informal institutions and labor processes
in a society (Popa 2010).
In some works, it is possible to find the notion
of “immaterial capital” as a combination of all
the knowledge included in the process of creating
economic value, which is regarded as the founda-
tion of economic development of the country
(Dumitrascu & Dumitrascu 2013).
The researchers also noted among the com-
ponents of sustainable long-term growth along
with material resources intangible factors such as
human development, country image, working con-
ditions, environmental situation, the level of inno-
vation development, public sector efficiency, and
national intellectual capital (Navarro et al. 2014).
The immaterial resources of the region can be
represented as an aggregate of the following com-
ponents: intellectual, human and educational pro-
vision, the labor potential of the territory; cultural
and historical heritage and resources of the region;
institutional capital, including high-quality legal
and legislative support of human activity; infor-
mation and consulting capabilities and resources;
political assets, their capacity and the perform-
ance of management; image, brand, reputation
of the region in the perception of public, the out-
side world, and the “allies and enemies” (Erohina
2015).
In our view, the immaterial resources of the
region are the resources used in material and imma-
terial production, which bring income exceeding
real costs on its usage and can participate in the
process of development in immaterial form. It
seems that immaterial resources of the region are
the result of interactions between immaterial and
material resources, economic agents operating in
its territory. The immaterial resources themselves
arise as a result of new and unique knowledge,
which allows not only to estimate the current
state of regional development, but also to deter-
mine the opportunities for economic growth. The
distinctive features of these resources are the lack
of material basis of income and the uncertainty
in the size of future profits and economic benefits
from their use. Therefore, the use of immaterial
resources provides their holder with significant
competitive advantages and additional develop-
ment opportunities.
Because of the information approach, which
has been used in the study, the information and
knowledge, the base of immaterial resources, have
become efficient power in the conditions of inno-
vative economy. The immaterial resources such as
information and knowledge have been classified
into three groups: strategic, administrative, and
intellectual resources of the region, as they are not
homogeneous and perform several functions in the
management of region development.
A strategic resource is defined as a set of nec-
essary tools, coordinated and interfaced with the
development strategy of economic entities of the
region, namely mission, goals, environment analy-
sis, strategic plan, and development scenario.
Administrative resource is a set of manage-
ment tools (e-government, civil servant code,
personnel reserve and vacancies, certification
and recertification of public employees, knowl-
edge management system, quality management
system) as well as the administrative staff with
innovative knowledge, professional competence,
and high moral characters. It is able to increase
the synergistic effect through the efficient use of
all resources (both material and immaterial) and
capabilities of the region that ensure the imple-
mentation of the development strategy of the
subject.
The intellectual resource is a characteristic of
the sustainable ability of the region to innovation-
oriented development. It is characterized by the
innovation activity of enterprises, the costs of
research and development, implementation and
use of the results of scientific and technological
activities in the region for several years.
The quality of immaterial resources that have
been allocated in the study is determined by the
level of susceptibility of the region to the use of
immaterial resources, as well as the degree of
regional activity in the process of their formation.
In accordance with this provision, a productivity-
evaluating indicator of immaterial resources in
the region (KIR) was formalized. The performance
evaluations of strategic, administrative, and intel-
lectual resources of the region were integrated with
the help of such indicator:
K IR = K A ∪ K S ∪ K I (1)
where KN = a coefficient that evaluates the imma-
terial resources of the region (A is administrative,
S is strategic, and I is intellectual).
The methodology of the evaluation of immate-
rial resources of the region (Figure 1), represented
in this study, includes the steps in the calculation of
9
Figure 1. Methodology of the evaluation of immaterial
resources.
the coefficient that assesses the structural elements
of the allocated system of immaterial resources,
integrating their values into a composite index and
interpreting the results.
Step 1. The coefficients that assess strategic (KS)
and administrative (KA) resources can be calcu-
lated by the following formula:
m
∑ m( + )
K in = 1
(2)
m
where n = a strategic or administrative resource
of the i-region (the subject of the Russian Federa-
tion); m = the number of estimated parameters;
and m (+) = the number of positively valued
parameters.
When calculating the coefficient that determines
the strategic resource, we have to evaluate the fol-
lowing parameters: mission, purpose, environment
analysis, strategic plan, implementation tools, and
development scenario.
For the administrative resources, this is an
e-government, civil servant code, personnel reserve
and vacancies, certification and re-certification of
civil servants, knowledge management system, and
quality management system.
Step 2. The assessment of the region’s intellectual
resource should be determined on the basis of
the comparison of actual values of indicators
with the highest possible value, using the fol-
lowing formula:
xij x j min
K ij = (3)
xj x j min
where xij = the actual value of j-index for the
i-region; xjmax = the highest value for the j-index;
and xjmin = the lowest value of the j-index.
The following parameters should be consid-
ered as indicators of the assessment of intellectual
Table 1. Characteristic of values assessment of immate-
rial resources of the region.
Value of composite
coefficients Economic characteristics*
1,0 ≥ KIR ≥ 0,5 High level
0,5 > KIR ≥ 0,2 Middle level
0,2 > KIR ≥ 0,0 Low level
* Proposed by the authors.
property, innovation activity of the enterprises,
and costs of research and development.
The result is three indices that assess the intellec-
tual resource of the region. Each index can range
from 0 to 1, and the best results are characterized
by values close to 1. In order to get a composite
ratio, we should calculate the arithmetic mean of
all the obtained indices of intellectual resource of
the region.
Step 3. The integration into a consolidated indica-
tor of the performance of regional immaterial
resources (KIR) of all the calculated indicators.
The possibility of such integration is due to
bringing the values of the indicators in natural
and cost measurements to a single range:
K IR i K AAii wA K Si wS K Ii wI
where wN = the weight coefficient that reflects the
level of importance of each type of immaterial
resources.
The values of these coefficients characterize
opinions of state and municipal servants, as well
as scientists and business representatives about the
state, development and use of the outlined kinds
of immaterial resources (which can be defined
through the sociological survey data).
Step 4. Interpretation of the results. Because the
maximum value of each coefficient that assesses
the immaterial resources of the region is 1, the
composite indicator (the integrated coefficient)
of the performance of evaluation of immaterial
resources of the region will strive to 1.
Table 1 shows the variants of values assessment
of the region’s development.
On the basis of comparison of data received as
a result of calculations of values with normative
(Table 1), the conclusion about the degree of devel-
opment of any type of immaterial resources is built
up. In case of low and middle level of the immate-
rial resources development, the recommendations for
their improvement are elaborated.
3 METHODS OF TESTING AND ANALYSIS
OF RESULTS
The methodology represented in this paper was
approbated to determine its effectiveness in evaluat-
ing the immaterial resources of regions of the Cen-
tral Federal District of the Russian Federation.
Step 1. On the basis of the characteristics of the
strategic and administrative resources by using
formula (2), we may calculate the coefficient
values that evaluate strategic and administrative
resources of the Central Federal District (cal-
culation results in Table 3). We should use the
information and data published on the official
websites as the values of the estimated param-
eters of each resource.
Step 2. Using the values of parameters moni-
tored by the Federal Service of State Statistics
(Regions of the Russian Federation. Socio-
economic indicators 2015) and formula (3), we
can calculate the values of indices, which charac-
terize the state of the intellectual resource in the
regions of the Central Federal District (Table 2).
Table 2 reveals that the high level of the intel-
lectual resource development is typical for Moscow
and the middle for the Vladimir, Kaluga, Lipetsk,
Kursk, Moscow, Ryazan, and Yaroslavl regions.
About half of the surveyed regions are in the group
(4) of low level of intellectual resource development.
Step 3. We can calculate the values of composite
indicators of the evaluating performance of
immaterial resources of the regions of the Cen-
tral Federal District using formula (4).
In this paper, we use the assumption of the equiv-
alence of all directions in the evaluation of immate-
rial resources due to the possibility of introducing of
equal weighting coefficients using expert method in
the calculation formula. The calculation data are pre-
sented in Table 3 and shown graphically in Figure 2.
The data presented in Table 3 and Figure 2 indi-
cated that Moscow is an obvious leader of the
Central Federal Region in terms of the state of imma-
terial resources. It should be noted that the Belgorod,
Voronezh, Kaluga, Lipetsk, and Moscow regions
demonstrated the highest values. The Vladimir,
Ivanovo, Kursk, Orel, Ryazan, Tambov, Tver, Tula,
and Yaroslavl regions are at the same level with the
index of the integral coefficient close to the extreme
value in the high-level range. The Bryansk, Smolensk,
and Kostroma regions occupy middle positions due
to their low innovation activity. It is possible to raise
the level of these regions due to the development of
intellectual resources, increasing the investment in
scientific research and educational projects.
10
Table 2. Matrix of indices that characterize the state of the regions of the Central Federal District by the level of the
development of intellectual resource (2014).

Indices that assess the intellectual resource of the region

Regions of the
Central Innovation activity Costs of research Composite
Federal District Intellectual property of the enterprises and development coefficient (KI)

Belgorod region 0,096 0,429 0,046 0,190

Bryansk region 0,038 0,172 0,009 0,073
Vladimir region 0,166 0,516 0,115 0,266
Voronezh region 0,307 0,336 0,124 0,256
Ivanovo region 0,506 0,023 0,022 0,184
Kaluga region 0,108 0,289 0,452 0,283
Kostroma region 0,025 0,000 0,000 0,008
Kursk region 0,192 0,305 0,139 0,212
Lipetsk region 0,025 0,984 0,005 0,338
Moscow region 0,321 0,211 0,632 0,388
Orel region 0,147 0,188 0,018 0,118
Ryazan region 0,108 0,555 0,059 0,241
Smolensk region 0,000 0,047 0,041 0,029
Tambov region 0,083 0,242 0,098 0,141
Tver region 0,103 0,156 0,132 0,130
Tula region 0,141 0,578 0,085 0,268
Yaroslavl region 0,173 0,336 0,179 0,229
Moscow 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000

Table 3. Results of the calculation of integral coef-

ficients of the immaterial resources evaluated in the
regions of the Central Federal District (2014).

