CHAPTER VIII.
UNDER THE TWINKLING STARS.
SUPPER was forgotten for the time being, under the influence of this newsource of excitement. But then the young campers had taken the edge offtheir sharp appetites before now, so that it did not matter very much.
Adam was grinning as he found himself the one object upon which all eyeswere focused. It would be hard to find the boy who does not enjoystanding in the lime light, even for a little while.
"How about this, Adam," said Elmer, "do you know anything about thesetwo men?"
"So," drawled the German boy, "aber I am nodt sure. Dey looks to pesooch; put mebbe I haf anudder guess goming, poys."
"Tell us where you think you saw them," the assistant scout mastercontinued.
"At Prady's," answered Adam, promptly.
"Brady's--why, that's where we get our milk," spoke up Landy.
"Sure it is," declared Ty. "That's funny now; I never remember settingeyes on anybody answering that description; and I've been over theretwice."
"Yeth," declared Ted, "and I can thay the thame thing."
"You think you can; but you're away off, Ted," grinned Ty, who nevergrew weary of nagging the other on that lisp, with which he wasafflicted.
"When did you see them, Adam?" asked Elmer, paying no attention to anyof these side remarks.
"Vy, berhaps you may remember, Elmer, dot dis very evening I vant to gopy der voods vonce, und get dot milk. Vat ve haf, it did get sour by derheat, und Ty he say he haf a desire to dake der tramp again nix. So Ivolunteer py der game. You pet me I nefer dry to gross dot field py derpull. I dake der long vay, und pring der milk safely home. Iss it notso, Ty?"
"Well, we're drinking some of it in our coffee this meal, so that goeswithout saying," the other replied.
"Tell us about the men--where were they when you saw them, Adam?" Elmerwent on.
"Py der parn," returned the German scout.
"Not prowling around like a couple of thieves, Adam?"
"Nodt as I can see."
"Then what were they doing?" the patrol leader asked, impatiently; forit was a most difficult thing to draw the story out of the German, whoseemed to want to be "pumped" step by step, as Landy termed it.
"Vorking," came the short reply.
"Oh, then you mean they were apparently in the employ of Mr. Brady?"
"Dot iss so. Dey toss der hay oop to him py der stack, und he stow itavay."
"I believe the farmer is getting in a late crop of clover hay," remarkedElmer.
"Yes," broke in Ty, "and he was telling me this very morning when I gotthe milk, after my little adventure with that neighbor's bull, how hisman had left him in the lurch, and everybody around was so busy hehardly knew just how he could get the big crop of hay that was stackedin the field, ready for the mow."
Elmer nodded his head as though, after gaining this knowledge, it wascomparatively easy to put two and two together.
"That settles it," he remarked. "These two hoboes came along, and heoffered them such big wages to help him over his trouble, that they justcouldn't resist. But I know something about tramps, and the real articlewouldn't work at any price."
"Gee! Perhaps they had some other object in taking the place?" Landysuggested.
"Just what I had in mind," Elmer followed. "If they are the rascals whotried to throw that train off the track for some awful reason, they mustknow that there'll be a hunt through the country for them; and, perhaps,they hope to hide as farm laborers until the thing wears off."
"Then we ought to warn Mr. Brady, hadn't we?" asked Ted.
"Yes, but at the same time we must be careful not to excite thesuspicion of those fellows," Elmer replied; and then turning again toAdam, he continued: "Did you have anything to say to either of the men,Adam?"
"Vell," replied the other, slowly and reflectively, "I dink me dotberhaps von off dem might dell me der vay to der milk house, und so Istop me to ask."
"Yes, you asked one of them--which one, Adam?"
"I notice me dot as I gome close dey look at me like I vos a pad egg,und put der heads togedder in a punch. So I yust chuck oudt mine preastund valk right up to der spot, like I vas say: 'Vat's der matter mityou; I am Adam Litzburgh, und I pelong to der scouts; put dot in yourpipe und smoke it!'"
"But you didn't say all that; you just asked one of them where the milkhouse might be; wasn't that it, Adam?" Elmer went on.
"Der short von idt vas; und he turn to der udder und he say it pe allright, nuttings to bother apout from dot Dutch fool. Den, py chinks, hecall oudt to der farmer who vas on der top of dot haymow, und ask vereder milk house pe."
"And that was all, was it, Adam?"
"I knows me nuddings else," replied the German boy; "only ven I gomes mealong again, der short von vaves his hand to me, und laughs him some pymy pack."
Elmer really sighed with relief when he realized that he had actuallysucceeded in getting the whole story out of the uncommunicative fellow.It was like "drawing teeth," as Landy more than once remarked.
"You've heard the story, fellows," he said, turning to the others; "whathad we better do about it? I want everybody to have a voice in this, andmajority rules. So don't be bashful, but speak up."
"Well," remarked Landy, slowly. "I suppose we ought to give Mr. Brady ahint of the truth; but, as you say, Elmer, we must be mighty careful howwe do it. Those tramps must be a pretty desperate pair, and they'd thinknothing of sailing in to clean us out if they suspected we were on totheir curves."
"How about you, Ted?" asked Elmer.
