by Morgan Scott
CHAPTER XXIV.
STRANGE BEHAVIOR OF SLEUTH.
Before long Piper grew restless, and his uneasiness was noticed by theothers.
“What’s the mum-matter with you, Sleuth?” questioned Springer. “You’reas fidgety as a dog with fleas.”
Piper was stalking up and down in front of the tent. Without answeringSpringer’s question, he turned to Grant and asked the time.
“Nine o’clock,” said Rodney, after looking at his watch.
“I feel,” said Sleuth—“I feel the call of the wild. The wilderness isbeckoning me to its bosom.”
“He’s got ’em again,” declared Crane.
“I must respond to the call. I must fare forth into the solitudes. I’mgoing away from here.”
“He’s going away from here,” repeated Grant solemnly.
“Well, I fuf-feel like doing something myself,” confessed Springer. “I’mwith you, Sleuthy.”
“You are _not_,” retorted Piper positively. “I desire not your societynor that of anyone here. Alone I shall tread the dim trails of theforest.”
“I cal’late he’s goin’ after Injun scalps,” said Sile.
Piper turned a piercing look on the lanky fellow. “Of late,” he said,“although my mind has been greatly occupied with other matters, I havegiven a little thought to a most peculiar occurrence which transpired onthe first night after we pitched our camp in the wilderness. The partyfrom whom I obtained the sleeping bag that I brought with me had beenkeeping that bag in the attic of his settlement home, and it is notoften that common black ants penetrate to the attic of a house and maketheir nests there. I likewise recall that, ere I sought to occupy thebag for the night, someone made remarks about the probability that itwould be hot to sleep in and would cause me to itch. Furthermore, insumming up, I remember a certain individual who, after I had gotten intothe bag, took great pains to tie it up securely around my neck, so thatI could not get out without assistance. Although I may not lift thescalp of some bloodthirsty Wampanoag, I will confess that thesemeditations of which I speak have led me to thirst for the topknot of acertain paleface who thinks himself very smart—and _was_ smart, in acertain sense, on an occasion not far remote.”
“Why, Sleuth,” drawled Crane, “I hope yeou don’t think——”
Piper held up his hand. “Don’t convict yourself by unnecessaryprotestations. Even now I am loath to believe that a comrade could be soperfidious. The sadness which the bare suspicion brings to me adds to mylongings to be alone. Perhaps the solitudes will cleanse my heart ofresentment. Farewell until I return.”
“But when do you expect to return?” asked Stone, as Piper started away.
“That I can’t tell; it may be hours before you again look upon mycountenance. However long the time is, I bid you not to worry. I shallreturn in due course, even though, ere my return, the sun may linger lowin the western sky.” Then, with the stealthy step of a trapper, heslipped into the woods and was gone.
“He’s on to you, Craney,” laughed Springer. “You bub-better watch out.”
“Oh, Sleuth’s harmless,” laughed Sile; “and, anyhaow, I can’t helpthinkin’ it’s more than a desire for solitude that’s sent him pikin’ offinto the woods all by his lonesome.”
Whatever the reason for Piper’s action, and despite the fact that he hadtold them hours might pass before his return, they finally began towonder over the matter, with the afternoon on the wane and no sign oftheir absent companion. They had occupied themselves in various ways,but at last whatever task or game they took up was broken andinterrupted by frequent pauses to look for Piper and to seek oneanother’s opinions concerning this “new freak” of his.
“Perhaps,” suggested Grant, as at last they lounged before the tent, “hehas gone alone to solve the mystery of Spirit Island.”
Springer immediately scoffed at this. “Dud-don’t you believe anything ofthe sort. There isn’t money enough to hire him to go on to that islandalone.”
“Besides,” said Crane, “haow could he get there? He didn’t take thecanoe.”
“He must be hungry,” said Stone. “He hasn’t had any dinner.”
Five minutes later some distance away on the lake they perceived a smallwhite rowboat that seemed to be heading for their camp. In the boat asingle person plied the oars industriously.
“We’re going to have a visitor” said Stone. “Wonder who it is?”
“Cuc-can’t be Mr. Granger,” was Springer’s immediate decision. “He camein a canoe t’other time.”
“It doesn’t look like Granger,” said Grant, stepping out from the treesand shading his eyes with his hand. “Great Caesar! fellows, I believeit’s Piper!”
“Piper! No, no; you must be mistaken.”
But, as they watched the boat draw nearer and were able to get a betterview of its occupant, they were compelled to acknowledge that he lookedlike Sleuth. And Sleuth it was who came rowing serenely into the coveand beached the boat.
“Ho, comrades!” he hailed, stepping out. “I have returned. I am with youonce again.”
They surrounded him.
“Where have you been?”
“What kept you so long?”
“Wh-where did you get that boat?”
“What sort of a rinktum be yeou cuttin’ up naow?”
“Restrain your impatience, I beseech you,” said Piper, pulling the boatup securely. “In good time I will reveal all. Just now, if you’ve anycold snack in the larder, I would satiate the cravings of the innerman.”
Nor could they induce him to relieve their curiosity until he had eaten.When, presently, he wiped a few crumbs from his mouth with the back ofhis hand and leaned with a sigh of satisfaction against the trunk of atree, they again insisted on an explanation.