Values of the
coefficients which Integral
evaluate strategic coefficient,
administrative and which
Regions of the intelligent resources evaluates
Central immaterial
Federal District KC KA KI resources

Belgorod region 1,000 0,833 0,190 0,674

Bryansk region 0,833 0,500 0,073 0,469 Figure 2. Evaluation of immaterial resources in the
Vladimir region 0,833 0,667 0,266 0,589 regions of the Central Federal District (2014).
Voronezh region 1,000 0,833 0,256 0,696
Ivanovo region 0,833 0,667 0,184 0,561
Kaluga region 1,000 0,833 0,283 0,705 In general, the Central Federal District is a
Kostroma region 0,667 0,500 0,008 0,392 leader in social and economic development in
Kursk region 0,833 0,667 0,212 0,571 Russia and also has high levels of the immaterial
Lipetsk region 1,000 0,833 0,338 0,724 resources development, which can be attributed to
Moscow region 1,000 0,833 0,338 0,740 the presence of regions with a high concentration
Orel region 0,833 0,667 0,118 0,539
of researchers and research organizations.
Ryazan region 0,833 0,667 0,241 0,580
Thus, the highest values of the integral coef-
Smolensk region 0,667 0,500 0,029 0,399
ficient, which evaluates the immaterial resources,
Tambov region 0,833 0,667 0,141 0,547
are typical for regions in which the administra-
Tver region 0,833 0,667 0,130 0,543
tion together with the local community pays great
Tula region 0,833 0,667 0,268 0,589
Yaroslavl region 0,833 0,667 0,229 0,576
attention to the development of a modern strategy
Moscow 1,000 0,833 1,000 0,944
of the balanced infrastructure development, pro-
viding conditions for the expanded reproduction

11
of human capital that is the main precondition
and condition for the development of national
innovation systems.
4 CONCLUSIONS
The evaluation technique of immaterial resources,
provided by the paper, has a high practical signifi-
cance as it enables regional authorities to deter-
mine the priority directions for the development
of immaterial resources. The proposed method of
immaterial resources assessment allows to deter-
mine the priorities for the development of immate-
rial resources. It seems that the development and
implementation of a regional development strat-
egy, taking into account the importance of imma-
terial resources in the the conditions of economy
based on knowledge and strategic competence,
is a vital component, which provides the basis of
self-development of the region. The regular evalu-
ation of immaterial resources gives the possibility
to check the correctness of the chosen strategy and
take corrective actions on time.
The results of the study can be the basis for fur-
ther research of actual problems in the evaluation
of immaterial resources of the regions and used in
the improvement of methods for the evaluation of
investment attractiveness and competitiveness of the
regions.
The quantitative evaluation of immaterial
resources of the region remains an open and con-
troversial topic. Supplementing the set of indica-
tors of assessment will provide for a more accurate
and complete description of immaterial resources
of the region for the development of measures for
the regulation of the innovation process.
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 Managing Service, Education and Knowledge Management
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© 2017 Taylor & Francis Group, London, ISBN 978-1-138-03517-1

Development of regional forest potential of Russia in the context of

bio-economic trend

S.V. Makar & A.V. Yarasheva

Financial University, Moscow, Russia

ABSTRACT: In global transition to bio-economy, in addition to implementation of the sustainability

principle, principles of environmental friendliness and energy efficiency play a significant role. From these
positions the authors consider forest sector as a key part of the bio-economy formation in the context
of establishment and expansion of the biofuel market, where a significant place belongs to the market
of wood pellets. Despite the fact that according to public policy of the past two decades national for-
est management issues are given considerable attention, the leading position in current strategy for the
development of Russia’s forest complex until 2020 does not belong to the energy concept. In this regard,
the article highlights trends and processes of supranational (global and regional), national and subna-
tional (regional) level, which form, define and reflect the objective trend—transition to bioenergy, and in
this vector—creation the linkage between bio-economy and development of Russian forest potential. In
the research logical-substantive, statistical, regional, technological-economic, strategic, content analysis,
SWOT analysis, methods of empirical and theoretical generalization are used. Strategic factors of regional
forest potential realization in the context of bio-economy principles are indicated.

1 INTRODUCTION

One of the priority directions of the state and

society activities is nature conservation and envi-
ronmental improvement. According to the Eco-
logical Doctrine of the Russian Federation, the
natural environment should be included in the
system of socio-economic relations as the most
valuable component of the national wealth. The
strategic goal of state policy in the field of ecol-
ogy is preservation of natural systems, maintain-
ing their integrity and life-supporting functions
for sustainable development of society, improve-
ment of life quality, enhancement of population Figure 1. Research methods.
health and demographic situation, preserving
ecological security of the country. The Doctrine
indicates that to achieve this goal it is necessary to methods of logical-substantive, statistical, regional,
ensure rational use of natural resources, introduce technological-economic, strategic, content analysis,
resource-saving and waste-free technologies in all SWOT analysis, methods of empirical and theoreti-
spheres of economic activity, support eco-efficient cal generalization (Fig. 1).
energy production, including renewable sources.

3 RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH

2 RESEARCH METHODS
During the research, the authors used statisti-
cal data of the information-analytical system
Bloomberg Professional, legal sources of the
Russian legislation, as well as scientific findings
of Russian scientists, including copyright, to apply
Table 1 presents data on the contribution of
“green” energy production in the GDP of devel-
oped and developing countries, including coun-
tries of the BRICS group which Russia belongs to.
In European countries and in the U.S., biofuel is
one of the main sources of energy. It is considered

13
Table 1. The share of renewable energy sources in Table 2. CO2 emissions, g/kW/h.
countries GDP%.
Electricity 670
Country 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010
Diesel 350
Brazil −3,48 0,14 3,02 1,91 3,94 7,58 Gas 225
Canada 1,18 2,47 2,22 1,75 3,14 3,08 Pellets 45
China 6,90 7,30 7,70 7,70 9,50 10,60
Eurozone 1,60 0,90 −0,30 −0,90 1,60 2,10 Source: News of gas science. Scientific
France 1,20 0,20 0,70 0,20 2,10 2,00 and technical collection. 2013. 2: 58.
Germany 1,70 1,60 0,30 0,40 3,70 4,10
Italy 0,80 −0,30 −1,70 −2,80 0,60 1,70
India 7,30 6,90 4,73 4,83 7,68 9,35 growth are expected. Foreign forecasts indicate that
Japan 0,53 −0,03 1,38 1,80 −0,45 4,75 by 2020 the annual demand for pellets in Europe
Spain 3,20 1,40 −1,70 −2,60 −1,00 0,00 will be in the range of 80 to 135 million tons. Eco-
United 2,30 2,90 2,20 1,20 2,00 1,50 nomic policy of the EU aims to support the use of
Kingdom biofuel through the mechanisms of subsidies and
United 2,40 2,40 1,50 2,20 1,60 2,50 grants, as well as investments in the construction
States of large power plants on biofuel. Despite the rapid
development of the pellet production the demand
Source: Information-analytical system Bloomberg Pro- in the next 15–20 years will exceed the supply that
fessional, date of reference 13.04.2016. opens well-defined capabilities for Russia.
In terms of Russian analysts [Sidorova, 2012],
according to the forecast of structure of primary
in recalculation of ethanol. World leader in ethanol energy consumption in the world by types of fuel,
production is the USA. Primary production prepared by ERI RAS and Analytical center under
accounts for 11 companies, two of which—Archer- the Government of the Russian Federation, in the
Daniels-Midland and POET Biorefining—have a long term perspective the share of bioenergy in
share in country’s production of more than 10% 2040 compared to 2010 remains without positive
each. In European coutries there are also powerful dynamics—10%, at that the contribution of other
producers of biofuels. Three companies—Abengoa forms of renewable energy is even decreasing (from
SA, Internasional Tereos SA and CropEnergies 32% in 2010 to 26% in 2040).
AG have a market share of over 20% each. At the national level, it should be noted that the
The dominance of renewable sources of energy decree of the President of the Russian Federation
is the attribute of now emerging paradigm of the “About some measures to improve energy and envi-
third industrial revolution, with which leading ronmental efficiency of Russian economy” [Decree
experts [Rifkin, 2014; Bobylev and others, 2014; of the President of the Russian Federation, 2008]
Tkachenko, 2014] link the move to a new bio- is among the most important modern documents
economical way. The reason for the growth of the defining the socio-economic development of the
economic interest to the pellets is that they are country. In addition we should also note the fol-
more environmentally friendly than traditional lowing public documents on energy efficiency and
fuel. Table 2 is a comparative chart of CO2 emis- biotechnology:
sions of various heating systems (electric, light
diesel, gas and pellet). Thus, the reduction of the − Directive of the Government of the Russian
greenhouse effect is apparent, because the wood Federation from May 3, 2013 No. 512-r “On
releases as much CO2, as it took during the growth approval of the state program “Energy effi-
(closed carbon exchange), whereas during the ciency and energy development”.
combustion of fossil fuel, by contrast, carbon acid − An integrated program of biotechnology devel-
collected for millions of years is freed, which leads opment in the Russian Federation for the period
to the increase of CO2 in the atmosphere and the up to 2020. No. 1853—P8 from April 24, 2012.
greenhouse effect. − Federal law from November 23, 2009 No. 261-
It is obvious that the growing popularity of FL “On energy saving and on increasing energy
pellets should be supported politically. Thus, the efficiency and on amendments to certain legisla-
EU Directive required EU countries to increase tive acts of the Russian Federation”.
the share of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) in − The resolution of the Government of the
electricity generation to 20% by 2020. According Russian Federation from December 31, 2009
to experts, the majority of these 20% will belong to No. 1225 “On requirements to regional and
the wood granules, and therefore major changes on municipal programs in the field of energy saving
the European pellet market in the direction of its and energy efficiency”.

