[1] Begun in No. 92 of HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE, August 2.
Every one knew that Tip's life depended on their getting home quickly,
and all the strength they could command was expended on the oars to such
purpose that in a trifle more than two hours the boat was moored
alongside Dunham's wharf again.
[Illustration: TIP AND THE DOCTOR.]
Without stopping for anything, the entire party followed Tim and Bill to
Dr. Abbott's office, and there they could hardly prevent themselves from
cheering when the doctor told them that Tip's injuries were by no means
serious, and that he would soon be well, although it was possible that
he might always be lame in one hind-leg.
The shot were soon extracted, and Tip taken to the most comfortable spot
in Mr. Tucker's barn, where it is safe to say he did not suffer from
want of attention.
That night, after Bobby and Tim had told the story of their camping out,
Mr. Tucker thoroughly frightened them by saying that on the next day he
was going to take Tim back to Selman to see Captain Babbige.
Tim's face grew very pale, and it was plain to be seen that he was in
the greatest terror, while Bobby was thrown into a perfect fever of
excitement.
"I am not going to leave you there, Tim, if I can help it, for I intend
to do by you as I would some one should do by my Bobby if I had been
called to meet the Great Father. As matters now stand, you have no right
to be here, nor I to keep you; for Captain Babbige is your lawful
guardian, whom I hope you did not leave without sufficient cause.
To-morrow night we will start for Selman, and there the law shall decide
whether you may not be permitted to choose another guardian."
Bobby caught eagerly at the idea that Tim would soon return, with a
perfect right to stay on Minchin's Island, but the homeless boy took a
more gloomy view of the case. He felt certain that Captain Babbige would
force him to remain with him, and the future now looked as dark as a day
or two before it had looked bright.
So positive did he feel that he should not be allowed to return, that,
if Tip's wound had been any less severe he would have taken him with
him; but as it was, he made Bobby promise faithfully to send him as soon
as he should be able to travel.
The next day, when the boy population of Minchin's Island learned that
Tim was to be taken back to the man who had abused him so cruelly, they
held a sort of indignation meeting back of Mr. Tucker's barn, where the
matter was discussed.
Some of the more excitable among them proposed that, since the steamer
on which Tim was to leave would not touch at the island until nearly six
o'clock, there was plenty of time for him to run away again, making it
impossible for Mr. Tucker to carry him back. They argued that he could
build himself a hut in the woods, where, protected by Tip, he could live
the jolliest kind of a life, and they all could come to see him as
summer boarders.
But Tim rejected all such counsel, giving good reason for doing so.
"Mr. Tucker says I ought not have run away in the first place, an' I
s'pose he knows, though it does seem hard to have to stay where folks
are so awful ugly to you. Now he says I must go back, an' I wouldn't be
any kind of a feller if I run away from him after he's been so good to
me. I'd like to go out in the woods to live if it wouldn't rain any, and
I'd do anything rather than go back to Selman; but Mr. Tucker says I
ought to go, an' I'm goin', whatever Captain Babbige does to me."
Every boy present knew that Tim was right, and those who had first
advised him felt ashamed of having done so, while all united in cheering
him for his resolution, until Tip, awakened by the noise, barked loudly,
which, to Tim's mind at least, was proof that he approved of his
master's decision.
That night Tim was escorted to the steamer by a large number of boys,
and while he was on the wharf he felt reasonably brave, even though he
was obliged to pass directly in front of Captain Pratt. But when the
steamer left the dock, and the cheers of the boys died away in the
distance, he fully expected to be summoned to the wheel-house. But
Captain Pratt paid no attention to him, and on the following day Selman
was reached without any incident worthy of mention.
There Tim was never exactly certain how the matter was arranged. He knew
that he was taken into court almost as if he had been a criminal, that
many questions were asked him by the Judge, and that a number of
gentlemen whom he knew told of the ill-treatment he had received from
Captain Babbige.
Then it seemed as if Mr. Tucker had been accused of something, for he
told about his business and himself, and showed a great number of
letters from people on Minchin's Island, all speaking of him as a kind
and good man.
Captain Babbige was there, apparently in a very uncomfortable frame of
mind, and he spoke to Tim in the kindest manner possible, asking him if
he hadn't always treated him as a son.
Tim was not sure how fathers did treat sons, except in one or two cases;
but he told the Captain of what he had said about wanting him to die,
and then coaxed the Judge--oh, so hard!--to let him go back with Mr.
Tucker.
Then some other people had a good deal to say, the Judge talked some
more, and after they were all through, Mr. Tucker told Tim it had been
decided he could go back to Minchin's Island.
Tim's delight was so great that it seemed impossible for him to keep his
feet on the ground. And when he was back at the island again, in the
midst of the crowd of boys who had come to welcome him for the second
time, his joy found vent in words.
And when Tim got into Mr. Tucker's house, where Bobby cheered until he
was hoarse, and Mrs. Tucker kissed him again and again, he found it
impossible even to speak, because of a great lump in his throat, which
was not caused by sorrow; but he said over and over to himself that no
one should regret in the man what they had done for the homeless orphan
boy.