“‘No, you don’t!’ said the man.”
“Yes,” said Allan, “we were attacked by a convict, and he forced me to give him my clothes, and so—”
“And so you had to take his! Yes, yes. Blickens,” said Mr. Prenwood to the man who had first encountered Allan, “you’ve got the shadow; the substance has escaped.”
The man laughed. “I never knowed, sir.”
“Come into the house,” said Mr. Prenwood, who was laughing a little to himself. “Well, well! I never expected to see you this way, Mr. Allan Hartel. You see, I remember your name. And I’m glad to see you again. And what a monster this convict must have been to treat you so! Though I suppose you got off very well. Tell me all about it. Milicent,” Mr. Prenwood now spoke to a lady who stood on the porch. “Don’t be frightened. This is not a convict, but only a boy who was attacked by one; and these are boys I met last month at Coney Island. And I know they are hungry. Won’t you get us up something nice?”
Allan expostulated that he was not hungry, that he only was anxious to get home as soon as possible, or at least to have word sent to Hazenfield.
“Blickens,” called Mr. Prenwood, “get things ready on the launch. The fog is lifting, and I shall want these boys and the cat-boat towed over to Hazenfield in half an hour. Meanwhile, Allan, I’m going to get you some clothes and make you comfortable. Come upstairs and let me see if I can’t fit you out while they are getting that bite ready for you. You don’t look exactly right to me. Did that brute hurt you?”
Allan said the man had not hurt him, but admitted that he had not been feeling just right since he met with the accident on the bluff the day before. “I knew it. I knew you weren’t right.” Allan went on with his story while Mr. Prenwood rummaged in a closet and several trunks. “You see this is Sunday,” continued Mr. Prenwood. “You couldn’t go home on a Sunday without looking trim and nice. There—slip into these things. I guess that shirt will fit you.”
Though they were both too greatly upset to eat much, the boys made an effort to do justice to Mr. Prenwood’s hospitality, and were delighted by his cordial talk.