United States or Philippines ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"T-t-too bad," muttered Toby, who seemed to feel that upon an occasion like this every member of the club ought to allow himself to be heard. "Say," broke out Steve, suddenly, "perhaps it's that little prowler Toby sighted spying on the camp?" "I wonder!" exclaimed Bandy-legs, his face lighting up with new interest.
Soon they were casting eager glances ahead, under the impression that they must certainly be drawing near the object of their search. Even Bandy-legs had by now apparently arrived at the belief that Obed was "straight," and that he really did have some sort of home in this secluded region.
"And so," pursued Bandy-legs after the fashion of a story-teller who had-reached a crisis in his tale, "she asked Max here if he wouldn't be willing to undertake a trip to the mountains with several of his good chums, meaning us, fellows, to try and locate the missing Roland, and bring back some encouraging news; for the good old soul is in great fear that the second year will soon be finished, and unless Roland is able to show four thousand dollars in cash, most of the estate will go to his older cousin, Frederick.
And it was Steve and not the table leg I'd been hangin' on to like grim death." "I should say you had," muttered the one mentioned, who was now rubbing his arm where Bandy-legs had pinched it, "and if you left a piece of skin as big as a fifty-cent piece below my elbow, I'll be glad, believe me. Bet you I'll be black and blue for a week of Sundays.
Well, no one blamed Steve for pre-empting the first raft for the use of Bessie, because he had been chiefly instrumental in securing it. "We ought to have two more, anyway," suggested Bandy-legs. "And we'll get 'em, never fear," Steve assured him; "because there's just that many in sight. Here, Shack, give me another lift, will you?
I told him I expected I could count on my chums to stick by me." "I should say you could, Max," chuckled Bandy-legs. "Why, I'm fairly counting on depopulating that big frog marsh while we're hanging around this section. And say, Steve here could keep us supplied with trout galore, if only he fished from the bank, and didn't wade in." Both the others were equally prompt to agree.
But we're a peaceable crowd, you know; that's one of the leading rules in the constitution of the Ranger Boys' Club." "Yes," chuckled Bandy-legs, "we're set on having peace even if we have to fight for it." "Well," put in Toby, aggressively, "all I c-c-can s-s-say is, they'd b-b-better think twice before t-t-trying to bother our crowd. We're only b-boys, but we've got rights."
But to tell you the truth, boys, we never saw a thing worth shooting." Max suspected that Toby and Bandy-legs made so much noise floundering through the dry leaves that they gave every squirrel and rabbit plenty of warning, so that they could make themselves scarce long before the expedition came along. But if this was the truth Trapper Jim would not say so.
Bandy-legs continued eagerly. "Hurrah! that's the t-t-ticket!" Toby was heard to remark; "I never yet read about a R-r-robinson C-c-crusoe but what he made him a r-r-raft!" "It might be a good idea, boys," admitted Max, "but I'm afraid you'll find it more than you can manage.
"Oh! ain't I glad!" breathed Bandy-legs, crawling into the tent to get some of his ordinary garments, such as he was accustomed to wear when on an outing. The others followed suit, and it was not long before the camp began to assume a busy appearance, with all of the boys bustling about.
Word Of The Day