Part 26 (1/2)

”Then make haste and tell them of this,” said Ezra, delighted. ”Tell them that it is of great importance that they should come at once.”

”I'm off,” said the Porcupine. And away he darted, his short legs twinkling at a most marvelous speed.

”It will all be arranged without difficulty in a little time now,” said Ezra to the adventurer.

”Fortune favors us in spite of my bad temper,” replied Scarlett. Then he added, after the fas.h.i.+on of a philosopher: ”Never allow your dependence upon your sword to become your greatest a.s.set. It is a mistake. The wise man always waits until the end before he takes matters into his own keeping. For at the last moment, Fortune may fling her rarest gifts at his feet.”

The lieutenant now spoke.

”In these days, gentlemen,” said he, ”one cannot be too careful. I am dangerously placed here, and with but few men. I can, therefore, afford to trust n.o.body.”

”Sir,” said Scarlett promptly and with a wave of the hand, ”say no more about it. You are young and unaccustomed to your work; but you have done well for all.”

The lieutenant was fully as old as the speaker; and he was regarding Scarlett with a puzzled look, when there came a clatter of hoofs upon the road and up clashed Ben Cooper, George Prentiss and Nat Brewster, the latter bearing the dwarf before him in the saddle.

With one accord they leaped to the ground and cl.u.s.tered about Ezra with cries of welcome and delight.

”Why, it's a good month since you left us,” cried Ben.

”We'd all but given you up for dead,” said George, gravely.

”But we're glad to have you back,” spoke Nat Brewster, quietly. ”The cause would be the poorer for the loss of Ezra Prentiss.”

”Master Brewster,” and the lieutenant addressed Nat, whose grave manner always caused him to be selected from the group upon occasions like this, ”these gentlemen but a short time ago landed here in a boat. They claim to have come from Boston, and this one,” indicating Ezra, ”claims to be acquainted with you.”

”I can vouch for him,” cried Nat, his strong hand upon Ezra's shoulder, ”and,” with a quick look at Scarlett, ”if this gentleman is a friend of his, I can vouch for him also.”

”While my acquaintance with him is something less than two months'

duration,” said Ezra, ”I can safely say that he is a friend in everything that the term implies.”

Nat shook Scarlett by the hand, and Ben, George and the Porcupine followed in their turn; and as they did so, Ezra told the adventurer their names.

”I have heard of you all many times,” said Scarlett with vast satisfaction. ”And I have listened to some of your experiences of nights at our inn, the 'Jolly Rover.' After hearing them, and seeing you, I can say that it all affords me much pleasure.”

”I recall Ezra telling us of you after his return from Chelmsford some time since,” said Nat. ”He said that you appeared to be a gentleman of parts.”

The adventurer a.s.sumed his favorite att.i.tude.

”If experience makes for quality, I am to be pardoned if I claim it,”

said he. ”I was younger than the youngest of you when I fought my first field, and since then I have seen service under many flags.” All the time he spoke, and in fact before he began, his eyes went alternately from Ezra to George and back again. Now he broke off his remarks and addressed the latter: ”Your name, sir, is--?”

”George Prentiss,” replied the boy.

Scarlett turned to Ezra.

”Your grandfather called you George,” said he, shrewdly.

”Because of a mistake,” said Ezra, his face flushed as he called to mind the fact that the mistake was not corrected.