Two tramping parties approached each other on the borders of the great
Okefinokee in the late afternoon.
The one just emerged from the swamp consisted of Ted Carroll, Hubert
Ridgway, the three reformed slackers, the negro, and the two "prisoners
of war," the first of the latter moving with a slight limp and the
second carrying his arm in a sling.
The party descending toward the swamp consisted of Judge Ridgway, in
hunting dress and carrying a gun, the widely known sheriff of that
section, several deputies, a negro with a heavy provision-pack, and the
venerable swamp-squatter whose long beard running down in a point had
reminded Hubert of "a ram-goat" until the old fellow's kindness had won
the hearts of both boys.
As the homeward-bound party wound out of the swamp brush, and the party
moving down the slope skirted a blackjack thicket and came into full
view, both halted momentarily, uttering ejaculations of astonishment.
Then Ted and Hubert, whose keen young eyes saw everything and whose
quick minds leaped upon the explanation, raced forward, shouting, and
rushed into their uncle's arms.
Judge Ridgway held them hard and kissed them; then, with an arm round
Ted on his right and an arm round Hubert on his left, he sat on a log
and listened as the boys' tongues ran a veritable race.
The sheriff, his deputies; and the old swamp-squatter stood respectfully
apart. The three reformed slackers and the "prisoners of war" halted
where the shouting and racing boys had left them, comprehending what had
occurred and awaiting further developments, even the three who counted
on the friendship of the boys not altogether easy in their minds. But
July, grinning, delighted, curious, edged nearer until he heard Hubert
crowd upon Ted's last words, saying:
"And Ted made speeches to them nearly every night. I told him and told
him it wouldn't do any good, but it did a lot of good. It converted
them."
"And you were just starting to look for us?" asked Ted.
"Yes--the moment we were ready, without waiting for an early morning
start. I'll tell you later what kept me away from home so long, and why
my servants thought you were staying in town, and how Cousin Jim thought
you were just having a good time hunting around the plantation. I had
just got home when your good old swamp-squatter friend turned up and
told us where to find you."
"It doesn't matter, Uncle," said Ted. "I'm awfully glad--now that it's
over--that you _didn't_ start any sooner, because, if you had, you know,
some of the great things that happened might not have happened."
Judge Ridgway smiled and squeezed the boy, then said:
"Well, now let me have a look at your party. Suppose you bring up the
'prisoners of war' first."
Turning away with a vastly important air to execute this commission, Ted
and Hubert ran into the venerable Mr. George Smith.
"I'm that glad to see you boys I don't know what to do," declared the
smiling old swamp-squatter, grasping their hands. "I'd 'a' footed it out
to Judge Ridgway's even if Sweet Jackson had 'a' locked me up and flung
away the key."
"He won't bother you any more," said Hubert, without stopping to
explain.
"Thank you _so much_, Mr. Smith," said Ted. "I just knew you would."
Then the boys ran on their way.
"They are all here except James, Thatcher and Wheeler," Judge Ridgway
was saying to the sheriff, who had stepped to his side. "To-morrow you
can send a party in to round them up."
Then followed the rare spectacle of a Judge "holdin' court right dere in
de open pine woods"--to quote from July's later description. For Ted and
Hubert had brought up the "prisoners of war."
"Mr. Jenkins and Mr. Carter," said Ted, presenting them.
"Good names that have not been honored," Judge Ridgway sternly
commented, looking the prisoners up and down with a keen, appraising
eye. "I imagine that you haven't much to say for yourselves, for there
isn't much to be said. Have you had enough of dodging the law of the
land and shirking your duty, hidden like thieves in a swamp? Are you
ready to register and go to the war when called?"
"Yes, sir," answered Jenkins and Carter in a breath.
"That's the main requisite, and the situation is now practically in your
own hands, for, as the higher authorities have wisely said, what the
country wants is full armies, not full jails. Take them in charge, Mr.
Sheriff. I will only say further that I should like to see them given
every chance, Mr. Jenkins especially, for whom my dear boys have spoken
a good word."
When the "prisoners of war" had stepped apart in the company of the
deputies, Jenkins exchanging a parting smile with Ted as he went, Judge
Ridgway spoke again to the sheriff:
"I want the other three young men to spend the night at my house. Their
case is different. I think also that I'll have my servants put up the
young negro for the night--my boys are so grateful to him. I will be
responsible for the four and see that they are registered to-morrow."
"All right, Judge," said the sheriff, and, saluting, he marched off with
his deputies and the "prisoners of war."
