Part 31 (1/2)
”He didn't have much to say after I told him all I knew,” responded Thoht beMerwell--that Merwell had said that Jasniff and souilty of the jewelry robbery”
”Humph! he can't put it off on anybody else like that!” cried Phil ”We know beyond a doubt that he and Jasniff coht not to bla up for Merwell,”
answered Dave ”Link is a hty slick talker, and he probably told his story to suit hiot Porton to s it Just the same, Porton is very foolish to chum with him”
”I'll be rather sorry to lose Porton, for he is a clever fellow in the er ”He wanted to leave in a few days, but I persuaded him to stay for a week at least, so we could finish several draet so felloant to have a try at it?” and Mr Appleby looked full at Dave
”Oh, I don't know,” returned our hero, slowly And then he saw that Jessie's eyes were turned upon him and that they showed she was troubled ”I don't think I care to take the ood ti a hand at it!” cried Luke
”You can count me in, too!” added Shadow ”I'd like first-rate to see -picture show,” and his eyes lit up in anticipation
”Well, you fellows come down soer ”I've got to get back now We are getting ready to put on quite an iot to rehearse a number of scenes If you folks want to come up and look on, you'll be welco-picturethe brook that flowed into Mirror Lake While getting ready for the sport the conversation drifted around once more to Link Merwell
”If he is in this vicinity, Dave, you can et in on us somehow before he leaves,” remarked Phil
”I don't see what he can do,” returned Luke
”Oh, a fellow like Link can do lots of things!” burst out Ben ”Why, he alows!”
”Do you think he's as bad as that?” questioned Shadow
”Yes, I do!” was the flat answer
Fishi+ng in the vicinity of the lake was not very good, so the boys pushed further and further up the brook, until they reached a point where there was a little waterfall and a pool of considerable size Here fishi+ng was better, and soon they had quite a number of specimens of the finny tribe to their credit
”Coo up a little farther,” pleaded Phil ”I'd like to see what this brook looks like beyond the falls”
”All right, I'll go,” answered our hero ”What about you fellows?” he asked, of the others
”I'll stay here and rest,” announced Roger ”I'reed Ben Shadow and Luke also said they would remain in the vicinity of the pool
Dave and Phil found it no easy task to follow the brook, which wound in and out a the rocks and brushwood At one point they had to do so, and once the shi+powner's son slipped and ca an ankle
”Say, I don't believe I'll go h and noa little farther on, Phil,” announced Dave ”Coive up this way! Maybe we'll find soe fish up there”
Once more they set out, and soon found the, backed up by a cliff fifteen or twenty feet in height, and overgroith brushwood and trailing vines
”Hark! What was that?” exclai their lines into the stream