CHAPTER IX

THE RIGHT KIND OF PALS

“Why, whatever can be ailing Amos?” Perk said softly, immediately after the strange boy had vanished from view inside the cabin.

Elmer held up a warning finger.

“Whatever you say, speak in a whisper, boys,” he went on to remark.

“Gee whiz! but here’s another mystery looming up!” gasped Wee Willie. “Why, Elmer, he seemed to recognize that old knife, don’t you think?”

“It looked that way,” muttered the other, glancing toward the cabin with a world of commiseration in his eyes, “and whatever the memories may be it aroused, I’m afraid they couldn’t be happy ones.”

“Somebody he knew once owned such a knife, and he asked to see it so as to make certain,” pursued the wise Wee Willie, reflectively. “Yes, and I reckon he found the proof he was looking for, too. Let’s see the thing again, Elmer.”

“I know what he found, all right,” the other assured him. “Here, you can see that there are two letters roughly scratched on the buckhorn handle.”

“What are the letters?” insisted the tall chum, who when interested in a subject was a difficult one to make let go.

“No use trying to hide anything from you, Wee Willie,” Elmer replied. “They are not fashioned very elegantly, for the handle is rough, you see; but as near as I can make them out the letters are S. C.”

The elongated boy pursed his lips as if intending to whistle; but evidently thinking better of it failed to emit a single sound.

“And his name, it’s Codling, remember,” he whispered, with a quick look over in the quarter where the lone cabin stood under the big tree.

“Yes, that looks significant for a fact,” agreed the deeply interested Perk, adding immediately afterwards, “Poor chap, I’m awful sorry for him, no matter what the cause of his trouble may be. He was looking quite happy, for him, as he told about that mink he discovered peeking out of its hole under the bank; but when he saw the knife, and heard what Elmer said, the smile froze on his face, you might almost say. I wish I could help him some way.”

“None of us can do a thing until he makes the first move,” warned Elmer, with a determined shake of his head. “I’ve felt this coming for some time, and wished he’d make a confidant of me, but up to now he hasn’t seen fit to do so.”

“Oh! what is that?” asked Perk, in almost awed tones.

“I think it must be Amos sobbing, and trying to keep his head down in his blankets,” admitted Elmer, himself almost choking with the great desire he felt to hasten in and try to comfort his friend. “But we must pretend we don’t hear him. After a while he’ll feel better, and join us again, for he’s got a heap of what you might call grit, likewise pride, about him. Perhaps while we’re up here he may see fit to tell us his trouble, and then we’ll be able to offer to help him, if it’s possible.”

Perk turned his face away. The others, knowing his tender heart, could give a pretty good guess concerning what caused him to do so. Indeed, Wee Willie himself had to wink quite violently for some reason or other, and coughed as if he might be choking over something that compelled him to drag out his big red bandanna handkerchief, and blow his nose strenuously.

“Of course,” pursued Elmer, who had been trying to figure things out most persistently, “it’s always possible that even if this is the same knife Amos once knew, some utter stranger may have left it here. Such things often pass through many hands in trade; or can even be stolen. Tramps have no sense of honor, most of us believe.”

“A tramp, greasy and ragged perhaps—ugh! no wonder Amos shuddered when he saw a picture of some one he once knew, perhaps even cared for, looking like that,” Wee Willie muttered, with a doleful shake of his head.

“Well, we must put it all out of our minds for the time being,” advised Elmer. “Let’s not add to his suffering by showing him we’re curious. As for the knife, I’ll replace it where I found it. I’ve got a little scheme beginning to take shape that may bring results; and at least get the thing back into the possession of the owner.”

Both Perk and the tall chum understood that this would be the wisest course for them to pursue. Elmer knew best how to manage things; they had always fared well whenever they trusted themselves to his guidance.

Presently the half choked sounds from within the cabin ceased. Apparently the boy had managed to get control over his feelings, whatever it may have been that caused such a tempestuous outbreak.

Perk and Wee Willie started preparing supper. The latter had tried fishing earlier in the afternoon, with more or less success; so that there was now a frying-pan filled with the results of his labor, and ready to go on the fire. Perk fairly beamed with pride as he feasted his eyes on the perch and bass, now nicely cleaned, and washed, and dusted with flour, before being placed in the hot grease that oozed from the salt pork in the pan.

Elmer found something to do that would keep him away from the cabin, for he thought it best not to disturb Amos just then. The other would in good time “get a grip” on himself, and be ready to face his chums again without displaying unusual emotion.