Judge Ridgway rose from his seat, smiling, as Ted and Hubert brought up
their three friends and introduced them. He shook hands first with
Peters and then with Jones, saying:
"Well, boys, you made a very serious mistake, but even serious mistakes
can be rectified; and I understand that you have voluntarily done so
already, so far as was in your power. _Voluntary_ rectification is
everything. Little more can be asked, and we'll say no more about it."
Then he turned to Buck with an extremely friendly manner, holding the
young man's hand in a warm clasp.
"Mr. Hardy, I am deeply indebted to you," he said. "I shudder to think
of what my boys might have suffered but for you and your commanding
influence over that lawless crowd."
"Judge--Judge Ridgway, you--you make me ashamed," stammered Buck,
awkwardly, his eyes lowered. "What I did for them was nothin' to what
Ted did for me. That boy made me feel like I'd never get any peace o'
mind till I'd bagged about sixteen o' them Germans."
"You're the right stuff!" declared Judge Ridgway, with a suddenly
renewed grip of Buck's hand.
After smiling with the greatest satisfaction into Buck's uplifted eyes,
he addressed the three young men collectively: "I want you all to spend
the night at my house."
"Oh, Judge, we don't want to impose----" began Peters.
"Not a word; you've got to come, all of you," declared Judge Ridgway
merrily, as he noted the looks exchanged by the embarrassed young
backwoodsmen. "I want you to help my boys tell their wonderful story.
Even Ulysses after all his travels never found a keener listener than I
shall be."
He was about to add that all had now better start on the homeward tramp,
when he noticed the old swamp-squatter lingering to say good-by.
"Come back and stay all night, Mr. Smith," he hospitably invited. "Then
you can make an early start in the morning."
"Thank you, Judge, I believe I will," the old man eagerly accepted.
July had already been informed by Hubert that he was to be the guest of
old Asa and Clarissa for the night, and he could now be seen with the
black pack-carrier hurrying along the path ahead, eager, as he had
confessed, to reach the Ridgway kitchen and relate to a gaping audience
the marvelous adventures of "Cap'n Ted."
"Walk on with your friends, Ted," directed Judge Ridgway. "I want to
speak to Hubert."
As soon as he learned that the boys were lost in the swamp Judge Ridgway
telegraphed his brother in North Carolina, and that morning he had
received a long answer.
"I've heard from your father, Hubert," he now informed the boy. "Both
your father and mother want me to send you home at once. They think
Ted's influence is bad for you."
"Oh, they don't understand," cried Hubert, his grip on his lachrymal
ducts visibly loosening. "I wouldn't take a thousand dollars for this
great trip with Ted. I'm more of a man right now than I would have been
without Ted. To be with Ted is the greatest thing in the world!"
"Hubert, shake hands with your uncle," said Judge Ridgway, stopping
short. "There's much better stuff in you than I supposed. Good boy! You
won't have to go till to-morrow, and I'll see to it that you come down
to visit Ted soon."
A few minutes later Hubert joined the party ahead and told Ted that his
uncle wanted to speak to him. Ted ran back gladly, shouting as he drew
near:
"Oh, Uncle--I forgot. What's the news about the war?"
"A great battle[A] is raging on the west front--but we'll talk about
that later."
[A] The great German drive beginning March 21, 1918.
Judge Ridgway put his arm over Ted's shoulder, and they walked forward.
"I'm to have you for keeps now," he said. "Your Uncle Fred has at last
agreed to give you up."
"That's just what I've wanted!"
"We have much to talk about. As to your future, I rather think it will
have to be West Point for you, eh?"
"Splendid!" cried Ted, his eyes glowing. "Oh, Uncle, everything is
coming just as I wanted it. Isn't it wonderful how things come out all
right? And I'm always expecting it, too. In the very worst times in the
swamp I told Hubert we'd get out of it and even be glad of what we'd
gone through. And now I'm expecting, I'm sure of, the greatest thing of
all--our victory over the Germans!"
An hour later, just as the white front of the Ridgway house showed
through the trees from afar, Judge Ridgway and Ted joined the others,
and, looking around upon all his friends, the boy exclaimed:
"_Won't_ we have a party to-night!"
"Yes, I think it will be a 'party,'" said Judge Ridgway. "I think
Clarissa will try to serve such a supper as she has sometimes seen in
her dreams. And I think we may even drink a toast to my Ted."
Putting an affectionate hand on the boy's shoulder, Buck Hardy slightly
amended the announcement of their host.
"To _Captain_ Ted," he said.