“Friends and fellow citizens,” began Sleuth.
“This ain’t no stump speech,” interrupted Crane. “Come daown to earthand get it aout of yeour system as quick as yeou can.”
“Well, then, I’ve been visiting.”
“Visiting?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“The gentleman who called on us and entertained us with such beautiful,well-polished and interesting tales.”
“Granger,” said Grant.
Sleuth nodded. “Yes, I was seized by a consuming desire to visit Mr.Granger in his cabin retreat.”
“But how did you gug-gug-get across there?” asked Springer. “Did youtut-tramp it all the way round the lake?”
“If you will kindly permit me to recount my doings in my own way, youwill become informed in a manner regular and satisfactory. I did notwalk around the lake shore. I have never seen a fiction writer in thethroes of composition, and always I have longed to know how they do it.Therefore, it didn’t take me long to decide that I would casually dropin upon Mr. Charles Granger with the design of discovering him at hislabors. With this in my mind, I made arrangements with Simpson to takeme across the lake in his boat at ten o’clock today.”
“Why didn’t you tut-tell us what you was going to do?” questioned Phil,a bit resentfully.
“Because I feared that some of you would insist on accompanying me, andit was not at all likely that Granger would be pleased to have severalof us come in upon him. Furthermore, I wished to ask him some questionsconcerning his labors and his methods of writing stories, and it is saidthat some authors are much disinclined to talk about their business. Ifancied that, alone, I could obtain much more satisfaction. It wasnecessary for Simpson to show me where Granger was to be found.”
“And you found him?” said Grant.
“I found him. Simpson left me, that he might return to his arduouslabors upon his father’s farm. Alone, I approached the log cabin, whichis temporarily occupied by Charles Granger. As I drew near, the clickingof a typewriter came to my ears, and I perceived that the cabin door wasstanding open to admit air and sunshine. With the stealthy tread of aredskin I slipped up to
that door and peered in. There was the author,hard at work, his typewriter mounted on a little table and sheets ofmanuscript scattered all about. He was so absorbed that he did not hearme, and for some moments I watched him in silence. Presently he liftedhis head and sat back to meditate, without doubt, upon the cleverconstruction of some involved sentence. Chancing to turn his eyes in mydirection, he perceived me and jumped to his feet as if shot.
“I will not pretend,” proceeded Piper, “that Granger was pleased onbeholding me. In fact, he seemed much annoyed, and in fervid language hedesired to know what I was doing there. Beaming on him in a friendlyfashion, I entered and explained that I had heard he was a writer offiction, and that, therefore, my curiosity had been awakened and spurredto a two-minute clip. After a time, perceiving perhaps no token of guilein my demeanor, Granger cooled down and laughed over the start I hadgiven him. He was genuinely pleasant and friendly, and we chatted forsome time. He even showed me one or two of his stories in a publication,but he admitted that far more came back than were accepted and paidfor.”
“Well, did yeou hang araound there all the afternoon?” asked Crane.
“Indeed, no, comrade—indeed, no,” replied Piper. “I will admit that mycall was more or less protracted, but, on perceiving that the genialhost was becoming aweary, I took the hint and departed. Having for sometime felt the desire to visit the hotel, I seized the opportunity. It isa splendid establishment for the entertainment of the summer vacationistwith a long purse and a yearning desire to be separated from his goodmoney, and it seems to be prospering. Why should it not, having near athand such attractions as Lovers’ Leap and the haunted island?”
“But the bub-boat,” said Springer—“where did you get the bub-boat?”
“At the boathouse connected with the hotel. They have boats of variouskinds for the pleasure of the guests, and, for my own special use, Ihired the one in which you saw me returning. Had to plank down fourdollars a week for its use, and pay the first four bones in advance.”
“Yeou extravagant boob!” cried Sile. “I didn’t knew yeou had four wholedollars to yeour name.”
“Indeed,” said Sleuth loftily, “I have much more than that; but a man ofwealth seldom boasts of his possessions.”
“It was right thoughtful of you to hire a boat,” said Grant. “One canoewas not sufficient for the whole of us, but now we can all go fishing onthe lake at the same time, if we wish.”
“You failed to observe, I think,” returned Sleuth, “that I stated Isecured that boat for my own special use.”
“Hang it!” exploded Springer. “You don’t mean to sus-say that you’re notgoing to let the rest of us use it at all? That would be downrighthoggish.”
“If I desire company in the boat,” retorted Piper, “I’ll extend aninvitation. Otherwise, I, alone, will use it.”
“Kick me,” exclaimed Crane in disgust, “if I ever figgered it aout thatyeou was that kind of a narrer-contracted, selfish critter! Sleuthy,yeou’re showin’ a side of your nater that makes me plumb ashamed ofyeou.”
“He’s joking,” said Stone.
“I never was more serious in my life,” averred Piper.
Nor did their scorn and ridicule seem to have the least effect upon him;in spite of it he continued to caution them not to trespass. Theirindignation turned to coldness, but still he was unmoved.
“I have my reasons,” he declared, “and, until I see fit to reveal them,it will be a waste of time to pester me.” After a few moments of silencehe added: “Do you know, comrades, I believe I can write stories myself.”
This remark was received with an outburst of amused derision, and Pipershut up like a clam.
