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She turned swiftly on her side to seek the source, and in her ears boomed the tremendous crash of Stumpy's explosion, rolling far over the sea, reverberating from the shores and making the air quiver like a solid thing. A great mass of rock hurtled overhead, missed the schooner by scant feet, and Venner shouted in horror: "Throw her a line, Pearse!
The shouting and yelling which had gained the camp its infelicitous title were not permitted within hearing distance of Stumpy's. The men conversed in whispers, or smoked with Indian gravity. Profanity was tacitly given up in these sacred precincts, and throughout the camp a popular form of expletive, known as "Curse the luck!" was abandoned, as having a new personal bearing.
The cabin assigned to "Tommy Luck" or "The Luck," as he was more frequently called first showed signs of improvement. It was kept scrupulously clean and whitewashed. Then it was boarded, clothed, and papered. The rose wood cradle, packed eighty miles by mule, had, in Stumpy's way of putting it, "sorter killed the rest of the furniture." So the rehabilitation of the cabin became a necessity.
But Stumpy's hoarse roar could be heard calling them back to the ledge, and there was a note of menace in his tired tones. And mingling with his voice was the voice of a woman of the camp, raised in shrill complaint. Milo stepped to the picture and listened. "I tell ye the fiend has tricked ye, Stumpy!" the woman cried. "Tricked me? Have a care how ye talk that way, woman!"
He leaped from his corner, and shouted as though he had been hailing the Rosabel half a mile off. "My father!" repeated he; and all eyes were fixed upon him. Stumpy was excited, not so much, we must do him the justice to say, because there was money involved in the fact, as because the name and memory of his father were dear to him. "That man was Stumpy's father as true as the world!" said Mr.
John Stumpy suddenly shifted his hand from its grasp on the collar to the merchant's throat. For a moment I thought Mr. Woodward was in danger of being choked to death. "Stop! Stop! Se search me if you you want to," he gasped. But John Stumpy's passion seemed to have got the better of his reason. He did not relax his hold in the least. A short struggle ensued.
In the settlement, Leopold received forty-six dollars; Stumpy's share, according to a standing agreement, was one quarter of the proceeds of the sale; and the eleven dollars and a half which he put into his wallet was quite as satisfactory to him as the thirty-four dollars and a half was to Leopold.
"Couldn't have worked better!" exclaimed Bart, as he and his chums watched the scene from where they were hidden. "I hope none of the girls faint," said Fenn. "Oh, Stumpy's getting worried about Jennie, I s'pose," remarked Ned. "No danger of any of 'em fainting," said Bart. "They're too much afraid a mouse would bite 'em."
The cabin assigned to "Tommy Luck" or "The Luck," as he was more frequently called first showed signs of improvement. It was kept scrupulously clean, and white-washed. Then it was boarded, clothed, and prepared. The rosewood cradle packed eighty miles by mule had, in Stumpy's way of putting it, "sorter killed the rest of the furniture." So the rehabilitation of the cabin became a necessity.
Wimble shook his head, gave the matter his thought a moment, and said: "It was las' Saturday night; I remember 'cause there was a right smart crowd in an' I was busy an' Stumpy kep' pesterin' me until I 'tended to him. He won't have nothin' lef by this, though; it ain't Stumpy's way to save his money long. Firs' time I ever knowed him to have three dollars all at once."
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