“I’m bound to find out what all this means, don’t you see?” he explained.
“Go to it, Giraffe; and don’t let that fellow kidnap our chums,” Bumpus told him; and possibly there was a slight vein of sarcasm in the manner of the speaker, though, as a rule, Bumpus was not given to making cutting remarks.
Giraffe quickly joined the others.
“Glad you came, Giraffe,” said Allan, “for you’re just in time to chin in and help a chap in distress. Come, pony up a dollar, and it’ll square the account, both Thad and myself have hit that amount apiece, and he needs three to get back home again from Calais.”
“W-w-why, w-what’s it all about?” gasped Giraffe, almost stunned when he saw all his wonderful castles in the air connected with stealthy German spies tumbling to the ground.
“Nothing out of the way,” explained Thad with a smile, for he understood that Giraffe was up against the fence and pretty nearly “all in.” “You see, this gentleman is Mr. Algernon Smikes. He’s a commercial traveler from London, who, like some other people, chanced to be caught abroad when the war broke out, and has been having a hard time trying to get back to Old England. He’s shown us letters to prove all he says, too; so there’s no doubt about it. His money has run low because of the many delays; and thinking that we were English fellows, he ventured to speak to us. We’ve set him straight about our nationality; but at the same time loaned him eight francs, which he will return when he gets back home again. How about you helping him out, Giraffe?”
Thereupon the drummer started in to beg that Giraffe would pardon him for playing such a contemptible role as that of a “beggar,” something he had never done before in all his life; but the conditions were remarkable, and he did not know how else he could make the home port.
When Giraffe heard him speak he knew instantly that his suspicions had been altogether unfounded, for no German spy could ever assume that cockney brogue. Of course, when he thought the man was watching them in the capacity of a secret agent, he had been only trying to pick up courage enough to “touch” them for a small loan, under the impression that they were also English.
So Giraffe, without a murmur, took out some money and handed it to the other. He probably thought he owed Algernon that much for having so unjustly suspected him of espionage when the poor drummer was only worrying about his inability to cross the Channel after reaching Calais.
They had no further time for engaging in conversation, because the cry went out that the train was about to start. So the boys hastened to join Bumpus, who, in turn, must be told how the “suspect” had turned out to be a most innocent chap indeed. Bumpus grinned a little, upon seeing which Giraffe, with his face much redder than usual, tried to defend his blunder.