14
− The resolution of the Government of the
Russian Federation from May 15, 2010 No. 340
“On the procedure of programs’ requirements
establishment in the field of energy saving and
increase of energy efficiency of organizations
conducting regulated types of activity”.
− The resolution of the Government of the
Russian Federation from October 17, 2009
No. 823 “On schemes and programs of perspec-
tive development of electric power industry”.
As a result of reforming the existing system of
forest Fund state management in accordance with
the Forest code (2006), the efficiency of the forest
industry complex and the viability of forestry are
among modern priorities of the Russian govern-
ment. These questions retain their relevance at the
national level, while regional (subnational) focus is
increasing due to the impact of the forest sector on
the regional situation and the socio-economic situ-
ation of most regions.
It should be emphasized that attention to
forest bioenergy [Kozhukhov and others, 2010;
Buldakov, 2008] opens new possibilities of for-
est potential development for Russia, which are
formed by regional (subnational) determinants:
proximity to markets, availability of free rental
of low-value timber base, the ability to attract
existing producers, increasing opportunities for
small and medium business, the availability of
suitable production sites. Biofuel production is
a promising direction of the national economy
and is scientifically proven as one of the direc-
tions of Russian European part regions forest
potential development [Makar, 2012]. In addi-
tion, forest bioenergy is a factor of spatial
organization of some regions’ regional econ-
omy [Makar, 2013] (in particular, in connection
with transfer of housing sector to wood pel-
lets). Selected variants of wood deep processing
(mechanical, chemical and energy)—as activities
for the production of forest products with high
added value can be the cores of allocated and
formed regional clusters.
The above-mentioned competitive advantages
for the development of energy sphere of wood
deep processing can allow the production of com-
posite materials for energy purposes (pellets) to
become the core of a regional cluster system in the
multi-forest timber and middle-forest developed
regions of the Russian European part [Makar,
2011]. Accommodation of innovative enterprises
for the production of wood fuel pellets in these
regions is linked with the presence of low-grade
wood reserves, wastes of already created timber
production, proximity to markets, opportunities
of domestic consumption. The location of new
production facilities of this profile will lead to
15
optimization of use of both forestry resources and
structure of regional space.
Concepts of domestic biofuel production on
the basis of the best available options of pyrolysis/
gasification of biomass illiquid positioned in
Russia should be mentioned.
At the regional (subnational) level, it is neces-
sary to allocate the basic stages of strategy of
regional forest potential development formation,
which should be specified and detailed with the
region’s peculiarities:
1. General assessment of region’s potential, includ-
ing the place of forest potential and the assess-
ment of the effectiveness of its implementation;
2. SWOT analysis to the strategic choice of prefer-
ences for the development of forest potential of
the region;
3. Analysis of prerequisites of region’s forest-
producing cluster formation;
4. Formation of structure and directions of devel-
opment of the specified cluster and regional
cluster system;
5. Determination of implementation challenges
for the strategy of regional forest potential
development.
Selection and formation of forest-producing
cluster as a spatial component of the regional clus-
ter system based on the energy benefits of wood
deep processing can be visualized from the exam-
ple of the Pskov region [Makar, 2015].
The forest fund of the Pskov region is formed
predominantly (over 60%) by deciduous spe-
cies that are not in demand on the market of
marketable timber. Comparison of the allow-
able volume of wood removal and the actual
workpiece within a region indicates significant
reserves.
To identify strategic preferences of Pskov
region, privileges and restrictions of the Pskov
region’s forest potential development the SWOT-
analysis was conducted. The following advantages
of the region should be mentioned:
1) the unique economic-geographical and geo-
political position (the Pskov region borders with
the Leningrad, Novgorod, Tver, Smolensk regions,
Estonia, Latvia and Belarus), which offers sig-
nificant opportunities for interregional and inter-
national relations; 2) large stocks of hardwood
timber, which are not in demand in the forestry
industry (estimated at 3.3 million m3 per year);
3) relatively developed transport infrastructure
of the region: the average density of the region’s
transport network of all technical categories is
quite high—7.7 km/1000 ha; for the purposes of
forest management all kinds of roads, available for
forest area are used.
 The internal weaknesses of the region include:
1. limited sources of energy—region is experi-
encing an acute shortage of electricity; policy of
the Pskov region in the field of energy supply is
developed and implemented in accordance with the
current Energy strategy of Russia for the period
up to 2030 where it is determined that the state
policy in the sphere of local fuels use will provide
for the restoration and support of local sources of
fuel production development, creation of thermal
power stations and boilers functioning on these
fuel sources (peat, wastes from forest and wood
processing industry). The administration of the
Pskov region adopted a resolution from 18.05.2010
No. 174 “On approval of the regional long-term
target program “Development of the use of peat
and other local fuel types in the Pskov region until
2015 (2010–2014)”; due to its implementation it is
planned to move away from imported fuel—fuel oil
and coal (because it is expensive and directly affects
tariff for the population) and to use local fuels: peat,
wood chips, wood fuel granules (pellets). The total
amount of program funding is 2 billion roubles;
2) depopulation—a demographic situation in the
region requires new ways of energy supply based
on local energy, so that not to spend large funds for
the maintenance of electric networks; this is due to
the fact that in 4,5 thousand out of 8,5 thousand
population centers of the Pskov region live from 3
to 10 people; 3) low level of forest resources usage
potential; 4) decline in investment activity—major
investment projects planned for implementation in
the region including implementation in the forestry
sector are frozen; 5) growth of unemployment and
decline in living standards of the population dur-
ing the late first—early second decades of the 21st
century; 6) decrease in revenues and a rising budget
deficit in the observed period.
Thus, the pursuit of realization of external
conditions for development can help to reduce
intraregional risk and to overcome development
constraints.
To external opportunities we include, first,
the increasing demand for biofuels in Western
European countries, while policy of the EU
favors import of solid biofuels, prices for solid
biofuels tend to increase. Second, the reduction
of employment in the megacities of Moscow and
St. Petersburg can be considered as a possibility
of returning active population to the region and
increasing the flow of qualified personnel. Third,
in the conditions of Federal target programs reali-
zation it is possible to attract additional financial
resources for the formation and development of
innovative industries of strategic regions’ econ-
omy. Thus, there is an opportunity to increase the
presence of the region on external markets.
External threats of region’s development,
which can be differentiated according to the level
16
(scale) as national and supranational, and by
genesis—natural and anthropogenic, include:
1. price growth for traditional energy sources
(natural gas)—in accordance with the plans of the
“Gazprom” concern and Federal Executive author-
ities in the coming years the price of natural gas
for Russian consumers will rise considerably. The
Russian Federation joining WTO will also facilitate
the alignment of internal and external energy prices;
by increasing the cost of gas by 2 times fuel compo-
nent of the heat cost produced by gas boiler will be
equal to the same indicator of boiler working on
fuel granules; 2) climate anomalies—fires, propaga-
tion and introduction of forest (insects) harmful
organisms-pests; 3) food problems related to forest
degradation; 4) risk of economic instability.
On the basis of external opportunities and inter-
nal advantages, in the Pskov region the priority
types of activities should become those associated
with deep processing of wood, which are primarily
determined by the following prerequisites:
− involvement of low-grade wood in processing;
− development of industries using hardwoods;
− feasibility of wood pellets production.
Mentioned conditions indicate the necessity
of attracting investments to create a large pellet
complex, including forest harvesting and deep pro-
cessing of wood raw material, waste logging and
wood processing which is not in demand. Fuel
wood pellets which are supposed to be produced
in the Pskov region, must comply with the require-
ments of the European market of biofuels, which
will increase export potential of the region. This
will make the regional economy more sustainable.
The production, located in the Pskov region, will
be able to compete with European producers due
to the scale of production, but also with large man-
ufacturers from North and South America and
Australia—thanks to lower cost of final products
shipping to customers.
External threats should be prevented, reduced,
neutralized in order to realize internal benefits.
So, with the price growth for traditional energy
sources and the preservation of the production
volumes of thermal energy, environmental indica-
tors of power facilities, working on biomass would
be significantly higher. In the future it will provide
additional increase in domestic demand for alter-
native fuels, primarily for wood pellets.
The establishment of a security management
system for the development of regional forest poten-
tial include prediction of climate processes, moni-
toring of threats, analysis of causes, definition of
temporal and spatial risks, formation (reformation)
of tools to counter threats, and raising social and
environmental responsibility, interdepartmental
and interregional interaction. For the Pskov region
we are talking about integrated use of local fuels
(advantage to environmentally friendly sources of
energy—bio-fuels), waste management of timber
cutting and wood processing (quality of environ-
ment), economic modernization and socio-cultural
spheres (quality of life).
The Pskov region is characterized by a relative
lack of energy resources. However, the presence of
free balances of low-grade wood here stimulates
deep processing of raw materials. The core of the
cluster should become a new production of deep
energy wood processing, that meets the needs of
internal and external wood markets. Thus, regional
project covers:
1) integrated development of timber indus-
try and the creation of bioenergy object; 2) the
development of advanced technologies to improve
performance of wood products, in terms of pro-
cessing low-grade wood, waste timber and wood
processing; 3) support of new markets and increase
of international competitiveness; 4) saving energy
resources and raw materials, complex utilization
of resources and regenerated resources, as well as
prevention of environmental pollution; 5) provi-
sion of employment in rural areas. Competitive
advantages generated in terms of plant project are
determined by large volumes of production, avail-
ability of own raw materials and efficient logistics.
Wood pellet production (as primary production)
will form the structure of the region’s timber cluster
core and will determine the composition of its shell,
proceeding from technological features of fuel pellets
production, consisting of several stages. The manu-
facturing process is designed to work with all types
of raw wood and includes three main phases: prepa-
ration of raw materials, drying of raw materials,
granulation. During preparation it is possible to use
various types of raw materials: round timber, waste
processing (slabs, rods), wood chips, sawdust, etc.
Feasibility of regional boiler-houses transfer to
wood fuel pellets is determined by the following
factors:
• possible saving of the fuel component of the
heat cost (compared to fuel oil and coal);
• savings of other components of the heat cost
price due to the increase of reliability of fuel
supply, automation of fuel burning processes
(compared to oil, charcoal, firewood);
• reduction of ecological load on the region’s
territory through the use of clean fuel and the
simultaneous disposal of wood waste (compared
to oil fuel and coal).
Raw material supply of cluster core in terms of
project is planned to be implemented through the
organization of own timber harvesting on the ter-
ritory of the Pskov region and use of unmarketable
wood as a raw material. Wastes from sawmills and
wood processing industries operating on the region’s
territory can be used as additional raw materials.
17
Non-commodity wood and waste from harvesting
fuelwood (mostly hardwood); pulpwood (coniferous
and deciduous); small timber (coniferous and decid-
uous), and additionally: wood chips, sawdust, slab
(own and third-party wastes from sawmills and wood
processing enterprises), etc. are assumed to be used
as a basic raw material for pellet production. With
total requirement of raw materials of approximately
385 thousand m3 of wood to produce 140 thousand
tons of pellets, from organizational and economic
points of view the volume of private timber harvest-
ing should be limited to 60–65% of total demand.
The remaining volume should be purchased as illiq-
uid at existing loggers. Such an approach will allow
to create illiquid market of wood in the region and
reduce their own costs for logging.
Research of project rationale for creation of
industrial complex for deep energy processing of
wood and for provision of solid biofuels issue on
the territory of the Pskov region, has shown that:
• there are all necessary preconditions and oppor-
tunities to create the complex;
• forest resources of the region fully satisfy the
needs of complex for raw material;
• existing infrastructure allows to organize effec-
tive logistic schemes for the supply of fin-
ished products on the European and domestic
markets;
• the plant’s products are in demand on the
European market, and markets have a steady
growth;
• production of large batches of pellets with a
guaranteed provision of forest has good com-
petitive advantages;
• the possibility of modern equipment applica-
tion in production allows to create the most per-
fect and highly efficient production of granular
biofuel;
• creation of production in the Pskov region will
contribute to solving region’s social and envi-
ronmental challenges, participation in programs
to improve energy efficiency and reduction of
greenhouse gas emissions.
In wood harvesting to produce pellets of hard-
wood it is planned to use 60% of the total volume,
of coniferous—40%. Own logging needs to provide
60% of wood pellet production, 40% of the required
volume of raw materials is planned to get as
wastes. Illiquid wood and logging waste (branches,
branches, tops) will be used for further processing
into fuel pellets or as fuel for the production process.
In addition to the pellet plant in the Pskov region,
it is advisable to organize several venues for recep-
tion and shipment (reboot) of illiquid wood com-
ing from tenants. Wastes, in this case, are assumed
to get at no charge. Considering possible seasonal
fluctuations in the supply of timber, associated with
the spring and autumn thaw at sites located on the
territory of the plant, the possibility of operational
timber reserves accumulation should be foreseen.
The implementation of the project considered
will contribute to:
• effective use of forest fund lands through putting
into operation not in demand plantings of decid-
uous species, died as a result of various reasons
(windfalls, fires, pests, diseases, etc.); rational use
of wood by processing logging wastes, sawmill
and woodworking;
• improvement of environmental situation in the
region through timely felling of over mature
stands, dead wood harvesting, fallen trees and
logging wastes;
• influence growth of the Russian Federation on
the world market of biofuels by substantially
increasing the supply of clean fuel to the EU
countries;
• creation of additional jobs at the manufacturing
complex, lumbering, transportation of wood,
waste and finished products;
• creation of conditions for transition of CHP
and boiler houses in the region on the environ-
mentally friendly fuel that is aimed at the imple-
mentation of the Energy strategy of Russia for
the period up to 2030;
• increase of tax revenues to the Federal and
regional budgets and creation of new jobs as
a result of placing and upgrading production
facilities for wood deep processing.
The ways of strategy of development of the Pskov
region forest potential realization should be repre-
sented in the developed documents of the regional
legislation, aimed at improving the investment cli-
mate, creating economic and legal mechanism of
combating corruption, streamlining of regional
space institutions, developing infrastructure.
It should be emphasized that the priority of the
energy vector of forest potential development is
closely connected with the environmental vector of
its development [Makar, Neshchadin, 2014] and in
each separate subject of the Federation can have
its own specific features [Tsyrenov, Yarasheva,
2012]. The analysis presented above is the proof
of objective need and possibility of changing the
current paradigm of forest management in Russia.
4 CONCLUSIONS
On the basis of conducted research the following
can be concluded:
1. the article reflects the interaction of the three
aspects of mainstreaming: (1) energy efficiency
and environmental friendliness of GDP; (2)
efficiency increase of forest management in the
Russian Federation; (3) opportunities for socio-
economic development of Russian regions;
18
2. the research presents three spatial levels of
economic development: global, national and
regional (subnational);
3. reflection of the world’s bioeconomical trend
through a national problem priorities and their
reflection in the regional context is shown, that
distinguishes the present study from the previ-
ous ones, predominantly “sectoral” by nature.
Discussion of the individual research posi-
tions in the context of condition analysis, capac-
ity assessment and refinement of policies of the
Northwestern Federal district regions’ develop-
ment was held at the session of the International
Academy of regional cooperation and develop-
ment (Pskov, 2015), the study of materials from
the standpoint of building innovative models
of regional cluster systems in the framework of
the scientific-practical conference “Innovative
economy and regional industrial policy” (Saint-
Petersburg, 2016) is planned to be considered.
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 CHAPTER XX
A MISSION OF MERCY

