When they brought the doctor around they found him still in thatposition and had to lift him gently away. The announcement that thewound was not fatal did not seem to move his stolidness in the least.
"I want to see Mr. Temple," he said doggedly.
"What is it, Tom?" said Mr. Ellsworth putting his arm over the boy'sshoulder.
"I want to see him before he has him arrested--then if the wires arecut I'll send a wireless for the constable--only I want to see Mr.Temple first. I'm not afraid of him now."
"He couldn't be arrested to-night, Tom, he--"
"I want to see Mr. Temple--_you_ tell him," he added, turningsuddenly upon Mary, almost with an air of command. "I did something for_you_--once."
The girl was sobbing and seemed to hesitate as if not knowing whetherto say something to Tom or to do his bidding. "Yes, I'll get him," shesaid.
It was not the scout fashion to order a young girl upon an errand, andit was certainly not the scout fashion, nor anyone else's fashion tosummon John Temple thus peremptorily. But Tom was a sort of law untohimself and even Mr. Ellsworth did not interfere.
The master of Five Oaks came around the house with his daughterclinging to him. And Tom Slade, who had knocked his hat off, stood upand faced him. It was not always easy to get Tom's meaning; he oftenused pronouns instead of names and his dogged, stolid temperamentshowed in his phraseology.
"He told me when I joined the troop that I had to be loyal, and that'sthe reason I'm doing it and not because I believe in being a burglar."The naiveness of this announcement might have seemed ludicrous if Tom'svoice had not trembled with earnestness. "And he said there wasn't noscouts when he was a boy--that's my father there. And that's what_you_ got to remember too. I tracked him before and I got the pinand gave him my five dollars that I'd saved."
Someone tittered: John Temple frowned and shook his head impatientlyand there was no more tittering.
"I guess you know about that, and that I didn't bring it to her 'causeI was scared, and I couldn't help him coming here to-night. Only yougot to remember there wasn't any troop when he was a boy--you got toremember that. I'd 'a' been a burglar myself, that's sure, only forhim" (indicating Mr. Ellsworth) "and the troop--and Roy. And he'ssick--that's most what's the matter with him and I'd like to have himbrought to our camp and have Doc take care of him till he gets wellenough so's Mr. Ellsworth can talk to him, 'cause Mr. Ellsworth, henever fails--he's never failed once. But if you won't do that--if youwon't leave him--let him--go like that--then you got to remember thatthere wasn't any troop when he was a boy-'cause I'm rememberin'it--and------"
"He _will_ remember it," said Mary, weeping. "Oh, he does rememberit, Tom, he does."
Mr. Temple drew her to him. "Go on, my boy," he said. "I'm listening."
"If you want me to send a wireless for the constable, I'll do it,'cause I got to do a service--only you got to remember--that's onlyfair. And I got something else to say while I'm not scared of you-'tain'tbecause I got any reason to be scared of you either--but I'msorry I threw that stone at you. That was what started _him_ forthe bad--when he went away and left me--but it started me for the goodanyhow--so that's something."
For a moment no one spoke. Mr. Ellsworth would not spoil the effect ofTom's words by uttering so much as a single word himself. It was JohnTemple who broke the silence, quieting his daughter who seemed about tobreak forth again.
"I will do more than remember," said he. "Come here, my boy. There willbe no charge made against your father, so there will be no need of aservice unless it is a service of my own. It has been borne in upon melately that your good scoutmaster is a wonder-worker, and what you havejust said strengthens that growing conviction. I have been thinking,too, how I might further the movement so well represented by him, andthe story of your experience with your father has quite decided me. Forevery one of those five precious dollars that you were sensible enoughto save and noble enough to give away, there shall be given a thousandto the cause whose precepts and principles you represent.
"Let this poor man be taken to your camp in the woods if you like, andlet your doctor take care of him, and see that he does his duty. I willvisit your camp myself to-morrow if I may."
Mr. Ellsworth assured him that he might, and as for Doc, a half dozenchimed forth that he was the only ever, etc., etc.
Tom said nothing. He had never been much of a scout missionary, and theunexpected and altogether amazing conversion of John Temple quiteoverwhelmed him. He did not realize that he himself had done it, in hisown stolid, crude way.
But would his hope be borne out? Would the Wizard Ellsworth indeed "getaway with it," and make a new man of poor, wretched Bill Slade? Ishould hesitate to affirm it; but I wouldn't dare to deny it--notbefore the boys. So let us rest in the hope born of Tom's own wordsthat Mr. Ellsworth had never yet failed. Let us believe that the woodsand the camp-fire yarns and the company of these boys may be a helpinghand to the broken wretch who had no First Bridgeboro Troop to look towhen he was a boy.
As they bore the stretcher over the bridge toward the woods beyond, Tomheard the sound of footfalls a little distance behind them, and paused.
It proved to be Mary Temple.
"Tom, is that you?" she said.
"Yes-it is."
"I want to thank you, Tom. I was coming to your camp to-morrow, but Icouldn't wait. I-want to thank you, Tom."
"What for?"
"Oh, for everything. You don't realize the things you do and that's thebest part of it." "I didn't do noth--anything."
"You got me back my pin. Oh, Tom, you don't suppose five thousanddollars is all my father will give--he'll give ten times that!"
Tom said nothing, and for a moment they stood there near the bridge,hearing the river rippling below.
Then, impulsively, she leaned forward and kissed him. "There," shesaid, "that's how much I thank you! And I'm coming to your camp again.I'm coming with my father," she said, as she turned and ran towardhome.
Still Tom said nothing. He could not handle a situation like this atall.
A little way down the road she turned and waved her hand, and herealized that if he were going to make any acknowledgment it would haveto be done now. So he mastered his embarrassment as best he could,raised his hand awkwardly to his lips and threw a kiss to Mary Temple!
He had scarcely turned and started after the little cavalcade when hestumbled into Roy.
"I was just coming to see where you were."
"Well, you took it, didn't you?" Roy added, as they walked along together.
"Took what?"
"Something for a service."
"I--I couldn't help myself," said Tom.
For answer Roy gave him a shove and laughed outright. "So your UncleDudley was right and you broke the scout law after all--ya-a-ah-a!"
They walked a little way in silence.
"Well, anyway," Roy said, "you can say you tossed it back, can't you?"
"'Twasn't her ball."
"It was much better than a ball."
"How do you know what I took and what I tossed back?"
"A scout is observant," said Roy.
THE END
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