"Oh, count me in the thame lay," replied the one addressed. "Nobodyknowth when they're entertaining angelth unawareth, like the good bookthayth; or bad men either. The farmerth want help tho bad at timeth thatthey don't athk too many quethtionth when they get a thanthe to employ ahuthky man. We'll drop around there in the morning thome time, whenthey're out in the haying field, and give the women folkth a littlehint that they'd better get rid of the new handth."
"Ty?"
"Them's my sentiments. No special need of any hurry, I guess," repliedTy, who was really feeling the effect of his unusual exercise of thatmorning when the unfriendly bull gave him such a lively chase, and whowanted to keep quiet in camp.
"George?"
"Wow! You just couldn't get me to stir away from here to-night unlessyou tied a pair of mules to me and started them going," replied thenewcomer, as he slyly helped himself to more fish.
"And Adam?"
"I dinks me as how it pe werry comfortaples here," grinned the German,duplicating the act of George, as though he feared lest he might not gethis full share of the supper.
"Hey, let me in on that, will you, fellers?" cried Landy, spearinganother portion from the rapidly vanishing pile. "And if you want toknow my sentiments, Elmer, just put them down as 'he also ran.' BecauseI'm willing to do whatever the rest of you say."
Elmer himself looked a trifle disappointed. He had been thinking thatperhaps they ought to warn Mr. Brady that night; for it could not be avery safe thing to have two such desperate men in his employ longer thanwas absolutely necessary.
Still, he had said that he would be bound by what the majority of hischums decided was best; and he could not change his ideas.
After all, the chances seemed to be that if the two new farm hands wereactually Shorty and Lanky Jim, their sole object in taking service withMr. Brady must be to lie low until the excitement died away.Consequently, they would be very careful not to do anything that wouldturn attention upon them; and in that case a little delay could notmatter.
"All right, then," said Elmer; "it's settled that after breakfastto-morrow we'll make up a party to go after milk and find a chance towarn the Brady people. Of course the women folks will be scared nearlyto death; but they'll find some way of sending word to town in thesedays of telephones. And then the officers will come out to arrest thefellows. Pass my dish, please, Landy, and get a small help of the fish.I'm mighty fond of it in camp, and never care for a bi
te at home. Andthis is as good as they make fried fish, thanks to Ty's way of cooking."
The balance of the supper was eaten amid a lively lot of talk. Of coursemuch of this concerned the events of the day; the adventure with thebull; the trick Ty attempted to play on Adam, with disastrous results tohimself; and last, but not least, the coming of Doubting George withsuch exciting news.
When, finally, they went to bed it was with all these things fastenedupon their minds; so that Elmer expected that more than one among themwould be apt to "see things" in the dark that night.
The fire which, after supper, had been built larger, so that it lent acheerful glow to the scene, was allowed to die down. Really the weatherwas still so sultry that it took away some of the pleasure of sittingaround a blaze; which is always appreciated most when there is a tang offrost in the night air; but, then, these boys were up here for fun anddid not mean to be cheated out of anything they considered their due bysuch a thing as hot air.
One by one they crawled under the canvas and subsided.
The coming of George promised to add to the discomfort of a crowdedtent; and secretly Elmer had decided that he would not occupy hisquarters of the preceding nights. It would not be a new thing at all forhim to sleep out under the stars with a blanket for a covering; and,indeed, he believed he would enjoy the experience, as it must reviverecollections of the past when he was accompanying the cowboys on around-up far away from the home ranch; or else off with a comrade on ahunt in the big Rocky Mountains of Canada.
Only one more day remained, and then the wagon would come for the tentand other things that had to be transported by team. After that theycould look forward to a few days of restlessness; when school dutieswould begin once more.
Elmer noticed that there was little talking indulged in that night. Theyseemed too tired all around for any "funny business," such as oftenmarked the period when the lively boys started to go to bed.
When all seemed quiet within the tent, Elmer stepped over to where hehad slyly hidden his blanket some little time before. He had alreadypicked out the spot in which he intended passing the night. It was undera tree, where he could look up through the leafy branches, and getglimpses of the star-decked heavens. The soft, caressing touch of thenight wind would lull him to sleep, he felt sure; and on the whole Elmerinfinitely preferred such an experience to being crammed up against fiveothers, in one small tent.
So he fixed himself, and lay down. By turning his head he could see theflickering fire, and imagine it surrounded by some of those good fellowswhom he had known long ago, daring riders of bucking bronchos, andexpert wielders of the flying rope.
Then Elmer dropped off into a sound sleep. The last thing he rememberedwas hearing some one snoring in the tent; he never knew just who theguilty party might be, although his suspicions pointed to George; sincethey had not been afflicted up to his coming. And the sounds seemeduncertain too, just as though they were inclined to express a lingeringdoubt.
From this state of peace and calm the campers were suddenly aroused by amost piercing scream, that rang through the woods on the borders of theriver.
Instantly a scene of wild confusion resulted. Out from the narrow exitof the tent came a struggling mass of boys in pajamas, grabbing hold ofeach other in their excitement.
And one lone figure might have been seen crawling under the back canvas,in much the same fashion as Elmer had done at the time he started onthat hunt for the unknown party who was throwing the stones with a plunkinto the river.
Elmer was on his feet instantly, and could, perhaps, be said to be theonly one in the lot who had control of his senses in this emergency.