To some of the boys the day seemed unusually long. Their restless
spirits chaffed under the strain of doing nothing save looking after the fire,
lying around talking, roaming through the woods at that end of the island,
reading, and at noon eating the meal that had been prepared.
Possibly except for the restraining influence of Mr. Holwell and Mr.
Bartlett and the knowledge that they would forfeit certain privileges if they
broke the posted rules of the camp, Eddie Grant and the two other mill
boys, perhaps Nat Silmore and his chums also, might have gone off in one
of the boats to fish.
But to Dick and some of the others that was a day long to be
remembered. Mr. Holwell talked more about his early struggles and
difficulties than they had ever heard him do before. They learned that he
had had a most adventurous career up to the time he decided to follow the
ministry for a calling.
It was about three in the afternoon, and some of the boys were sighing
over the fact that the day still had several more hours to run, when there
came a sudden interruption of the Sunday quiet that enveloped the camp.
“Listen!” exclaimed Dan Fenwick, jumping up. “Some one’s coming
through the brush back yonder. Lickety-split, too!”
All could hear the noise made by the hurried passage of some body; and
more than one boyish face lost much of its usual color as the lads
exchanged uneasy glances.
“What if it’s the wild man?” ventured Andy Hale, thus voicing the
alarm that had begun to hammer at every heart.
“Wow! get your clubs, everybody, and stand ready to repel boarders!”
snapped Peg, immediately pouncing on the handy camp hatchet.
“Hold on, fellows,” Dick called out. “It’s a man, you can see, and he
looks to me as though he might be more frightened than we are. See, he’s
waving his hands.”
“Why, seems as if I ought to know that man!” exclaimed Fred
Bonnicastle just then. “Yes, sure as you live, it’s the farmer we got the
butter and eggs from.”
“Say, I bet you he’s run across the monster that gave us the scare the
other day!” ventured Nat Silmore. “Now, mebbe you’ll believe what we
told you.”
The farmer soon reached the camp. He was breathing hard, but tried, as
best he could, to talk. It was to Mr. Holwell he addressed himself, for he
saw that the minister was older than any of the rest and looked as though he
might be in charge.
“I thought you were camping on the other site,” he stammered; “so I
landed at the wrong place. Oh! I want somebody to go back with me and try
to stop the bleeding, or I’m afraid the poor lad will not last long, and I never
could get to town, for my horse is sick.”
“What does this mean, my friend?” asked Mr. Holwell, laying a kindly
hand on the agitated farmer’s arm, to calm him, for he was very much
excited.
“My little boy managed to cut his foot frightfully with the axe,”
explained the man, drawing a deep breath; “and I’m a poor hand at anything
like binding up a bleeding artery. My wife has done the best she knew how,
but in spite of the rags she tied around his leg it keeps on bleeding. Say
you’ll come back with me, please, and do something for my poor little
Josh!”
“To be sure we will!” cried the minister. “It’s Sunday, but the better the
day the better the deed. One whom we love and worship went about doing
good on the seventh day of the week. I’ll be ready in a minute, my friend.
Dick, I’d like you—yes, and Leslie also, to accompany me. Perhaps Mr.
Rowland will come with us, if you, Harry, can get along here with both of
your assistants gone.”
“To be sure, Mr. Holwell. We are all under your direction and at your
disposal, you know.”
 Some of the other boys would have been glad to go along, but evidently
Mr. Holwell thought he had enough helpers.
“We’ll use one of our boats,” he said as they gathered, ready to depart
on their mission of mercy. “We’ll save considerable time by not pushing
through the woods to where you landed, sir. Later on you can recover your
skiff.”
Accordingly, they started. Dick rowed across to the mainland, and as the
lake chanced to be very still he found little difficulty in making fast time.
Leslie was fairly itching to take a turn, but Dick laughingly declared he
could do his rowing on the way back.
Upon landing they pulled the boat up on the shore, and then, with the
farmer acting as pilot, the expedition of relief set forth. Their pilot knew
every foot of ground in that neighborhood, and followed a trail that the
boys, thanks to his advice, had used in coming back from their visit to his
farm in search of provisions.
Now and then the worried father would turn to Mr. Holwell, and the
piteous look on his face always brought forth words of hope and cheer from
the kind-hearted minister, who knew full well how the man was suffering.
After a short time the party reached the farm. The man hurried them
across by way of a short-cut, meanwhile shouting to his wife that he had
brought help.
She met them at the door, a pleasant, motherly looking woman, though
just then white of face, and evidently suffering greatly.
“Is he still alive, Mother?” gasped the farmer.
“Yes, but the wound still bleeds in spite of everything I can do to stop
it!” she told him. Then her eyes fastened on the minister, whose calling she
could guess from his white cravat and clerical clothes, donned because of
the day. “And oh! sir, I do hope you can do something to help save our boy,
even as the Master whom you preach went about doing good for those in
trouble,” she pleaded.
“We will do everything possible,” said Mr. Holwell, quietly. “I know
very little about surgery myself, but Mr. Rowland, here, has some surgical
knowledge, and I’ve heard it said that one of these boys has done things that
have won him warm praise from Doctor Bowen in Cliffwood. Please take
us to the lad, Madam.”
They found Josh in a bad way, and looking ghastly white, for he had
indeed lost a large amount of blood. It was Leslie Capes of whom the
minister had spoken so highly as they entered the house. Mr. Rowland had
before this discovered Leslie’s dexterity and ability, and motioned to him to
go ahead with the work, standing back ready to give instant help if
necessary. Without a second’s delay Leslie undid the rude bandages with
which the anxious parents had swathed the limb, and exposed the gash.
It was indeed a serious wound, and if no help had come, within another
hour or so the boy would probably have died from loss of blood. Dick
himself could see that neither of the parents knew the first thing about
anatomy, or where to place the knot when they tried to form a tourniquet
that could be twisted, and by pressure on the artery cause the bleeding to
cease.
The two boys set to work with a vim that pleased Mr. Holwell and Mr.
Rowland exceedingly, and it was pitiful to see how the distracted father and
mother followed every little move the amateur surgeons made.
First of all Leslie constructed a new tourniquet, and managed to stop the
loss of precious life fluid. Then he had the mistress of the house fetch him
warm water and a basin, and washed the boy’s foot and leg, after which he
bound the limb up.
“You must hurry over to your nearest neighbor, Mr. Jones,” he told the
farmer, “and borrow a horse, so as to go to town for a doctor. That artery
will have to be sewed, and I’m not quite able to tackle such a job yet,
though I hope to do it in time. This tourniquet will prevent the blood from
coming, though it isn’t good to keep it on for more than a few hours.”
“Then you think he’ll pull through all right, do you, Doctor?” asked the
mother, so filled with gratitude that she gave Leslie a title that he was proud
of ever afterwards.
“Not any doubt about it,” he told her, so warmly that the man and his
wife turned and looked into each other’s eyes, and then cried for sheer joy
as they embraced each other.
 Mr. Holwell saw to it that the farmer hurried off to the neighbor’s
house, which lay a mile or so further on. He could get a horse there, and
reach the nearest town.
Of course none of the party felt like returning to the camp until it was
known that the doctor had been reached; so they spent the rest of that never-
to-be-forgotten Sunday afternoon on the farm. The good woman of the
house bustled about from time to time when she dared leave her boy, and
saw to it that the visitors were well looked after, pressing fresh buttermilk
upon them, apples and cake and everything that she thought the heart of a
genuine boy could wish for.
Finally, when it was getting along toward sunset they heard an
automobile coming, and upon sighting it discovered that the farmer, as well
as a fat little man with a professional air, occupied the seat of the runabout.
When the physician looked at Leslie’s work he smiled and patted the
boy patronizingly on the head.
“Keep on doing this sort of thing, son,” he observed, “and some of these
days you are bound to be a good surgeon. I never saw a finer bit of work
done, and I’ve been an army surgeon in my time, too, during the Spanish-
American war.”
Mr. Holwell said that since they were no longer needed it would be wise
for his party to take its departure, especially since the trail led through the
dark woods, and they had some two miles to cover before arriving at the
lake. So, overwhelmed by the gratitude of Josh’s parents, they presently
started forth.
In the gloaming they covered the last half mile of their journey, and the
thoughts of the kind-hearted minister were very pleasant ones as he
considered that he had been given a gracious opportunity to follow in the
footsteps of Him who delighted in going about, Sunday or week-day, doing
good to all who were in distress.
“There, you can see the light of our campfire over the water!” said
Leslie, presently. “And we’ll soon be in the boat pulling across. My turn to
row, remember, Dick, if you please.”
 CHAPTER XXI
THE BROTHERLY SPIRIT

