"We'll back our comrade up, even to kidnapping the cruel guardian, and rescuing the pretty little cousin!" Smithy declared with unusual vim, for him.
"Oh!" said Bob with a smile, as he looked from one flushed face to another. "Of course I don't imagine it'll ever go that far, boys; but I thank you for this expression of your friendship. I will never forget it, suh, never while I live. And I only hope that some day in the future I may be able to repay the kindness to one and to all."
"Then I take it that this Reuben Sparks does not live a great way beyond where we happen to be camped right now?" remarked Allan.
"I expected to show you the place sometime to-morrow, suh. It is worth seeing, upon my word," replied Bob.
"Now I know that there's a whole lot of truth in that old saying about the devil taking care of his own," Giraffe mentioned. "The rest of you heard Reuben say he had been tempted to stop under that big tree we passed on the way here; but on second thoughts decided to come along to the cabin. When that one terrible crack came he got as white as a sheet, and told me he believed that that very tree must have been struck. Where would Reuben have been if he'd stayed there? Kind of scattered around the landscape, I guess."
Thad had just started to say that it was time they thought about getting some supper, when he was interrupted in a most disagreeable manner. Indeed, for the moment all idea of ever wanting to eat again in this world vanished from his mind; for something occurred that caused the scouts to rush toward the end of the cabin where the chimney stood, and catch hold of each other in sudden terror and dismay.