TELLS ABOUT HOW WESTY AND I WAITED
Uncle Jeb and Westy came in and saw how it was and there wasn't
anything more to do, so we went back to the boat. The fellows who were
waiting around in the other boats said it wasn't my fault, but anyway,
I knew it was.
Uncle Jeb said, "Wall, naow, you take it kinder hard, Roay. Remember
thars two strings ter this here bow, as the feller says. We got another
party uv good scouts ter hear frum yet. You jest come over ter camp 'n
get a cup uv hot coffee."
I said I didn't want any hot coffee and that I was just going to wait
around with Westy. I just wanted to be with Westy. So Uncle Jeb went
back in one of the other boats and Westy and I just rowed around
together. At the spot where the others had started up the mountain, a
couple of boats were pulled up so that the fellows could cross when
they got back. It was pitch dark up the mountainside and I looked up to
see if I could see any lights that might be their lanterns.
"They can't get back for an hour yet," Westy said; "don't let's get too
close to the new outlet. It may be running pretty strong, even yet."
I said, "I don't care a lot what happens to me now."
"Well, _I_ do," Westy said.
"I know I haven't seen much of you in the last couple of days," I told
him; "but I don't want you to think it's because I don't care any more.
It was mostly because I was trying to help Skinny. Anyway, it's all
over now. How did the fellows treat him to-day? If they'd known it was
his last day, they'd have treated him decent, I bet."
"I didn't see him," Westy said; "I was hunting for you most all the
afternoon."
"I'm going to stick by you closer after this," I said. "It was only
because Bert Winton was, sort of--you know--"
"I know," Westy said, "everybody fell for him. I'm not blaming you."
"But anyway, I'm glad I've got you now," I told him; "we were always
good friends, that's one sure thing. I'd feel mighty lonesome if I
didn't have you."
"I never got jealous," Westy said; "I always knew how it was with us. I
just went stalking with the Ravens--it was so kind of slow."
"It won't be that way any more," I told him; and I just almost had to
gulp--gee, I don't know why. "Only a couple of nights ago I was
flopping around like this with Bert Winton and now he's gone--he was a
hero, that's sure--and you and I are together again."
"We heard you while we were at camp-fire," Westy said.
"Did you mind?" I asked.
"No, I didn't mind," he said.
"It's funny how two fellows get to be chums," I said.
Westy didn't say anything, only just rowed around. After a while he
said, "He knew how to feather, that fellow did. I guess his troop will
go home now, hey?"
"Maybe he turned and went back through the passage and they'll find him
all safe in the pit," Westy said.
"Nope," I told him; "the lake's different--everything is changed.
Skinny won the cross and he's dead. And Bert is dead. It doesn't make
any difference what the camp thinks about Skinny now, because he won't
know it. And even if they're sore still, Bert won't know it. They won't
be back. Everything is changed."
"You just said you and I are not changed," Westy said.
Then we just rowed around and neither one of us said anything. It was
awful dark and still.
"How do you suppose Skinny happened to get there?" I asked Westy.
"The flood carried him through," he said.
"But how did he happen to be in the cove? It couldn't have carried him
through if he hadn't been in the cove," I said.
"Guess we'll never know that," I told him.
Then we rowed around some more and neither of us said anything.
"Look up there and see if you think that's a lantern," Westy said,
after a while.
"Yes, it is," I said, "they're coming back." And then my heart began to
thump.
"I bet they've got them and that everything's all right," Westy said;
"I kind of think so by the way the lantern is swinging."
Pretty soon we saw another light and then another one; and then I could
hear some of the fellows talking and hear twigs crunch under their feet
as they scrambled down. I didn't dare to call them, but Westy called.
"Any news? Are they all right?"
"Who's there?" a fellow called.
"Two fellows from Bridgeboro troop," Westy shouted. "Have you got them?
Any news?"
Just then a fellow came scrambling down and stood on the shore. "The
whole blamed pit has fallen in," he said; "it's just a pile of rocks
and mud. It's filled up to within six or eight feet of the surface.
Just collapsed. Must have been some flood over that way."