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Blest if I kin make head or tail out o' it. Reckons as how them leetle fairy twins ye read about must 'a' ben workin' wile I slept; er else I'm dreamin' things that caint be true." "Listen, Mr. Growdy," Paul went on. "Perhaps you may not know that we have started a troop of the Boy Scouts here in Stanhope.
"Gut ye, have I? Mebbe ye'll try to paint some critters of mine agin, an' mebbe ye won't!" said the farmer, as he raised the ugly black whip which he held, with the evident intention of bringing it down good and hard on the helpless boy. "Wait, Mr. Growdy!" Paul hastened to exclaim. The old man laughed harshly as he flourished the whip.
The farmer held up the lantern, and what he saw caused him to utter an exclamation. "Ev'ry one o' 'em gone, by hokey! If so be ye've smashed all my rigs, Paul Morison, I'll have the law on ye, as sure as my name's Peleg Growdy!" he roared, aghast at what he deemed a serious discovery. "Come with me, Mr. Growdy. Notice as you go that this place doesn't look much like a pigpen now.
You know that Si Growdy is a nephew of his? Well, he's without a home no longer. Peleg sent for him, and they had a long talk. Si told me this morning that he's really been adopted by his uncle, and is going to make his home with him. What d'ye think of that, Jack?"
Was he thinking just then of the coins; or did he have some knowledge of the practical joke that had been played on old Peleg Growdy? "Now, tell us what it was, Alan," said Mrs. Stormways, encouragingly. "Well, perhaps in one way it may have been looked upon as something humorous, but it annoyed the old man very much. Last Sunday he went out to let his pigs run loose in the lot, as is his habit.
William grinned, for he saw that he had already captured the hearts of his comrades, and had small need to fear they would let him seek satisfaction alone. Jack Stormways was as deeply interested in the outcome as his chum Paul. He remembered all his father had said at the breakfast table on the preceding day, in connection with this same man Growdy.
"Old Peleg Growdy, to be sure; and the door wasn't fastened then. D'ye suppose he did anything to it when he went out?" asked William, as he tried to assist Jud, now straining and pushing in a useless endeavor to move the heavy door. "That's nonsense," said Paul, as he pointed to the fact that the door could not be locked, since it gave an inch or so each time the boys pushed.
He had no particular reason for liking Peleg Growdy any more than the balance of the group; but the lesson of returning good for evil had taken full possession of his soul. Once he would have been only too ready to join in with his chums in redressing what seemed to be a positive wrong; but somehow it was different now.
He would much rather remain and see the bewilderment of Peleg Growdy reach its conclusion. "Look here, Paul, what's this hull thing mean?" finally demanded the farmer. And Paul, remembering the fact that the old man was hard of hearing, raised his voice as he thought fit when making reply. "Do you want me to tell you the whole thing, sir?" "I sartin do, every word.
The public breakfast at Courcy Castle was going on at eleven o'clock, and at that hour Mr Palliser was already closeted with the Mayor of Silverbridge. "I must get off by the 3.45 train," said Mr Palliser. "Who is there to speak after me?" "Well, I shall say a few words; and Growdy, he'll expect them to listen to him. Growdy has always stood very firm by his grace, Mr Palliser."
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