BILLY GOES SWIMMING
Early the following afternoon, Billy saw 'Phonse LeBrinn throwing
stones at the boat-house, and, as he liked to play with 'Phonse much
better than with his nearest neighbours, the twins in the green
cottage, he flew down the bank fast as he could go.
"Oh, Frenchy," he panted, "I wish I could run like a deer, way you do.
I can't run worth a cent."
"Shouldn't think you could," grinned 'Phonse.
"Let's go the other side of the boat-house," suggested Billy, "I'm
'fraid, if my mother sees me down here, she'll think of something she
wants me to do."
'Phonse was sure of it, so he and Billy straightway sought a
hiding-place.
"What have you got that tog on for?" asked 'Phonse.
"Going to be a thimble party at our house," explained Billy, "and Bet
made such a fuss I had to be dressed up fear somebody might see me."
"Where's Gerald?"
"He's camping this week at the Snow Islands with some folks. Wish he
was home. What'll we do this afternoon, 'Phonse?"
"Catch minnows; don't you want to?"
"I'd rather hunt for Aunt Florence's locket than anything else. See,
'Phonse, that girl up there on the bank looking through my father's
spy-glass, she's my Aunt Florence, and she's a brick."
"Ain't she pretty!" exclaimed 'Phonse. "She's the prettiest lady I ever
saw. She wouldn't like me, though; nobody does."
"I do; all the trouble is, 'Phonse, nobody's acquainted with you. Now,
if you could find Aunt Florence's locket that she lost yesterday, she'd
like you for ever and ever. I know she would."
"Where'd she lose it, Billy?"
"She thinks she lost it at the old fort yesterday. It's a gold locket
that her father gave her when she graduated last summer, and Aunt
Florence and I hunted for it all the forenoon. We had to give up.
'Phonse, you stay here, and I'll run up to the house and tell my mother
I'm going to hunt for the locket. You be walking up the beach, and I'll
meet you around the point."
When Billy rejoined his ragged playmate, the two began a diligent
search for the locket.
"If anybody can find it, you can, 'Phonse."
"Aw, somebody's picked it up 'fore this, Billy. Nobody could help
seeing it on this black ground. Gold shines, you know."
"Maybe," suggested Billy, "maybe she didn't lose it; perhaps she lost
it where we were digging for beads. Surely, this morning we hunted over
every inch of this trail, and you know Betty."
'Phonse nodded his black head. "She'd find it if it was here. Don't you
want to go swimmun, Billy?"
"Too cold, 'Phonse; we'd freeze."
"We can make a bonfire on the beach, see?" 'Phonse showed Billy a
handful of matches. "Swiped 'em," he commented. "We'll go down on
the sand under the bank and start a fire beside of the tramp's raft.
Nobody'll see us there, you know, and we can go swimmun and get dressed
where it's warm."
"All right, sir," assented Billy, "only don't run, 'Phonse, whatever
you do."
Beyond the fort was an old raft of planks, upon which years before
tramps crossed the straits in a storm. It was a favourite resort among
the boys. Billy instantly began gathering driftwood for a bonfire.
"Guess the Indians had a fire in this same place yesterday, 'Phonse,"
he said, "because just see the new-looking ashes. Wonder if they
started it with flint or by rubbing two sticks together. Do you know?"
"No, I don't. Hustle up, Billy, and don't stop to talk."
When the pile of driftwood was high enough to suit 'Phonse, he started
the fire. Thanks to the west wind, it burned, and the boys were soon
ready for the water. Billy walked into the lake, screaming at every
step. 'Phonse climbed upon a rock and plunged in.
"Silly," he shouted, "course you'll be cold acting that way; get down
in the water, Billy, then you'll be warm."
"It's too--too--too early to go swimming," gasped Billy, shivering in
the wind and the icy water. "I--I'm--I'm glad we started the fire."
"Come out where it's deeper; here, give me your hand," said 'Phonse,
"I'll show you how to go swimmun."
Soon Billy declared that the water was warm, and he and 'Phonse played
in the lake for an hour. They splashed, laughed, and shouted, with only
the gulls to hear, until 'Phonse said it was time to get dressed. The
fire was out. 'Phonse threw some bark upon the coals, and looked for
his clothes. There was not a thread of them left.
"Oh, Billy," he wailed "we left our clothes too near the fire, and
they're all burned up; what can we do?"
"Oh, what shall we do?" cried Billy. "Oh, b-b-but m-my c-c-clothes
are all r-right," he added in the next breath. "I'll divide with you,
'Phonse."
"Your clothes ain't either all right," insisted 'Phonse. "They're
burning yet. Look at them."
"Here's one all right s-stocking, just the same, 'Phonse."
"Let me take it, then, Billy, and I'll put out the fire with it that's
burning the rest of the things."
