“That’s easy to say, Giraffe,” he remarked in a stage whisper; “I’m willing enough to do it, tell you that; but where in Sam Hill am I agoin’ to get the rope? We didn’t bring any with us, you know; though I’m resolved never to go off again without a whole clothes line along. How c’n a feller tie ’em up when he ain’t got even a top string with him?”
If Bumpus thought to get his chum in a corner with that question, he figured too soon, for the other had discounted it already.
“Here, take this,” he said, throwing his red bandana handkerchief on the ground; “and I reckon you’ve got the mate to it in your pocket. Use one to wrap around the wrists of each feller. And see to it that you tie it in half a dozen of the hardest knots you know how. Understand, Bumpus?”
“That’s right, and I c’n do it too. You watch me.”
As the fat boy spoke he picked up the large bandana handkerchief, and stepped gingerly forward, Giraffe accompanying him part way. Evidently Bumpus had recovered somewhat from his fright. Possibly this new boldness sprang from confidence in the ability of his comrade to handle the situation.
At any rate, he threw a leg over the prostrate figure of Ed Harkness, and seizing both his wrists, jerked them together. The man might have raised some protest, or even attempted to show resistance; but once that plump form of Bumpus came down on him he had the breath partly pressed out of his body, and must have experienced a sudden weakness.
At any rate, he lay still, while the other wound the crude rope around his wrists, and knotted it good and hard.
“Fine!” declared Giraffe, who had been watching the operation with one eye, all the while he kept the other on Si Kedge; “now take your own handkerchief, and use it on Si. And put in three extra knots, Bumpus, because he’s that much more a slick one than the other feller. Lie still, now, I warn you, Si; we ain’t going to stand for any fooling, I tell you!”
Si also relapsed into silence as soon as Bumpus dropped on his back; he was pinned to the ground almost as effectually as though secured there by ropes.
Bumpus finished his part of the job, and arose, perspiring, but triumphant.