Part 17 (1/2)
”Why not take her away to some other place and just pound it into her?”
”Not to the Kingdom of Pipes!” laughed Ruth suddenly.
”No. Let the old pirate have that place to his heart's content. But there are other islands.”
”True enough. Fourteen hundred of them.”
”Come on!” exclaimed the energetic Helen. ”Let's get Willie and the _Gem_ and go somewhere with Wonota. You've all day to hammer at her. Get your continuity and try to get it into Wonota's head that she is deeply and desperately in love with Grand.”
In spite of Helen's brusk way of speaking, Ruth decided that her idea might be well worth following. Helen took some knitting and a parasol--and a hamper. Ruth gathered her necessary books and script; and likewise got Wonota. Then they boarded the launch and Willie took them up the river to a tiny islet not far from the Kingdom of Pipes, after all.
”I don't see anybody moving over there,” Helen remarked, as Willie landed them at the islet selected. She was looking at the island on which Ruth had had her adventure with the King of the Pipes. ”It looks deserted enough. We might have gone there just as well as not.”
”I feel as well satisfied to keep away from that queer old fellow,” her chum said.
”Who's that?” asked Willie, the boatman, overhearing their remarks.
Ruth told him about the strange man, and Willie laughed.
”Oh! That old jigger? Was he the fellow the boss wanted we should shoo off that island? Why didn't he say so? Old Charley-Horse Pond. We all know him about here.”
”Oh!” cried Helen. ”Is he crazy?”
”Not enough to make any difference. Just got a twist in his brain. Calls himself a king, does he? Mebbe he will be a duke or an emperor next time.
Or a doctor. Can't tell. He gets fancies.”
”And of course he is not dangerous?” said Ruth.
”Just about as dangerous as a fly,” drawled Willie. ”And not so much. For flies bite--sometimes, and old Charley-Horse Pond ain't even got teeth to bite with. No, Ma'am!”
”But what are the 'pipes' he talks about? Why 'King of the Pipes'?”
demanded the insistent Helen.
”Got me. Never heard of 'em,” declared Willie. ”Now, you ladies all right here?”
”All right, Willie,” said Ruth as the _Gem_ was backed off the island.
”I'll come for you at half past three, eh? That's all right, then,” and the boatman was off.
The three girls, really glad to be away from the crowd and the confusion of the moving picture camp, settled down to several hours of companions.h.i.+p. Helen could be silent if she pleased, and with her knitting and a novel proceeded to curl up under a tamarack tree and bury herself for the time being.
Helen had not, however, forgotten the ”inner woman,” as she p.r.o.nounced it. When lunch time came she opened the covered basket which she had brought in addition to the book and the knitting, and produced sandwiches and cake, besides the wherewithal for the making of a cup of tea over a can of solidified alcohol. They lunched famously.
It was while they were thus engaged, and chatting, that the staccato exhaust of a motor-boat drew their attention to the Island of Pipes. From the other side, a boat was poking around into the pa.s.sage leading to the American sh.o.r.e.
”My goodness!” exclaimed Helen, ”the King of the Pipes isn't in that boat, is he?”
”Not at all,” Ruth a.s.sured her. ”I see n.o.body who looks like him among those men--”