School held for the next three days, and then came glorious Thanksgiving with its turkey, and pumpkin pies, and all the splendid things that go to make up the annual feast. All this while there had not been the least hint from Connie or his three allies that they knew who put those nuts there. It almost seemed as though they purposely avoided meeting Elmer and his chums. Even at school they kept away from the others, and Toby declared that it was mighty queer, because he had fully expected to have a tongue lashing from the big bully, even if nothing more serious came to pass.
Elmer was satisfied with the way things had turned out. As a scout he could feel that he had done the right thing, and deep down in his heart he hoped it might in some fashion show Connie Mallon there was such a thing as returning evil with good.
Nothing might come of it just then, but Elmer hoped the seed would find lodging, and perhaps later on germinate.
When they got to talking it over, as they made preparations for leaving home bright and early on the morning after Thanksgiving, George of course professed to doubt whether it had made even a dent in the callous surface of Connie's mind.
"Take my word for it, fellows!" he declared, pompously, "you'd have to swing a sledge hammer and give more'n a little tap at that, to make any impression there, he's so extra tough. Chances are he just don't want to stir us up for fear we'll tell the whole story, and all his pals would have the laugh on him for running away from a ghost!"
Toby himself seemed more than half inclined to believe something along these same lines; but Chatz knew Elmer must be looking beyond this explanation, and still entertained hopes that the olive branch extended might not be wholly wasted.
They had all their arrangements made that night, and expected to start with the rising of the sun on Friday morning. This would give them two nights in camp, even if they did have to come back on Sunday afternoon in order to be ready for school on Monday.
"And it looks like we might have fine weather along with us, too," Elmer told the others, as they said goodnight at his door; "there's a tang like frost in the air even now, and you can see your breath easily. That means we'll enjoy a camp fire more than ever, because it never feels half as good on a hot summer night. Look for you bright and early, Toby, with the wagon and the tent and all the stuff. I'll be ready with my bundles, and that piece of ham."
All preparations having been made they parted with mutual good wishes for a fair dawn, and Elmer, standing there in the doorway, found himself a little disappointed because there had been no response to the invitation extended to Connie Mallon to bridge over the chasm, at the time they left those nuts in his yard.
Elmer was astir long before daybreak on the following morning, because he meant to get himself a light breakfast, so as to be ready for the wagon when it came along about sunrise. Having satisfied his hunger, and seen that all his various bundles were ready he stepped out of the back door to listen, in expectation of hearing the sound of wheels.