Part 10 (1/2)
”My goodness! a girl?” gasped his sister. ”What sort of a looking girl?”
”She wasn't bad looking,” Tom said. ”Younger than us-mebbe twelve, or so. But she'd been sleeping out in her clothes-you could see she had.
And her face and hands were dirty.
”'What were they trying to do to you?' I asked her.
”'Trying to get my money,' says she. 'I ain't got much, but you bet I want that little.'
”'I guess you can keep it,' I said. 'But if I were you, I'd hike out of this.'
”'I'm going to,' says she. 'I'm going just as fast as I can to the railroad and jump a train. These fellers have been bothering me all day.
I'm glad you came along. Thanks.'
”And with that she started to move off. But the tramps were real ugly, and one of them jumped for her. I tripped him up,” said Tom, grinning again now in remembrance of the row, ”and then there certainly _was_ a fuss.”
”Oh, Tom!” murmured Helen.
”Well, I had Reno, didn't I? The man I tripped fell into the fire, but was more scared than hurt. But the other fellow-the one with the knife-slashed at Reno, and cut him.
”Well! you never saw such a girl as that tramping girl was--”
”What's _that_?” gasped Ruth. ”Oh, Helen!”
”It might be Sadie Raby-eh?” queried her chum.
”Hel-lo!” exclaimed Master Tom, turning curious. ”What do you girls know about her? Sadie Raby-that's what she said her name was.”
”My goodness me! What do you think of that?” cried his sister.
”And where is she now?” demanded Ruth.
”Aw, wait till I tell you all about it,” complained Tom. ”You girls take the wind all out of my sails.”
”All right. Go ahead,” begged his sister.
”So, that Sadie girl, she came back to my help, and when one of the fellows had me down, and Reno was holding the other by the wrist, she started to dig into the face of the rascal who held me. And once she scratched me by mistake,” added Tom, laughing.
”But between us-mostly through Reno's help-we frightened them off. They hobbled away through the bushes. Then I took her to the railroad, and waited at the tank till a train came along and stopped.”
”And put her aboard, Tom!” cried Ruth.
”Yes. It was a freight. I bribed the conductor with two dollars to let her ride as far as Campton. I knew those two tramps would never catch her there. Why! what's the matter?”
”Goodness me!” exclaimed Helen, with disgust. ”Doesn't it take a boy to spoil everything?”
”Why-what?” began Tom.