Part 36 (1/2)

”Keep cool, Binney,” says he. ”Your strong point hain't sarcasm. Let's go out to see Rock.”

We two went out and we expected maybe Rock would have something exciting to tell us, but he didn't. It seems like nothing at all had happened. He hadn't seen a thing of Pekoe, and hadn't heard him much.

”Funny,” says Mark, ”that you don't know anything about this Pekoe, Rock, when it was him that b-brought you here.”

”Not when you know how I've always lived,” says Rock. ”Why, I haven't seen my father since I was a baby! I don't even remember what he looks like. He wrote me once in a while, but his letters didn't tell much.

About all there was in them was that he would come home some day.”

”You don't suppose this Pekoe is him, do you?”

”I _know_ he isn't,” said Rock, as positive as could be.

”But your father sent him,” says I.

”He didn't say,” says Rock.

”What made you g-go off with him, then?”

”There wasn't anything else to do.”

Well, we were stumped right there. It was a sure thing that this Pekoe knew something we ought to know, but it looked like he might as well be in China as where he was, for all the good it did us. It made Mark Tidd mad.

”We're goin' to t-t-talk to Pekoe,” says he, ”and we're goin' to do it right off.”

”I'm willin',” says I, ”but I hain't got any wings to fly up to his window.”

”And Jethro might not like to see a boy flying around the yard like a bird, anyhow,” said Rock, making the first thing that sounded like a joke that I ever heard him try. It wasn't much of a joke when you come to think of it, but it was encouraging.

”I wish Plunk and Tallow was here,” says Mark.

”I'll git 'em,” says I, and off I went, running as hard as I could. It didn't take long to grab onto the fellows and hustle back. When we got there Mark and Rock had their heads together like they were making up a scheme.

”Plunk,” says Mark, ”you and Tallow are g-g-goin' to have a fight. A noisy fight. You got to slam-bang into each other like all git out.”

”G'wan!” says Tallow.

”He knows I kin lick him,” says Plunk.

”If Mark Tidd wants any fightin' done he kin do it himself,” says Tallow.

Mark didn't say anything till Tallow was through spluttering. Then he says: ”Jest wait a m-minute till I tell you about it. I've got to talk to this Pekoe. It hain't any easy job to do it, and it won't be possible if you don't help. That's where the f-f-fight comes in. I want you to go back by the barn and start a reg'lar rip-snortin' rumpus that can be heard to Jericho. It'll attract Jethro right out of the house to see what's goin' on. While he's gone Binney and I will sneak up-stairs.

Rock'll keep w-w-watch at the foot of the third-floor and make a noise to warn us if Jethro's comin'. See? You hain't goin' to back down on me, be you?”

”No,” says Tallow, ”but I wisht you'd find somethin' for me to do where I wouldn't get all mussed up. Plunk gets too doggone int'rested when he goes to fightin'. Seems like he don't know the difference between foolin' and bein' in earnest.”

”So much the better,” says Mark. ”It'll look real to Jethro.”

”It'll look real to Plunk,” says Tallow, short-like, but Plunk just grinned. He sort of liked fights.