Part 40 (1/2)

Kaviak stared, drew a long breath, and seemed to retire within himself.

”You'd better attend to me, for I mean business.”

Kaviak, recalled from internal communing, studied ”Farva” a moment, and then retreated to the cricket, as to a haven now, hastily and with misgiving, tripping over his trailing coat. Mac stood up.

”Wait, old man.” The Colonel stooped his big body till he was on a level with the staring round eyes. ”Yo' see, child, yo' can't have any dinnah till we find out who took the syrup.”

The little yellow face was very serious. He turned and looked at the still smoking plenty-bowl.

”Are yoh hungry?”

He nodded, got up briskly, held up his train, and dragged his high stool to the table, scrambled up, and established himself.

”Look at that!” said the Colonel triumphantly. ”That youngster hasn't just eaten a pint o' syrup.”

Mac was coming slowly up behind Kaviak with a face that n.o.body liked looking at.

”Oh, let the brat alone, and let's get to our grub!” said Potts, with an extreme nervous irritation.

Mac swept Kaviak off the stool. ”You come with me!”

Only one person spoke after that till the meal was nearly done. That one had said, ”Yes, Farva,” and followed Mac, dinnerless, out to the Little Cabin.

The Colonel set aside a plateful for each of the two absent ones, and cleared away the things. Potts stirred the fire in a shower of sparks, picked up a book and flung it down, searched through the sewing-kit for something that wasn't lost, and then went to the door to look at the weather--so he said. O'Flynn sat dozing by the fire. He was in the way of the was.h.i.+ng-up.

”Stir your stumps, Jimmie,” said the Colonel, ”and get us a bucket of water.” Sleepily O'Flynn gave it as his opinion that he'd be d.a.m.ned if he did.

With unheard-of alacrity, ”I'll go,” said Potts.

The Colonel stared at him, and, by some trick of the brain, he had a vision of Potts listening at the door the night before, and then resuming that clinking, scratching sound in the corner--the store corner.

”Hand me over my parki, will you?” Potts said to the Boy. He pulled it over his head, picked up the bucket, and went out.

”Seems kind o' restless, don't he?”

”Yes. Colonel--”

”Hey?”

”Nothin'.”

Ten minutes--a quarter of an hour went by.

”Funny Mac don't come for his dinner, isn't it? S'pose I go and look 'em up?”

”S'pose you do.”

Not far from the door he met Mac coming in.

”Well?” said the Boy, meaning, Where's the kid?