Part 27 (1/2)
”There,” says Mark when we were out of hearing. ”Now what you got to say?”
”Same's ever,” says I. ”What's a missin' pie got to do with Rock?”
”Rock et that pie,” says Mark.
”Fiddle-de-dee,” says I, but I wasn't so sure about it. Mark he acted so _certain_.
”Now,” says he, ”we'll go and g-get him.”
He started off like he knew exactly where he was going, and we followed.
He led us along the bluff above the river for a spell, and then started down. In a minute I saw where we were. We were just across from b.u.t.ternut Island, and right above our old cave-the cave where Mark and Tallow hid Mr. Tidd's turbine a long while back, and where Sammy, the half-breed Injun, used to live.
”Bet he hain't there,” says I. ”He couldn't ever find it.”
”He must 'a' found it,” says Mark, ”because he's in it right now.”
”How d'you know?” says I.
”Because,” says he, with another aggravating grin, ”there hain't no other place for him to be.”
Well, down we went, quiet-like, and peeked in the cave. It was pretty dark there, but all the same we could see something. It looked like somebody asleep, and Mark he grinned at me again.
”You sneaked up here and found him,” says I.
”Didn't,” says he; ”jest figgered it out-and there he is.”
He was that proud of himself just then that you couldn't touch him with a giraffe's neck.
”Rock,” he called, soft-like, ”Rock.”
Rock jumped up so sudden he was like to have busted his head against the cave roof, and looked around scared.
”It's Mark Tidd and the f-f-fellers,” says Mark. ”Come on out.”
”How'd you find me?” says Rock, after he'd got over being scared and surprised.
”Well,” says Mark, ”I knew you must be somewheres around, because you couldn't of got away. You'd be seen or somethin'. We followed you to the river and then lost your tracks, so I knew you were perty clost to here, hidin'. This is the only good hidin'-place for a long ways, so I f-figgered you _had_ to be here-and here you are.”
”Glad Jethro hasn't as much brains as you have, Mark.”
”Why?”
”Because he'd have found me, instead of you.”
”But,” says Mark, ”we're a-goin' to take you back to him.”
Rock just looked at him.
”L-look here,” says Mark, ”you got to trust us if we're goin' to do you any good. And I'll tell you this, that with you gone there hain't the least chance of ever findin' out about you. You got to _be_ there.... I shouldn't wonder if the Man With the Black Gloves would be t-tickled to death, when he got to thinkin' it over, if you was to run away and he never heard of you again. You're a-goin' back there because that's where you can do yourself the most good and those f-fellers the most harm. See it?”
”I see your idea,” says Rock, ”but it don't look very pleasant.”