“Tell us all about it, please!” was the way the party was greeted as the
boat drew to shore.
“Will little Josh get over his hurt, do you think?” asked Ban Jansen.
“And did Leslie, here, show what he could do along the line of first aid
to the injured?” demanded Elmer Jones. “I’ve seen him do stunts that took
my breath away, and I just guess he ought to be able to stop an artery from
bleeding.”
“That was just what he did, I’m proud to say,” the minister announced.
At this there were whoops of delight, and many heavy slaps dropped on
Leslie’s back as they started up to the camp, where Sunny Jim had supper
ready.
While they sat around the supper table the story was soon told,
interrupted from time to time as some one wished to learn a few more
particulars. Mr. Holwell and their physical director could not say enough
about the work of the boys who had accompanied them.
“I’m constantly being reminded,” the minister went on to remark, “of
the fact that boys of to-day are away ahead of those of my generation in a
good many ways. They are learning to do all sorts of things calculated to
make them better citizens of our glorious republic when they grow up. I
take it that there are myriads of lads who are capable of stanching a
bleeding wound just as Leslie did this afternoon; of bringing back the
breath of life to a boy who has apparently been drowned; and in fact of
doing a dozen similar deeds of incalculable value.”
“How about another trap, Dan?” asked Andy Hale, as they sat around
later on that Sunday evening.
Mr. Bartlett had given them a short talk that he thought they might
appreciate, since it was not at all in the nature of a sermon. It really
interested even such indifferent fellows as Nat and Dit and Alonzo, who had
never had thrust upon them the idea of looking upon any one day of the
week as differing from the rest.
“Yes, that’s so, Dan, what do you expect to do about it?” Peg added.
“Are you ready to cry quits with one knock-down?”
“I don’t know just yet,” admitted Dan, shaking his head dubiously. “I
might try to get up another sort of scheme, but let me tell you it’s no joke to
make a trap able to hold a giant like that. Why, he broke oak limbs as if they
were paper. He must be a terribly strong man, if that’s any sign.”
Dan was deeply puzzled. Dick did not wonder at it either; and if he had
been asked he would have found it difficult to suggest a plan whereby the
mysterious prowler could be secured without hurting him to any extent.
The campers spent a quiet evening. There was considerable singing, but
Mr. Bartlett saw to it that the choruses were all of a character suited to the
day. The entire group of boys joined in, and they made a volume of sound
that carried far across the lake, and might even have been heard miles away
on the other side of Bass Island.
Then Leslie, who had a splendid tenor voice, obliged them on request
with a number of songs that were old favorites with Mr. Holwell.
“I must say,” remarked that pleased gentleman, “I have never heard
them sung better, or under more romantic surroundings than here and now. I
assure you all I shall write this little camping trip down as one of the most
enjoyable experiences of my whole life. I am glad to be with you, boys,
glad to feel that all of us are here to have a good time, and to be helpful to
each other.”
Even Nat and his pair of cronies seemed to be fairly satisfied. As for
Eddie Grant, Cub Mannis and Ban Jansen, they frankly admitted they had
never in all their lives enjoyed anything one half so much.
“Mr. Bartlett has promised to let some of us go off with you in the
morning, Eddie,” remarked Dick, casually, as they sat together during the
evening, “to see if we can beat you three filling a bucket apiece with
blueberries. It’s too bad that you should have to spend so much of your time
while up here doing that sort of thing; and we mean to fix it so you’ll have
more time off, anyhow.”
 The three mill boys looked as though they could not find words to
express their gratitude. It was not the fact that they wanted to shirk work.
They had always been forced to labor for their living; but the idea of any
one voluntarily offering in this brotherly way to assume their tasks in order
to let them have a little enjoyment touched their hearts deeply. This outing
on the part of the mill boys, along with their pleasant intercourse with the
others, was bound to have an influence upon Eddie Grant’s crowd. Mr.
Holwell and Mr. Bartlett both felt sure there would be an accession to the
club from the mill part of Cliffwood’s young people when the three boys
got back to town, and they could tell what a glorious time they had
experienced.
Some of the boys wondered when the time came to go to bed whether
they would be disturbed again by a visit from the unknown creature that had
taken to prowling about the camp on Bass Island. Most of them, however,
were of the opinion that what had happened on the preceding night might
deter the wild man from making any more of his visits, at least until several
days had passed.
Nevertheless, it was to be noticed that some of them took especial pains
to examine the fastenings of the tents close to their heads. Dick playfully
asked Peg Fosdick if he anticipated another thunder-storm some time in the
night and feared that a wild wind might carry the covering away and leave
them exposed to the weather, that he was so particular about having the
lashings of the tent secure, and the various pegs well driven into the ground.
Nat pretended to be above these petty weaknesses. He imagined that
Alonzo and Dit after his disclosure of a panicky condition on the other day
were thinking less of his boasted valor, so he boldly declared his intention
of sleeping right out in the open, if the camp director allowed him the
privilege.
“It’s all right for those that feel timid to huddle like a flock of sheep in
under the canvas,” he remarked with a sneer. “But shucks! what do I care
about this here old wild man of the woods. If he comes bothering around
me, I’ll pretty soon show him what’s doing. Nothing’d tickle me more’n to
have him bend down and let me get my arms twisted around his neck. I’d
soon make all your slick traps, Dan Fenwick, look like thirty cents. Huh!”
 The last the others saw of Nat he had actually placed his blanket in the
open and was making ready to “camp out” in truth. It must have been like
balm to his heart when Alonzo remarked:
“Gee whiz! I don’t see how you’ve got the nerve to do it, Nat. I
wouldn’t like to be in your boots, that’s all I can say.”
The night was not half over when again the sleepers were awakened—
this time by a wild shriek close at hand. And as the boys came tumbling out
it was to see Nat rolling about in his blanket and shouting amidst its folds.
 CHAPTER XXII
WHAT NAT SAW