"You may wear the stocking," offered Billy. "The other one's gone, and
the shoes are spoiled. Why, 'Phonse, there isn't anything left of my
clothes but my shirt and my blouse and my trousers,--and look at my
trousers, will you, all full of holes!"
"What if you didn't have anything left," grumbled 'Phonse. "I've got
some shoes and stockings at home, Billy, but that's all. I don't know
what dad will do, but I'll catch it, sure."
"Oh, 'Phonse, my mother'll give you some clothes to wear, if we can
ever get to my house, but, oh, dear, it is so cold! Which do you want
to wear, 'Phonse, my shirt or my white blouse; there's one sleeve
burned out of both of 'em, and my waist is all gone."
"I'll take the shirt," 'Phonse decided. "Don't cry, Billy, I'm the one
that ought to cry."
"B-but, but I'm s-s-so c-cold, and, oh, dear, I'm going to put on the
s-s-stocking if you--you don't want it."
"I do, though," insisted 'Phonse; "give her here. You've got more on
than I have, anyway. Come on, Billy, we'll be warmer if we run."
"Only I can't run, and--and--and the s-s-stones h-hurt m-my fee-feet,"
protested Billy, his teeth chattering.
"Don't be a baby," 'Phonse advised. "Oh, Billy, what if there is a lot
of folks at the old fort? We better keep back from the lake. It's too
cold here, anyway. Let's sneak around where the bushes grow."
"All right, go ahead, 'Phonse."
Cautiously the boys made their way around the clearing. They were
nearly past the old fort grounds when they heard voices.
"Duck, Billy, duck; it's some boys from out of town," whispered
'Phonse, "and if they see us, I don't know what'll happen! Let's crawl!"
"Listen," Billy replied; "they've found a wonderful relic, I guess;
hear them quarrel. Oh, 'Phonse, it's my Aunt Florence's locket, that's
what it is, and they've got to give it up!"
Without stopping to think further, Billy darted from the thicket,
followed closely by 'Phonse.
"That's my Aunt Florence's locket, so please give it to me," demanded
the child, springing toward the largest boy in the group.
"Listen to him, will you," replied a taunting voice. "Here's the Wild
Man of Borneo wants his Aunt Florence's locket. Well, I guess not. Have
you two escaped from a circus, or do you want to join one, which?"
"Give me that locket," cried Billy. "I say that belongs to my Aunt
Florence."
Great fun the big boys had then, teasing poor Billy, who begged,
threatened, and jumped for the locket held just beyond his reach.
"Tell you what," suggested the roughest-looking boy, "let's tie these
youngsters together, and leave them here until we can get out of town.
Them's diamonds in that locket, boys."
At that moment 'Phonse sprang like a wild-cat upon the boy with the
locket, and, snatching the treasure, ran with it to the woods. Billy
was never more astonished, and at first the boys were too surprised to
chase the strange little figure flying across the clearing. When they
ran after 'Phonse, Billy hid. He wasn't afraid any one could catch
'Phonse, the swift-footed French boy, but he did fear being caught
himself. Like an old-time Indian, Billy managed to keep out of the
enemy's sight all the way home. 'Phonse was waiting for him in the edge
of the woods.
"Here," said 'Phonse, offering Billy the locket, "take it to her."
Billy shook his head. "'Phonse, you come in the wood-shed, and sit in
the corner where nobody'll see you, while I ask my mother for some
clothes for us. Then you can give auntie the locket yourself."
"Won't you catch it?" asked 'Phonse; "you don't look very nice, Billy."
"You do what I tell you," remarked Billy. "My mother's the kind you can
explain things to. I don't want the company to see me, though, so I
guess I'll whistle for Betty."
Betty quickly appeared in answer to the whistle.
"Why, Billy Grannis!" she began, and then how she laughed.
"Keep still, Bet, there is a boy in the wood-shed that's cold. He
hasn't on very much clothes, and he wants something to wear home."
That was all 'Phonse heard, as Billy was led into the house. The little
fellow returned in a moment, dragging a cape. "Here, 'Phonse, Betty
sent you this to wrap up in, and Betty says come in by the kitchen
fire."
"I won't do it," was the reply.
"All right, then, I'll have to bring your 'freshments out here. It's a
shivering kind, though,--ice-cream and cake; want some?"
"Don't I? You bet!" was the answer.
"Come, 'Phonse, come in the kitchen," urged Betty, again appearing at
the door. "Please come. Billy has told auntie and me about the locket,
and Aunt Florence just loves you. Quick as the company goes, mamma'll
find you something to wear."
Trailing the cape behind him, 'Phonse walked into the kitchen, where
Betty introduced him to Aunt Florence.
[Illustration]
That night, when 'Phonse LeBrinn went home, his own folks didn't know
him. In his arms he carried a bundle of Billy's old clothes; but
everything he wore was new, from the red cap to the patent-leather
shoes.