“Oh! it wasn’t worth saving,” Giraffe told him; “and after what happened, Johnny’s mother would never want to see it again. We had our hands too full getting him to the bank to bother about that cranky old junk. It’ll bring up somewhere below, like as not, or else float out on the Chesapeake Bay around Havre de Grace, where they used to have such great duck shooting years ago, because of the wild celery beds that grew there.”
Giraffe was fond of hunting, and knew considerable in connection with his favorite sport, which information he delighted to impart to his chums at divers times and on sundry occasions. Once upon a time he had been like most thoughtless boys, so intent on filling his gamebag, or catching a record number of fish, that slaughter counted little with him; but after joining the troop Giraffe had learned what a true sportsman should be, and since then was never known to inflict needless pain, or destroy game or game fish when they could not be used for food.
These numerous useful things which scouts learn have the knack of curbing the half savage instinct that seems to repose within nearly all boys’ breasts; and which they say must have descended to them from far-back ancestors.
By the time lunch had been dispatched Thad and Giraffe declared they were as good as new again, since every particle of their clothes had been thoroughly dried. There was a general scrutiny on the part of all hands, so as to make sure nothing had been forgotten in the excitement. Thad had sent several of them back over the ground, to pick up every object thrown aside in that mad scramble, from guns and knapsacks to clothes and shoes.
Outside of a little delay, which they expected would not matter much, they had not suffered in the least because of this sudden and unexpected call upon their services. And to have saved a human life was certainly worth ten times as much as they had done.
Bumpus at a signal from the leader sounded his bugle, and once more the little detachment of khaki-clad boys started along the river road, headed southeast, and with a positive assurance that the man whom they sought, the hobo wearing the old blue army overcoat, was somewhere ahead of them.
In this manner they tramped for several miles, constantly on the lookout for any signs of their quarry. Thad frequently searched for the marked footprint, and as often discovered it plainly marked in the yielding mud close to the road; so that they had no fear of overlapping the fugitive.
It was about this time that Bumpus was heard grumbling to himself.
“What’s wrong now, Bumpus; want a little help on account of that stiff leg?” asked Giraffe, turning around.
“’Taint that,” returned the other quickly, as if scorning to show signs of fatigue when the others were capable of keeping up the pace.