“Nat’s got a fit!” yelled Andy Hale, giving vent to the first thought that
flashed into his mind when he saw the other carrying on so wildly.
“More likely the wild man tackled him!” cried Peg Fosdick.
“Whee! hold on to him then, Nat! Don’t let him get away!” Eddie Grant
admonished, while Clint Babbett added to the din by adding:
“We’re right here, Nat, ready to help you! Sic him, Nat. Get a strangle
hold on the ferocious burglar!”
Suddenly Nat stopped whirling about so furiously. He even managed to
poke his tousled head from under the folds of his blanket, and seemed to
squint cautiously about him, much as a tortoise does after an alarm.
“Is it gone?” he demanded, faintly, as though short of breath.
“What ails you, Nat?” asked Dick.
“Been having an attack of the nightmare, I reckon, and dreamed he saw
something as big as a house and as ugly as Bill Biddon’s bulldog!” snapped
Dan Fenwick, with a perceptible sneer in his voice.
It was noticed that neither Alonzo Crane nor Dit Hennesy uttered a
single word. Apparently they knew Nat would not act in this way simply
after having had a silly dream. Both of them had been in his company that
afternoon in the woods of Bass Island when Nat claimed to have seen the
unknown monster that was haunting their camp.
“Say, what d’you take me for, anyway?” demanded Nat, as he crawled
out of the tangled folds of his blanket, and looked defiantly around him. “I
tell you I’ve seen a terror of the woods all right, and I only hope never to set
eyes on the same again. If I had my way I’d start for Cliffwood to-morrow.
I didn’t come up here to have Old Nick, or something just as bad, play leap-
frog over me, I want you to know.”
 Some of the boys could be heard muttering to themselves. Plainly these
strange words on the part of Nat gave them cause for worry.
“Tell us all about it, Nat, won’t you?” pleaded Alonzo, who was looking
rather white under the eyes, Dick noticed—a plain indication of a craven
spirit, boys are always ready to avow.
“Oh! I’m willing to tell all I know,” replied the other, readily enough,
“even if ’tisn’t much. When a feller gets waked up all of a sudden like, and
sees such a thing hoppin’ right over him, he’s not agoin’ to stop and take
too long a look. I own up I ducked under the blanket right away, and started
rollin’ around, meanin’, of course, to keep it from grabbin’ hold of me.”
“What was it like, Nat?” asked Dick, while Mr. Holwell stood by an
interested listener, a puzzled expression on his kindly face. Mr. Bartlett and
the physical director were also on hand, while a black face thrust out from
the cook tent told that Sunny Jim was listening.
“Oh! say, when I try to tell you I just seem to get all balled up,”
complained the boy who had been the cause of the midnight alarm.
“But you can give us some idea,” persisted Dick. “Already you’ve gone
and compared it to Satan himself. Did he have a forked tail and cloven
hoofs?”
Nat failed to catch the satire in Dick’s question and voice.
“I shouldn’t be ’tall surprised if it did,” he calmly replied, “though I
don’t want to exactly say I seen all that. But I give you my honest word,
cross my heart, if it didn’t look like it must a come from down below. Ugh!
but it certainly gimme a bad feelin’.”
“Must have thought they’d sent for you, on account of some of the
fierce things you’d done in the past, eh, Nat?” quizzed Peg, boldly, for he
knew the bully of Cliffwood was in no frame of mind to take offense just
then, and pick a quarrel.
“Never you mind what I thought, Peg Fosdick!” said the other, still
trembling. “If you’d had the same experience I did, I reckon your nerves’d a
been shaky too.”
“Which way did it seem to go after jumping over you, Nat?” asked
Dick, bent on extracting all the information possible from the alarmed one
while the incident was still fresh in his memory. Later on he would be apt to
become hazy about particulars, and even contradict himself it might be.
“Shucks! as if I bothered much takin’ any notice of such foolish little
things as that,” replied Nat. “The only thing I do recollect was that it
hopped over me comin’ from the left side. So I rolled the other way, you
see.”
“And you lay down with your head toward the north, didn’t you, Nat?”
came from Leslie, who realized that Dick was trying his best to get hold of
some sort of clue, though really it did not appear to matter much.
“Here’s the way I was lyin’, so you can figure it out for yourselves,”
said the other, throwing himself down for a moment, and then regaining his
feet to continue his tale.
“But you want to understand that I’m done sleepin’ out here alone after
this. I ain’t hankerin’ about bein’ waked up to find things like that playin’
leap-frog over me.”
He picked up his blanket with an air of determination that could not be
mistaken. Dick understood from this that Nat must have been pretty badly
frightened by his sudden awakening, and what he claimed to have seen.
These things aroused in Dick’s mind a greater determination than ever
to learn the answer to the puzzle before leaving Bass Island. When the
morning came one of the first things he meant to devote his attention to was
searching for a clue to the character of the unknown terror.
It was not very pleasant standing around in the chilly night air, and
lightly clad at that, so when Mr. Bartlett suggested that they turn in again no
one offered any objection.
If the unknown creature that had taken to haunting Russabaga Camp
came again between midnight and the break of day no one was any the
wiser for his visit. With the first streaks of early dawn there were signs of
activity about the camp, and one by one the boys began to make their
appearance.
There was a chill in the air on this morning, making it quite different
from several preceding ones, and many of the boys were seen to shiver
when indulging in the usual morning dip.
 But it would have to be something wonderful that could hinder those
amazing appetites of theirs from gripping them. Every one seemed anxious
to have a hand in assisting Sunny Jim in getting breakfast, until Mr. Bartlett
was compelled to call half a dozen of the boys away.
“‘Too many cooks spoil the broth,’” he told them. “You’re only
hindering Jim when you hang around that way. Some of you swing the axe,
and cut more firewood. It disappears mighty fast, you notice. Others can
fetch the blankets out and fasten them on the lines for their morning airing.”
In the end breakfast was announced. The main dish on this morning
consisted of fried slices of home-cured ham and fresh eggs turned over in
the skillets. There was besides plenty of boiled hominy, of the fine variety
which in the South goes by the name of “grits.” To finish up with all the
pan-cakes were provided that any boy could swallow. They were, however,
called “flap-jacks” by the campers, it being understood that a heavy fine or
penalty awaited the one who dared designate them as “griddle-cakes,” “pan-
cakes,” or “flannel-cakes.” That would make them feel as if they were
eating at home, with a white table-cloth and china in evidence, instead of
off in the wilds far from the busy haunts of men.
There were some other “haunts” apparently, that bothered several of the
boys considerably, Nat in particular. He had not recovered from his shock
of the preceding night, nor could any of the other boys find it in their hearts
to blame him very much.
Nat Silmore had always been known as a bully, afraid, in fact, of
nothing that walked on two legs; and to hear him candidly admitting that he
was genuinely disposed to quit the camp on account of his anxieties gave
several of the boys a feeling of real alarm.
Dick managed to get Leslie aside after they had finished breakfast,
though most of the others still lingered at the table. In fact some of them
could not find the heart to get up so long as a single “flap-jack” remained.
“What do you think of it?” Dick asked his best chum.
“I have to jump at conclusions when you fire that question right at me,”
replied Leslie, with a broad smile; “so I reckon you must mean about the
thing Nat saw, or thought he saw last night.”
 “Well, I’ve been turning it all over in my mind,” continued Dick,
frankly, “and have come to the conclusion that he must have seen
something. Nat isn’t a timid chap by any means, as every one knows; and if
you watch him right now you’ll notice how he keeps looking to the right
and left all the while he eats. He’s half expecting to have something jump
out at him.”
“That’s right, as sure as you live,” admitted Leslie. “If things keep on
like this much longer, Dick, our camping trip will be spoiled. Why, none of
the fellows will care to wander into the woods, and before we came they
had laid out all sorts of schemes that would take them there.”
“Yes, I know they had planned to explore every foot of Bass Island,”
said Dick, moodily. “They’re beginning to care only for going out on the
water.”
“Humph! a good reason why,” grunted Leslie. “That mysterious wild
man can’t get them out there, it seems. Yes, just as you say it threatens to
upset all our jolly plans. What’s got to be done about it, Dick? I’m ready to
try anything you say.”
Dick scratched his head as if in deep thought.
“Well,” he remarked, finally, “of course one of the first things I did this
morning was to get down on my hands and knees and examine the ground
where Nat says he was sleeping when he woke up to see something jump
over him.”
“And did you make any discovery worth while, Dick?”
A shake of the head answered this question even before Dick could
frame words to reply.
“Why, no, I can’t say I did,” he went on to say. “The fact of the matter is
the ground was so well tramped over that there couldn’t be any way of
finding the footprints of the wild man, even if he did hop over Nat as he lay
there. I had to give up in the end, and call it a bad job.”
“I’m sorry for that,” said Leslie, who apparently had begun to indulge in
the hope that his clever friend might have come upon a clue.
“But there’s another chance for us,” ventured Dick.
 “To find a track, you mean, do you?” questioned Leslie, taking fresh
courage.
“Why, somehow or other,” Dick explained, “none of us thought to look
closely into that trap of Dan’s which was smashed by the wild man the
other night. Now, let’s the two of us slip away as soon as the morning
service is over without telling any one what’s in the wind. We can prowl
around there, and see if some sort of sign is to be picked up that will give us
the clue we want.”
As soon as the religious service, which was held every morning after
breakfast, was over, Dick whispered to his chum:
“Let’s be moving, Leslie, while the crowd is still sitting around. Mr.
Holwell seems to be telling them one of his stories about his experiences.
Every little while something that happens seems to stir up his memory. He’s
seen a heap of queer things in his day.” Accordingly, the pair walked away
unnoticed by any of their comrades.
 CHAPTER XXIII
THE TELLTALE FOOTPRINT

