TOM TOSSES IT BACK
When they brought the doctor around they found him still in that
position and had to lift him gently away. The announcement that the
wound was not fatal did not seem to move his stolidness in the least.
"I want to see Mr. Temple," he said doggedly.
"What is it, Tom?" said Mr. Ellsworth putting his arm over the boy's
shoulder.
"I want to see him before he has him arrested--then if the wires are
cut I'll send a wireless for the constable--only I want to see Mr.
Temple first. I'm not afraid of him now."
"He couldn't be arrested to-night, Tom, he--"
"I want to see Mr. Temple--_you_ tell him," he added, turning
suddenly upon Mary, almost with an air of command. "I did something for
_you_--once."
The girl was sobbing and seemed to hesitate as if not knowing whether
to say something to Tom or to do his bidding. "Yes, I'll get him," she
said.
It was not the scout fashion to order a young girl upon an errand, and
it was certainly not the scout fashion, nor anyone else's fashion to
summon John Temple thus peremptorily. But Tom was a sort of law unto
himself and even Mr. Ellsworth did not interfere.
The master of Five Oaks came around the house with his daughter
clinging to him. And Tom Slade, who had knocked his hat off, stood up
and faced him. It was not always easy to get Tom's meaning; he often
used pronouns instead of names and his dogged, stolid temperament
showed in his phraseology.
"He told me when I joined the troop that I had to be loyal, and that's
the reason I'm doing it and not because I believe in being a burglar."
The naïveness of this announcement might have seemed ludicrous if Tom's
voice had not trembled with earnestness. "And he said there wasn't no
scouts when he was a boy--that's my father there. And that's what
_you_ got to remember too. I tracked him before and I got the pin
and gave him my five dollars that I'd saved."
Someone tittered: John Temple frowned and shook his head impatiently
and there was no more tittering.
"I guess you know about that, and that I didn't bring it to her 'cause
I was scared, and I couldn't help him coming here to-night. Only you
got to remember there wasn't any troop when he was a boy--you got to
remember that. I'd 'a' been a burglar myself, that's sure, only for
him" (indicating Mr. Ellsworth) "and the troop--and Roy. And he's
sick--that's most what's the matter with him and I'd like to have him
brought to our camp and have Doc take care of him till he gets well
enough so's Mr. Ellsworth can talk to him, 'cause Mr. Ellsworth, he
never fails--he's never failed once. But if you won't do that--if you
won't leave him--let him--go like that--then you got to remember that
there wasn't any troop when he was a boy-'cause I'm rememberin'
it--and------"
"He _will_ remember it," said Mary, weeping. "Oh, he does remember
it, Tom, he does."
Mr. Temple drew her to him. "Go on, my boy," he said. "I'm listening."
"If you want me to send a wireless for the constable, I'll do it,
'cause I got to do a service--only you got to remember--that's only
fair. And I got something else to say while I'm not scared of you-'tain't
because I got any reason to be scared of you either--but I'm
sorry I threw that stone at you. That was what started _him_ for
the bad--when he went away and left me--but it started me for the good
anyhow--so that's something."
For a moment no one spoke. Mr. Ellsworth would not spoil the effect of
Tom's words by uttering so much as a single word himself. It was John
Temple who broke the silence, quieting his daughter who seemed about to
break forth again.
"I will do more than remember," said he. "Come here, my boy. There will
be no charge made against your father, so there will be no need of a
service unless it is a service of my own. It has been borne in upon me
lately that your good scoutmaster is a wonder-worker, and what you have
just said strengthens that growing conviction. I have been thinking,
too, how I might further the movement so well represented by him, and
the story of your experience with your father has quite decided me. For
every one of those five precious dollars that you were sensible enough
to save and noble enough to give away, there shall be given a thousand
to the cause whose precepts and principles you represent.
"Let this poor man be taken to your camp in the woods if you like, and
let your doctor take care of him, and see that he does his duty. I will
visit your camp myself to-morrow if I may."
Mr. Ellsworth assured him that he might, and as for Doc, a half dozen
chimed forth that he was the only ever, etc., etc.
Tom said nothing. He had never been much of a scout missionary, and the
unexpected and altogether amazing conversion of John Temple quite
overwhelmed him. He did not realize that he himself had done it, in his
own stolid, crude way.
But would his hope be borne out? Would the Wizard Ellsworth indeed "get
away with it," and make a new man of poor, wretched Bill Slade? I
should hesitate to affirm it; but I wouldn't dare to deny it--not
before the boys. So let us rest in the hope born of Tom's own words
that Mr. Ellsworth had never yet failed. Let us believe that the woods
and the camp-fire yarns and the company of these boys may be a helping
hand to the broken wretch who had no First Bridgeboro Troop to look to
when he was a boy.
As they bore the stretcher over the bridge toward the woods beyond, Tom
heard the sound of footfalls a little distance behind them, and paused.
It proved to be Mary Temple.
"Tom, is that you?" she said.
"Yes-it is."
"I want to thank you, Tom. I was coming to your camp to-morrow, but I
couldn't wait. I-want to thank you, Tom."
"What for?"
"Oh, for everything. You don't realize the things you do and that's the
best part of it." "I didn't do noth--anything."
"You got me back my pin. Oh, Tom, you don't suppose five thousand
dollars is all my father will give--he'll give ten times that!"
Tom said nothing, and for a moment they stood there near the bridge,
hearing the river rippling below.
Then, impulsively, she leaned forward and kissed him. "There," she
said, "that's how much I thank you! And I'm coming to your camp again.
I'm coming with my father," she said, as she turned and ran toward
home.
Still Tom said nothing. He could not handle a situation like this at
all.
A little way down the road she turned and waved her hand, and he
realized that if he were going to make any acknowledgment it would have
to be done now. So he mastered his embarrassment as best he could,
raised his hand awkwardly to his lips and threw a kiss to Mary Temple!
He had scarcely turned and started after the little cavalcade when he
stumbled into Roy.
"I was just coming to see where you were."
"Well, you took it, didn't you?" Roy added, as they walked along together.
"Took what?"
"Something for a service."
"I--I couldn't help myself," said Tom.
For answer Roy gave him a shove and laughed outright. "So your Uncle
Dudley was right and you broke the scout law after all--ya-a-ah-a!"
They walked a little way in silence.
"Well, anyway," Roy said, "you can say you tossed it back, can't you?"
"'Twasn't her ball."
"It was much better than a ball."
"How do you know what I took and what I tossed back?"
"A scout is observant," said Roy.
THE END