TELLS ABOUT HOW I VISITED CAMP MC CORD
Of course, everybody in camp said that Bert Winton was a wonder; they
couldn't help saying that. His own troop didn't seem to think so much
about it. One of them said to me that he guessed Bert was having the
time of his life. They were funny in that way--those tigers. They
didn't seem to get excited over him at all. None of them went around
shouting.
The next morning everybody was talking about Bert. All the time fellows
kept going over in boats to see the remains of Nick's Cove, and most
all they talked about was Bert. Some of them said, Skinny wasn't worth
it--they meant being rescued like that. I could see they all thought
that he took the money. Some said he was crazy. Some of them thought he
knew about the money and just swam out for that.
The Elks didn't seem to care much. Connie told a fellow that he thought
they had a peach, but it turned out to be a lemon. I guess he thought
that was funny. I told Vic Norris about how Bert held Skinny tight and
he said Bert was some lemon squeezer. It made me mad and I just walked
away.
I don't know what would have happened if Mr. Ellsworth had been there.
I guessed he had the money still, because I knew he was called away in
a hurry. I didn't know whether he had sent for the cross or not.
I don't know what the directors thought. I guessed maybe they decided
not to do anything till Mr. Ellsworth got back. Anyway, Skinny stayed
where he was. George Bent--he's in a troop from Washington--told me
that Mr. Storer went down to the Hudson early in the morning to see how
everything was. I guess maybe he did, because Temple Camp would be
responsible for Skinny until he was sent away. George said they gave
Mr. Storer a doughnut down there, and that it hurt him. I don't know
whether they threw it at him or gave it to him to eat. Either way it
might have hurt him. Anyway, I was glad Skinny was away on account of
the way the fellows felt about him.
The next afternoon Westy and I hiked down to see the new camp. I have
to admit they had everything fine. Those Gold Dust Twins were older
than most of the fellows at camp and now that they had something
special to be interested in, I could see that they were pretty game.
"We're going to fight it out on these lines if it takes all summer,"
that's what one of them said.
And the other one said, "That's us. _Skinny forever!"_
They seemed to be getting a lot of fun out of it anyway. I don't
believe either one of them knew much about the gold cross, but they
were going to see Skinny win. It was funny to hear them talk about
scouting. The big one--the one called Reggie--asked me if we had a
badge for dancing. Can you beat that? He said he thought he might make
a stab for it. The other one thought that stalking meant picking corn
off the stalk. _Good night_!
They seemed to like Bert a lot, but I guess it was Skinny's going over
to see them that got them interested. When he asked them _please_ to
believe in him and not take the money, that was what clinched it--
that's what _I_ think. Anyway, that's what Bert told me. He said that
was what started Camp McCord.
Skinny was all bunged up but, oh, boy, you should have seen the scout
smile when he saw me. If that smile had been any longer it would have
cut his head off. He said he was a hero, and that he had a camp of his
own now. Poor little duffer, he didn't mean to be boasting; it was only
that funny way he had.
Westy and Bert and I took a little walk and I said, "The only trouble
is, suppose we shouldn't get the letter. Maybe the money doesn't belong
to the lieutenant. Then what?"
"Well then, we'll find out who it does belong to, that's what," Bert
said. "Camp McCord doesn't strike its colors as easily as all that. Mr.
What's-his-name back?"
I told him no, Mr. Ellsworth wasn't back yet. Then I said, "Maybe
Lieutenant Donnelle was sent away; maybe he had to go to South Africa
on account of the League of Nations. I read that the Zulu's were having
a war."
"You're a regular Calamity Jane," Bert said; "can't you think of
something better than that to worry about?"