As the spot Dick and Leslie were heading for lay only a short distance
away from the heart of the camp the two boys quickly reached it. They
could plainly hear the laughter of the others when the minister reached
some comical part in his story of the early experiences associated with his
checkered career.
“Here’s the wreck of Dan’s trap,” remarked Leslie. “He lost heart when
the wild man smashed things so easily, and hasn’t managed to hatch up
another scheme to catch him, though I know he’s thinking about it all the
time.”
“Let’s take up every piece of wood first, and see if they can tell us
anything,” suggested Dick.
Leslie looked as though for the life of him he could not see how a mere
piece of broken branch could speak and explain; but at the same time he
knew Dick must have a meaning attached to his words.
Accordingly, they commenced to handle the remnants that told of Dan’s
wonderful trap, which had failed to hold the wild man.
Leslie suddenly heard his chum give a low bubbling cry.
“What have you found?” he asked, hurriedly, all excitement.
“Come here and see,” he was told.
“Well, I declare! that’s a bunch of hair clinging to a broken bit of wood,
or I miss my guess!” ejaculated Leslie Capes almost immediately.
“And sort of reddish-brown hair at that, you notice,” Dick told him.
“That must have come from the hide of an animal, mark you, and not from
a man at all!”
“Gee whittaker, Dick! What are you saying?”
“The wild man, as we’ve been calling him, isn’t a human being at all, it
seems,” Dick continued, slowly, as though he were trying to grasp a
stupendous idea.
“But, Dick, don’t forget that Nat has seen the creature twice now,”
urged Leslie.
“I know that,” admitted Dick.
“Yes, and there was Alonzo Crane and Dit Hennesy, too, who told us
they glimpsed him before he vanished into the brush. All three vowed it
was a short-looking man with awfully broad shoulders and long arms, and
that he bent over as he moved.”
“Granting all that,” persisted Dick, clinging to his rapidly forming
theory, “it could have been an animal just the same.”
“A four-footed animal do you mean, Dick?”
“Why not?” came the steady reply. “Some animals that can be called
four-footed sometimes walk on their two hind feet, such as monkeys and
apes. Even bears can do the trick without much trouble; and we’ve seen
elephants dancing in a circus, keeping their forelegs elevated all the while.”
Leslie gave a whistle to indicate his surprise.
“Look here, Dick, you’re getting close to the truth of this mystery, I just
know it from your ways. Tell me what you think, please, Dick.”
“Wait a bit,” admonished the other. “Let’s look around here and see if
we have any better luck than I did in the camp.”
“You mean hunting for signs, don’t you?”
“Yes, see if you can run across any footprint that doesn’t look like those
the boys would make with their shoes,” he was advised.
Both busied themselves at that, bending low the better to examine
closely every foot of the neighboring ground. It was Leslie who gave
utterance to a cry this time.
“Oh! come over here, Dick!” he exclaimed, as though thrilled by a
discovery he had made. “I’ve found something!”
When Dick bent over and took a look he laughed.
“Just what I was expecting we’d run across somewhere around,” he
said. “The plain imprint of a bare foot! And no human being, wild man or
not, ever made that mark, let me tell you, Leslie.”
“It does look somewhat queer I own up, Dick.”
“For a human being I should say it was impossible,” continued the
other. “Notice its peculiar shape in the first place. And the foot is hardly
longer than the toes. Yes, and they’ve got long nails on them in the bargain.
There’s also a pad to the sole that no human ever has.”
Leslie’s eyes were staring. He turned them on his companion with an
interrogation point in each orb. Somehow Dick was usually to be depended
on to rise to an occasion like this, and find out the truth. His chums had
long ago learned how absolutely they could depend on him when the
necessity arose.
“What sort of animal, Dick, would have feet like those?” he asked,
boldly.
“WHAT SORT OF ANIMAL WOULD HAVE FEET LIKE THOSE?” HE
ASKED.
 “Well, a gorilla might, for one,” Dick declared.
No wonder Leslie gasped his amazement.
“A gorilla, Dick? An ape loose in the woods on Bass Island! Why,
surely I must be dreaming, or else you’re joshing me.”
Dick, however, stuck to his guns manfully.
“Remember, Leslie,” he went on to say, steadily, “I can’t even guess
how such an animal could get across from the mainland, even granting that
one escaped at some time from a menagerie that was wrecked in a storm.
We’re dealing with facts now, not theories. There’s an animal over here,
because some of our crowd have seen it, and all of us have looked on the
wreck of the trap set to hold it. I honestly and truly believe it’ll turn out to
be a gorilla.”
“Well, let’s figure out how that explanation agrees with what we know,”
was the sensible way Leslie commenced. “All the boys who have glimpsed
the creature agreed that it was short in stature, and with broad shoulders, as
well as long arms. I remember that gorillas are built that way, Dick.”
“Yes, and travelers say they are very powerful,” added the other. “I’ve
read how a wounded gorilla will snatch the rifle out of a hunter’s hands, and
twist the barrel as easily as if it were made of wire, tying it in a knot.”
“So he would have no trouble in smashing Dan’s silly trap, that’s right,”
Leslie went on to say. “Yes, and I can also remember reading, Dick, that
such an animal, when it gets mad, thumps on its chest and makes a
rumbling sound like the beating of a drum.”
“Sure enough!” Dick exclaimed, smiling with glee over the probability
of having solved the mystery that had been haunting the camp so long,
“didn’t the boys tell all about hearing some one drumming, when they
glimpsed the wild man as they thought, going through the brush?”
“Dick, I do believe we’ve solved the puzzle at last!”
“I’m dead sure of it!” Dick declared, “after finding this telltale scrap of
reddish hair on the stick, and seeing that queer footprint. One thing certain,
it’s likely we’ll never know just how the creature managed to get across
here.”
 “You mean from the mainland, I suppose,” ventured Leslie. “Can a
gorilla swim, do you think, Dick?”
“I don’t know, but I should say not,” came the dubious reply.
“Well, then we’ll just have to make a stab at it, and let the thing go at
that,” Leslie continued, philosophically. “Mebbe the beast was on a log that
drifted away from the shore when he was washing his face or trying to
catch a fish for his dinner—if gorillas ever eat such things, which I doubt.
Then the floating log carried him across to the island, and he’s been
marooned here ever since. How about that for an explanation, Dick?”
“For want of a better it will have to stand, I suppose,” Dick told him.
“But let’s go and give the rest of the bunch a surprise.”
Leslie, of course, was willing, and away they hurried to startle their
camp-mates with the recital of the discovery they had just made.
Every one had to examine the stick that had the clump of dun-colored
hair fastened to its splintered part. Then all rushed to the spot where the
remains of the man-trap lay scattered around, Dick taking care that no one
crowded so close as to endanger the strange and telltale footprint.
Long and earnestly every boy gazed at this mark. Queer feelings came
over them as they realized that in all probability Dick had indeed solved the
mystery.
Nat in particular was triumphantly declaring that he had been
vindicated.
“Say, what did I tell you?” he demanded of Dan and Peg as a grin crept
over his face. “A gorilla can hop if it wants to, can’t it? Well, that’s what the
critter did with me when it saw me startin’ to sit up. And say! ain’t a gorilla
somethin’ like a short, squatty man with wide shoulders and long arms?
Well, didn’t all three of us try to describe the thing we saw in the brush like
that? Huh! next time don’t get quite so fresh with your remarks, Peg
Fosdick!”
“Oh, so far as that goes, Nat,” the other said humbly enough, “we all
admit that you must have been right. Yes, and I’ll go further when I say that
if a gorilla hopped over me in the night, and I saw him, I’d think it was the
Old Scratch himself. You’re all right, Nat, even if you were scared half to
death.”
Nat flared up as though inclined to resent this imputation regarding his
well-known courage. On second thought, however, he held his tongue.
Perhaps he remembered that he had frankly admitted being frightened. And
on the whole the sooner that matter was dropped the better.
Mr. Holwell, as well as the other two gentlemen, had, of course, taken a
decided interest in all that passed. In this he found a good reason for adding
to the high opinion he already had concerning Dick’s abilities. Any boy
who could figure out an answer to such a baffling mystery deserved worlds
of credit, and the minister was prouder of Dick than ever.
Indeed, Mr. Holwell was feeling more and more pleased every day, that
he had decided to take a little vacation and spend it on Bass Island in camp
with the boys of the Junior Department of the local Y. M. C. A. He dearly
loved to study boy-nature, and watch the development of those faculties
that in the years to come might carry the possessors on to fame or fortune.
Clint Babbett was coaxed to get his camera and take a photograph of the
strange footprint. He had more or less trouble in arranging things to suit his
ideas, but after several attempts declared that he believed he had succeeded,
and, in time, when he had developed that film, they would be able to prove
their claim by displaying an exact reproduction of the telltale track. Others
who possessed cameras were not deterred from trying the same task.
“But I hope we don’t let it go at that, fellows,” the first photographer
said, after completing his last effort.
“Not much,” remarked Andy Hale. “Some of the knockers down in
Cliffwood wouldn’t believe a word of what we said unless we had better
proof to show than just a picture of some marks on the ground. Why, they’d
claim we’d made them in order to pull the wool over their eyes.”
Looks were exchanged, that spoke of hidden thoughts and grim
resolutions. Peg Fosdick undoubtedly voiced the sentiments of many when
he went on to remark seriously:
“One thing sure, boys, we must think up some way to kill this
Jabberwock of the Bass Island woods. We could have the skin stuffed, and
stood up in our room at the Y. M. C. A. building, you know. Every one who
called would ask for the story of what happened up here in camp.”
Harry Bartlett glanced over at Mr. Holwell. He would have said
something himself, only he seemed to guess that the minister would express
his thoughts if given a chance.
“Wait a bit, boys,” said Mr. Holwell, gently. “Let’s consider this thing
well before deciding to try to kill this poor animal. The rooms of a Y. M. C.
A. building are hardly suitable for the exhibition of stuffed wild animals.
The rules of the organization do not encourage the hunting instinct, only a
laudable desire to build up the human body, so that a healthy mind may be
better qualified to grasp the precious truths that are so frequently
proclaimed within these walls. In fact, I can easily imagine several patrons
of the association staring in wonder and displeasure upon discovering a
stuffed gorilla standing guard in your department.”
“But do we have just to keep on enduring his visits night after night,
sir?” Peg asked, appealingly. “Would there be any objection to Dan here
getting up some sort of trap that would hold the gorilla a prisoner, so we
could return him to the Zoological Gardens that mebbe he escaped from?”
Mr. Holwell smiled on hearing that.
“I’m sure there could be no objection to such a scheme, provided Dan is
able to conjure up a plan that will turn out better than the last trap did,” he
answered. At this Dan blushed, and then grinned as though he felt the
remark was intended as a compliment.
“Oh! leave all that to me, sir,” he said, boldly. “Right now I’m figuring
on a bully scheme that is bound to work. And this time I don’t mean to trust
to just plain snares or traps.”
 CHAPTER XXIV
DAN’S NEW IDEA

