Part 12 (2/2)

”Princ.i.p.ally; but it wouldn't have happened if Shultz and Osgood hadn't found fellows enough to make up a game, so you see, in a way, we're to blame, too.”

”But if Roy does come round all right and tells everything, we're all in the soup,” groaned Cooper. ”Oh, I'll catch it at home! My father will be furious if he finds out that I ever played cards for money. You know we're not rich-far from it.”

”There are others,” reminded Piper sharply. ”But when it comes out, if it does, Charley Shultz will have to shoulder the most of the blame.”

”He dud-don't live in Oakdale. He can get out any tut-time he wants to.”

”Shultz won't tell,” said Cooper. ”n.o.body will tell, unless it's Roy. If somebody could get to see him and talk with him privately--”

”I've thought of that,” cut in Piper. ”If he comes round, he may talk before he realizes what it will mean to the rest of us. Now if somebody could see him and make him remember things, he might be warned to keep mum. Who's going to try it?”

”Why dud-don't you?” suggested Springer.

”Why don't _you_?” flung back Billy. ”I've never been real chummy with Roy.”

”I'd mum-make a mess of it,” said Phil, the idea causing him to shrink.

”Somebody has got to do it,” declared Piper, ”and there shouldn't be much time wasted. The fact that Roy spoke to the doctor shows he's coming out of his daze. He's liable to remember everything all at once.

Perhaps the sight of one of us would make him remember. Besides Osgood and Shultz, of course we're the only ones in the game who can go to him, and those fellows couldn't do it without rousing suspicion. It's up to us. Who's going?”

No one volunteered, and after a time Springer feebly suggested that they should draw lots. They were about to do so, when of a sudden Piper commanded all his resolution.

”I'll go,” he announced. ”We won't draw; that would be gambling, in a way, and I'm done with anything of the sort. I'll go.”

They looked at him in wonderment, vaguely realizing that this prying chap, who had succeeded in making himself rather unpopular at school, was the possessor of a certain determination and resolution with which he had never been credited.

”That's the stuff, Sleuthy,” applauded Chipper. ”Good old Sleuthy!”

”Now cut that name out,” requested Piper in a manner that was more like a command. ”I'm done with that, too. I've been rather proud to have fellows call me Sleuth, but it makes me sick now, and I'm liable to fight any one who chucks it at me in future. If you want to do me a favor, you'll tell the fellows so. Perhaps it will make them worse; perhaps they'll think it fun to keep that nickname stuck on to me. But there'll be fights-I tell you there'll be fights!”

”Gee!” breathed Springer, staring at the speaker's flushed face. ”You're a regular bub-bantam, Pipe. Well, if you dud-don't like it, I'll never call you that again.”

”Me, too; witness my solemn pledge,” said Cooper, lifting his left hand and jerking it down to put up his right. ”Phil and I owe you that much for what you've offered to do just now.”

”Perhaps I won't get in to see Roy,” said Billy; ”but I'm going to ask the privilege. Even if I do get in, maybe I won't have a chance to talk with him without anybody round.”

”Report as soon as you can,” urged Chipper.

”Do,” begged Phil. ”We'll go up to my house, Cooper and I; you'll find us there.”

They left the sheds, and Piper set forth along High Street toward Willow, on which Hooker lived. He had not reached Willow when he met Jack Nelson.

”What are you doing, Sleuth?” asked Jack ”You were striding off like a man with a mission. Is the great detective on the trail this--”

”Now that will be enough, Nelson, old man-that will be enough,”

interrupted Piper. ”I've just given certain parties notice that this detective gag is played out and I'm done with it. Also, my friends aren't to call me Sleuth any more if they wish to remain friends.

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