Part 10 (1/2)

”Gee! Perhaps they had some other object in taking the place?” Landy suggested.

”Just what I had in mind,” Elmer followed. ”If they are the rascals who tried to throw that train off the track for some awful reason, they must know that there'll be a hunt through the country for them; and, perhaps, they hope to hide as farm laborers until the thing wears off.”

”Then we ought to warn Mr. Brady, hadn't we?” asked Ted.

”Yes, but at the same time we must be careful not to excite the suspicion of those fellows,” Elmer replied; and then turning again to Adam, he continued: ”Did you have anything to say to either of the men, Adam?”

”Vell,” replied the other, slowly and reflectively, ”I d.i.n.k me dot berhaps von off dem might dell me der vay to der milk house, und so I stop me to ask.”

”Yes, you asked one of them--which one, Adam?”

”I notice me dot as I gome close dey look at me like I vos a pad egg, und put der heads togedder in a punch. So I yust chuck oudt mine preast und valk right up to der spot, like I vas say: 'Vat's der matter mit you; I am Adam Litzburgh, und I pelong to der scouts; put dot in your pipe und smoke it!'”

”But you didn't say all that; you just asked one of them where the milk house might be; wasn't that it, Adam?” Elmer went on.

”Der short von idt vas; und he turn to der udder und he say it pe all right, nuttings to bother apout from dot Dutch fool. Den, py c.h.i.n.ks, he call oudt to der farmer who vas on der top of dot haymow, und ask vere der milk house pe.”

”And that was all, was it, Adam?”

”I knows me nuddings else,” replied the German boy; ”only ven I gomes me along again, der short von vaves his hand to me, und laughs him some py my pack.”

Elmer really sighed with relief when he realized that he had actually succeeded in getting the whole story out of the uncommunicative fellow.

It was like ”drawing teeth,” as Landy more than once remarked.

”You've heard the story, fellows,” he said, turning to the others; ”what had we better do about it? I want everybody to have a voice in this, and majority rules. So don't be bashful, but speak up.”

”Well,” remarked Landy, slowly. ”I suppose we ought to give Mr. Brady a hint of the truth; but, as you say, Elmer, we must be mighty careful how we do it. Those tramps must be a pretty desperate pair, and they'd think nothing of sailing in to clean us out if they suspected we were on to their curves.”

”How about you, Ted?” asked Elmer.

”Oh, count me in the thame lay,” replied the one addressed. ”n.o.body knowth when they're entertaining angelth unawareth, like the good book thayth; or bad men either. The farmerth want help tho bad at timeth that they don't athk too many quethtionth when they get a thanthe to employ a huthky man. We'll drop around there in the morning thome time, when they're out in the haying field, and give the women folkth a little hint that they'd better get rid of the new handth.”

”Ty?”

”Them's my sentiments. No special need of any hurry, I guess,” replied Ty, who was really feeling the effect of his unusual exercise of that morning when the unfriendly bull gave him such a lively chase, and who wanted to keep quiet in camp.

”George?”

”Wow! You just couldn't get me to stir away from here to-night unless you tied a pair of mules to me and started them going,” replied the newcomer, as he slyly helped himself to more fish.

”And Adam?”

”I d.i.n.ks me as how it pe werry comfortaples here,” grinned the German, duplicating the act of George, as though he feared lest he might not get his full share of the supper.

”Hey, let me in on that, will you, fellers?” cried Landy, spearing another portion from the rapidly vanis.h.i.+ng pile. ”And if you want to know my sentiments, Elmer, just put them down as 'he also ran.' Because I'm willing to do whatever the rest of you say.”

Elmer himself looked a trifle disappointed. He had been thinking that perhaps they ought to warn Mr. Brady that night; for it could not be a very safe thing to have two such desperate men in his employ longer than was absolutely necessary.

Still, he had said that he would be bound by what the majority of his chums decided was best; and he could not change his ideas.