“Somehow I’m feeling unusually smart this morning,” said Peg

Fosdick, as he came face to face with Dan Fenwick, after the excitement
had somewhat abated, “and I’m going to challenge you to a spin in the
rowing shells across to that little island away over there and back again. I
dare you to accept, Dan!”
Dan was one of those who seem to be always carrying chips on their
shoulders, and any one knocking that chip off would have his hands full
immediately.
“Count me in the game!” he quickly exclaimed. “That is, if Mr.
Rowland will give us the necessary permission. I’ve been wanting to make
a test of your boast that you were a better oarsman than any of the rest of
us, barring Eddie Grant and Ban Jansen.”
“Well, here’s your chance to make good!” jeered Peg.
The athletic instructor, coming along just then, was appealed to in such
terms of entreaty that he laughingly consented to the trial of skill and
strength, for rowing combines both these necessary qualifications.
The knowledge that another rivalry had broken out interested most of
the campers, although a very few were so much taken up with other tasks
and hobbies, such as photography, that they declined to become
enthusiastic.
The two clumsy boats which Peg had ambitiously called “shells,” were
overhauled and put in as good condition as possible. Though, being old
craft and rather dilapidated, there was a fair chance that one of them might
leak so badly that it would necessitate a stop during the contest in order to
bail. To make things fair, however, it was arranged that should such a delay
occur a certain signal was to be given by the victim, which would call for a
halt on the part of the other competitor until the leaking boat had been
relieved of its unwelcome cargo of water. Then again would operations be
resumed.
 At a signal from Mr. Rowland away went the rivals, both using the oars
at a furious rate, although they had been cautioned by the athletic conductor
to be deliberate, and not to exhaust themselves in the beginning of the race.
Both lads had stripped, and donned their swimming trunks, the better to
be able to take care of themselves should any serious accident befall them
while speeding across the water toward the small island that was to
represent the turning point. Moreover, each boat contained a life preserver,
for those who had the safety of the Y. M. C. A. boys in their keeping took
no unnecessary chances.
In their excitement both contestants forgot most of the instructions so
carefully given by Mr. Rowland. When one found that the other was forging
ahead ever so little it meant that on his part he had to row harder in order to
close up the gap before it grew to discouraging proportions. Those on Bass
Island could see that neither contestant rowed in a manner that was to his
credit, for there seemed to be an unusual amount of splashing done as the
oars fell hurriedly into the water.
Peg turned the island a little in the lead, and from this the onlookers
fancied Dan’s boat must either be leaking, or else his energies were flagging
under the heavy strain.
On the way back Peg seemed to be increasing his lead, and it looked as
if the race were bound to go to him. But Dick, who knew that Dan was a
hard fellow to beat, did not share in that conviction.
“Wait!” he told the group of shouting boys. “No race is decided until it
is finished. Dan may have a card up his sleeve yet. See! both have stopped
and are resting on their oars. I think Dan has given the signal that he must
‘pump ship,’ for I remember that his boat is a shade the worse of the two.
But the rest will give Dan the second wind he often needs. Then watch him
make things fly.”
As it turned out Dick was exactly right in his prediction. After the race
was resumed it seemed that Dan had received much more benefit from the
rest than had Peg, for it was noticed that the gap between the two boats was
closing. Despite the almost frantic efforts of Peg the distance separating the
rivals grew less and less. When the boats were a short distance away from
the shore of Bass Island they seemed to be on even terms. But this was not
to last.
Dan had a certain amount of strength left which enabled him to push the
nose of his boat ahead of the opposing craft. That discouraged Peg, and he
lost heart in the race, well knowing that in his exhausted condition he could
never regain the lead. Indeed, the boy crumpled up in his seat, and allowed
his boat to push on with its acquired momentum until it reached land.
Meanwhile, Dan had been welcomed with a great din, and yet his first
act was to brush the many hands aside and wait for his rival to come along.
“You’d have beaten me easy, Peg,” he told the disappointed chum,
“except for that little trick I played. There wasn’t nearly so much water in
my boat as I made out. But it was a lively race, all right, and you’re a game
one to the bone.”
Shortly afterwards a number of the boys started off with pails. Eddie
Grant and his two comrades from the mills realized that since the weather
was propitious and the harvest of blueberries abundant on the island, they
must not lose any more time than could be helped.
Just as had been planned by Mr. Bartlett and Dick, a number of the
other generous campers insisted on accompanying the pickers. Eddie
objected at first, but seeing that the boys were intent on going along his
remonstrances died away.
“We want to say we’ve picked a few bushels of those whopping big
berries ourselves,” said Peg, honestly. “It’ll be heaps of fun, you know, and
give some other fellows an afternoon off to try the fishing.”
“Besides,” added Fred Bonnicastle, just as determined to be of
assistance to the workers in the mills, who he had discovered were fine
chaps, “we all of us like blueberries, and have been dipping a little into the
stock of those you gathered on Saturday. We want to make the loss good,
and feel that we’re returning good measure every time. So don’t say another
word, Eddie. You just can’t shoo us back.”
At that Eddie Grant laughed.
“Oh, well,” he said, “now that we know for sure that a real live monkey
is loose on Bass Island I reckon there’ll be safety in numbers. If he tackles
us, six are better than just three.”
“Oh! you can’t frighten us by that kind of talk,” jeered Peg. “All of us
will go with a club in our hands, as well as a bucket. And say! perhaps we’d
better manage to keep within call of each other. Seems to me I’ve read
about these gorillas carrying children off sometimes.”
“Well, that may be worrying you, Peg, but the rest of us don’t consider
ourselves in the baby class,” remarked Phil, at which there was a general
laugh in which Peg joined.
Mr. Holwell took a fancy to try the fishing himself that morning.
“Not that I lay much claim to being a master-hand at angling, you
understand, boys,” he apologized, when making up the party. “But those
bass do taste so fine that I’d like to say I had pulled a few of them in
myself. Once upon a time, away back, I can remember as a barefooted boy
going after bass along the Susquehanna river. Yes, and seldom coming
home without a nice string, too. But in those days my rod was one I’d cut
myself in the woods; and I had no reel, or even a modern snell attached to
the hook. But I took the fish.”
Dick was one of those who went out in the boat. Mr. Holwell asked him
to join them, for he said he would need the advice of an “expert,” as he
neither knew where the bass were likely to be found during the hot weather,
nor how to manipulate his line when he had a strike.
“Just as likely as not,” he explained, “I should jerk the bait away when
by rights I ought to give the bass a certain amount of time to turn it in his
mouth. I know there are a great many things connected with fishing that a
tyro does not understand; though when I was a lad I must have been
acquainted with the habits of the tricky bass, or I never could have had the
good luck I did.”
Some of those left ashore had portioned out the morning for various
tasks or pleasures. It was a part of the plan that there should not be too
much labor attempted while they were in camp. They had come all this way
from home not so much to work, as to have a delightful time, although
certain camp duties had to be observed, for those in charge would allow no
shirking.
 For instance, Clint Babbett and other photographers were allowed to
prowl around and take as many pictures as they chose. If they preferred it,
they could learn where certain small animals, such as raccoons or opossums
or squirrels or possibly even a mink, had a home, so that they might plan
the arranging of a camera and taking a flashlight picture of some animal
tugging at the bait left exposed.
Then there was Dan. Nobody was to bother him as long as he wished to
sit and ponder and figure with pencil and paper. It was known that Dan was
trying to get up some wonderful scheme whereby the monster with the
thieving instincts of the monkey race might be entrapped and made captive.
Everybody would, of course, feel greatly relieved could this be attained,
and for that reason, if no other, the camp director wished Dan to have all the
opportunity possible to expand his scheme.
The anglers were not quite so successful as on former occasions. Dick
knew that black bass could be considered whimsical, in that they often
refused to take any sort of bait, even when the wind, the water, and other
conditions made it an apparently ideal day for fishing.
“Nobody understands just why they act as they do,” he told Mr.
Holwell, when the bites were few and far between. “I’ve been fishing most
of the day, with never a strike. Then about four o’clock the clouds would
come up and the wind shift to a new quarter, when it seemed as if every
bass in the whole lake must be fairly wild to get something to eat. You
never can count on bass.”
Nevertheless, they managed to take a few good-sized fellows. The fish
proved so gamy that Mr. Holwell enjoyed their capture immensely.
“It seems to me the same thrill passes up my arm when I feel that fierce
tug that I used to experience in those wonderful days of old,” he went on to
say in a ruminating way, as memory once more awakened the scenes long
since passed.
“Do you think the savage feels just so, when he brings down his game,
or fastens to a big salmon or trout?” asked Dick.
“Well, that’s a question I can hardly answer,” said Mr. Holwell. “From
my observation I imagine the only sensation he is apt to feel is gratification
over having attained his end, which was to provide food to satisfy his
appetite. Only civilized sportsmen have reached such a condition that they
fish for the delight of matching their skill against the cunning of the gamy
denizens of the lake. After winning the victory the sportsman will often
gladly restore the fish to the water again unharmed.”
When lunch was ready at noon the berry pickers came trooping in,
looking somewhat wearied, but all in good spirits. They had full buckets,
every one, and this meant that the pile of berries would be considerably
augmented.
“We intend to try it again to-morrow morning, if things look right, and
Mr. Bartlett agrees,” asserted Peg, valiantly. “It was great fun, let me tell
you! Why, we could have filled two buckets apiece if we’d had them
along.”
“Say, did you happen to see anything of our friend, Bob?” demanded
Dan.
“I suppose you mean the gorilla by that,” responded Fred Bonnicastle.
“We’re glad to inform you that he was only conspicuous by his absence.”
“And his room was a whole lot better appreciated than his company,”
added Eddie Grant. “For one I’m not hankering after running across any
Old Man of the Woods just now. If he leaves me alone I’ll promise not to
bother him while we’re here on Bass Island.”
“My sentiments every time,” said Phil.
When two or three more had expressed themselves as of the same
opinion Dan looked pained.
“Looks as if you were all going to leave it to me to grab that monster,”
he told them. “And make up your minds I can do it, if only some of you’ll
promise to give me a helping hand.”
At that several immediately announced their willingness to assist.
“Of course we all want to feel that it’s going to be safe for us to wander
around anywhere on the island, Dan,” said Fred; “and on that account we
hope you’ll get busy. No matter what you want me to do I’ll promise to do
it, only please don’t ask me to stand and offer to feed the old scamp out of
my hand.”