Part 27 (1/2)
”Don't go an' git lost, young man. Have ye a guide?”
”No, but I don't think we are going to get lost. What place do you call this?” the eldest Rover continued, thinking to ask some questions himself, and thus keep the fellow from becoming too inquisitive.
”This is Pluggins' Palace;” the man gave a short laugh. ”Did ye ever hear of Pluggins?”
”No.”
”Pluggins was a pretty fair sort, but had a habit of stickin' his nose into other folks' business. One day, so the story goes, he went too far, and n.o.body has seen him since.”
”Was he killed?”
The man shrugged his shoulders.
”Don't ask me, stranger. He disappeared, and that was the end of him.
He used to live here, and the boys writ that motto to his memory.”
And the man pointed to a wall, upon which hung a board, on which had been painted the following:
ThiS iS iN MEMorY Of SiLAs plUGGinS he waS A GooD MaN bUT hE coULD NOT kEEp HiS NOsE FRoM oTHeRS bISSnESS.
tAkE wARNiNG.!
d.i.c.k read the lines with deep interest, and so did all of the others.
”They didn't know much about sign painting, but they evidently knew what they wanted to say,” remarked Tom. ”Do you live here now?” he added, to the strange man.
”No; I was only taking a nap, that's all.”
”Are you on foot?” asked Fred.
”No, my hoss is close by.” The man gave a loud whistle, and soon a slick-looking mare came into view from behind the shack. ”Reckon I must be goin'.” He pointed to the board on the wall. ”Kind of a sign to set a feller to thinkin', eh?”
”Just a bit,” returned d.i.c.k dryly.
”It don't do to stick your nose into what don't concern you. Good-by.”
The man left the shack, leaped into the saddle on the mare, spoke to the steed and, in a second, was off like the wind around a turn in the woods.
”Gracious, but he can ride!” was Tom's comment. ”That mare is a peach!”
”Another mystery,” came from d.i.c.k. He gazed at the board on the wall.
”Do you know what I think?”
”What?” asked Songbird.
”That is an out-and-out warning--”
”Sure.”
”A warning meant for just such persons as ourselves.”