IN THE DARK
Just then I heard a rustle and I could see a black form quite near. I saw
it move behind a tree.
"Who's there?" I said; but there wasn't any answer.
I stopped for two or three seconds, because I didn't know just what to do,
then I walked up to the tree and just as I came near, the form stepped out
from behind it.
Then I heard a voice say, "What do _you_ want here?"
I said, very surprised, "Dorry? Is it you?"
He said, "What do you _want_ here?"
"I don't want anything," I said; "I just saw a light and I came to see what
it was. What's the matter?"
He said, "Nothing, I'm going to bed."
"Did you have the light?" I asked him.
"Maybe you only saw it same as I did. Only you act awful funny, sort of."
He said, "I've got as much right to be up as you have. Nobody can sleep on
that hard ground."
"Why didn't you dig a hollow for your hip?" I asked him, "same as I do.
Hard ground will never keep a fellow awake. It's your hip. Gee, you're a
scout; you ought to know that."
"Come on back," he said.
I don't know, but something about the way he acted made me feel sort of
funny-suspicious, kind of.
I said, "Were you hunting for something with your flashlight? What's the
matter? Why don't you tell me what you came out for?"
"There isn't any reason, and why should I tell you anyway?" he said.
"Well," I said, "because I'm your patrol leader for one thing. And as long
as Mr. Ellsworth isn't here, I have a right to ask you. I'm not mad. Only
I wonder why you got up and came away, that's all. Anyway, I got a splinter
in my finger grabbing one of these trees, I know that."
"You want to find out if I've got the flashlight?" he said.
"No, I don't want to find out if you've got your flashlight," I said,
"because I know you have. I'm not that kind. First you have to say I didn't
speak about the splinter for that reason." I said; "you have to take back
what you said."
"I never said you were sneaky," he said; "here, take it."
"It's no crime to have a flashlight, I hope," he said; "here take it."
"I wouldn't try to find out that way," I told him.
"I know you wouldn't," he said.
So then he held his flashlight to my finger and I said, "what do you know
about that? I'm carrying a lumber yard around with me. I _thought_ I felt
kind of heavy."
"Have you got a needle?" he asked.
"A crowbar would be better," I told him.
"Hold still," he said, and then he just pulled it out with his fingers.
"That ought to be worth a couple of dollars, hey?" I said, "with the high
cost of timber."
So then we both laughed. Anyway, Dorry and I were always good friends, you
can bet. He was just going to turn off the flashlight when I noticed that
piece of newspaper sticking out of his jacket pocket and I pulled it out,
just kind of half joking, and I said, "Here's what I want. Gaylong said I
could read it."
Gee whiz, there wasn't any harm in that. Oftentimes I'd do things like that
with fellows, and especially Dorry, because I'd known him so long.
"You put that back," he said, kind of mad.
"What's the use of getting mad?" I said.
"You're grouchy because you can't sleep. Here, let's have your flashlight."
And I just grabbed that out of his pocket, too.
I guess he was going to grab them both away from me; anyway, it seemed that
way for a couple of seconds.
Then he said, "Now you'll go and spoil it all."
"Spoil what?" I asked him.
"Go on, read it," he said.
"Sure I'll read it," I told him; "what's all the excitement about?"
"I hope you can keep your mouth shut," he said.
But, believe _me_, I didn't read very much of it, because all I could see
was the picture. I held the flashlight on it and just stared and stared
and stared.
Then I said, "Dorry!--You know--? I was just flabbergasted and I could
hardly speak.
"Sure I know," he said; "it's Jib Jab. I'm going to get my motorcycle after
all."