He came out while supper was cooking, and while he tried to smile as Perk called out and demanded to know if he recognized the origin of the delightful odor that was beginning to permeate all the surrounding atmosphere, it was hardly what might be called a success.

“It seems you did catch some fish after all, Perk,” he said in answer; “and I must say they do smell appetizing,” but that was the extent of his remarks, nor did either of the boys attempt to urge him to continue talking.

Perk was full of consideration for Amos; on his part possibly Wee Willie may not have been quite so solicitous; because curiosity was one of the tall chum’s weak points, so that he found himself wondering more and more what all this mystery, connected with the Codling boy, could signify.

Supper time found them gathering around the camp spread. A bountiful meal had been prepared, such as might make the eyes of the average hungry boy fairly glisten with satisfaction.

Amos ate very little. He seemed to have quite lost his usually keen appreciation for Perk’s cooking, a fact that worried the other considerably; for he did his best to press this thing and that on the other, though only to be greeted again with a gentle but positive refusal.

“It’s awfully kind of you to offer me the choice bits, Perk,” Amos would say, “and I’m sure everything does you great credit. I’d be only too glad to eat like Wee Willie here, if only I felt hungry; but—well, somehow I don’t seem to care much for anything to-night—I can’t force myself, you know.”

But he did keep on sitting there, and listening to the merry chatter and badinage of his three more boisterous chums, though frequently Elmer could see that his eyes had a far-away look about them, and the old peaked expression would struggle back to his face once more.

The boys had decided to sit around the fire that night, and sing some of their school songs; but with Amos in this strange humor of course they could not count on him to join in; and without his fine tenor the singing was apt to prove only mediocre, so they gave it up.

“Perhaps by to-morrow night things may have changed for the better, and we can try it out then,” Elmer remarked, after Amos had withdrawn, under the plea that his head ached, and he thought he had better turn in early.

So, instead, the other three sat there and talked in low tones as time passed, with the night growing older. Perk often glanced quickly around at the somber woods. Elmer could easily interpret that questioning look, and knew that the other was wondering whether they might not have another visit from the mysterious tramp whom they had alarmed by their coming, and yet who declined to leave the spot, while some of his personal property remained unrecovered.

There was no use trying to reassure Perk, for he happened to be more or less timid by nature. The door had been made additionally secure during the day just passed, so that no matter if the hobo did return he could not enter. As for his showing ill humor in any way, such as trying to set fire to the old cabin, Elmer would not allow such a thought to get a lodging in his mind.

Then came the moon peeping in upon them, nearly an hour later than its appearance the previous night, and looking somewhat battered along one edge, showing how it was in its decline.

“Time we’re off to our blankets,” suggested Elmer. “Here’s Perk almost dislocating his jaws every time he yawns. What’s the use of sitting up any longer when we’ve got fairly decent beds of hemlock browse under coverings waiting for us?”

In this he was supported by both his chums, so they all packed off into the cabin, leaving the fire fixed so that it would burn for some hours. If the wind arose Elmer meant to step out and make sure no sparks were being blown into the underbrush; though at that summery time of year the chances of a conflagration might be reckoned next to nil.

So the door was closed and secured, Perk and the elongated chum seen safely into their blankets, and then Elmer himself took one last look around before following suit. Amos seemed to be sound asleep; at least his eyes were closed, and he was breathing easily. Elmer bent over and adjusted the other’s blanket in a solicitous way. He did not know that Amos opened his eyes and looked after him affectionately as he turned away; or that there came a suspicious moisture trickling down the boy’s cheek that was very like a tear.

Then darkness fell upon the scene, Elmer having shut off his little hand electric torch after he had tucked himself under his own blanket.

The night passed without any sort of alarm, for which Perk told himself he was very thankful as he again opened his eyes to find that it was morning, with his comrades—at least two of them—already outside, talking in low voices. Amos, however, still lay there, and seemed sound asleep. Perhaps he had passed a restless night, and only forgot his trouble in the hours of early morning.

Perk soon emerged from the shack and joined the others, who were making preparations for breakfast. Elmer, after asking whether Amos seemed to still be asleep, drew closer to the others and followed up his question by saying:

“Well, my plan worked after all, boys. You remember I said I would try to get the knife back into the possession of the tramp. I reckon that’s where it is this morning!”

“However did you manage that, I want to know?” Perk demanded, plainly surprised by what Elmer had said so quietly.

“Yes, open up and tell us the secret, that’s a good fellow,” Wee Willie urged, as the two of them closed in upon Elmer.