Phil and Mr. Muller were sent for, and gave their testimony, and at the conclusion of the examination, Emile was required to give bail for his appearance in court early the next month. His father gave the required bail, and the two left town.
Of course, this affair created a great deal of talk in Boontown, and it interfered very much with the sleep of certain persons at Hyson Hall, and at the Webster and Poole farms.
As soon as the cheque was received the interest on the mortgage was paid, and the small sum remaining was divided among the three boys. Phœnix bought his knife, which he kept for a long time, and which he always called his Thomas Wistar.
CHAPTER XXVII.
THE LONELY SUMACH.
Mr. Alexander Muller remained some days in Boontown, and for the greater part of the time he was quite busy with the affairs which brought him there. But there came a day in which he had nothing to do, and it struck him it would be a good idea to take a holiday, and have a long stroll in the woods. He was a good deal of a naturalist, and was very fond of woodland rambles.
When he left Mr. Markle’s office, on the day of the Touron affair, he had taken Old Bruden back to the tavern, where he supposed Phil would call for it. But Phil’s mind had been much occupied, and he had not thought of the gun. Mr. Muller determined, therefore, that he would walk down some evening to Hyson Hall, and carry Old Bruden home.
But when he decided to give himself a holiday, he thought there could be no objection to his taking Old Bruden with him, especially as he intended afterwards to give himself the trouble to walk all the way to Hyson Hall to return it.
The thought came into his mind that it would be well perhaps to leave the gun in the condition it then was, as it might be used in the approaching trial of young Touron. But Mr. Muller had his own ideas about that trial, and he did not believe the gun would ever be needed. Besides that, he did not know of any other gun he could borrow, and he felt very much like having one with him, in case he should see anything he wished to shoot. He therefore bought a small quantity of powder and shot, and a box of caps; with these, and a luncheon in his pocket, and Old Bruden on his shoulder, he started for the Green Swamp. He had no ramrod for his gun, but he cut one from the first dogwood tree he met with.
He had never been in the Green Swamp, but he had heard a good deal about it, and he wished to explore it as far as possible. He wandered about the whole of the morning, finding a great many things to interest him in the way of mosses, ferns, and other specimens of woodland growth.