“A mean thing to do,” commented Mr. Grice, wagging his head. “Well, I guess I can fix you up all right. What do you want to buy?”
The boys spent some time giving the storekeeper an order, and when the goods had been wrapped up, Amos Grice invited them to sit down beside the cracker barrel and “chat for a while.”
“It ain’t often I see strangers in the winter time,” he explained.
Frank and Joe told him that they could not stay very long, because their chums were back at the island, awaiting their return with the supplies.
“Back at the island, hey? What island?” insisted Amos Grice.
“Cabin Island, it’s called.”
“Cabin Island, hey? Why, ain’t that Elroy Jefferson’s place? Little island with a big log cabin on it?”
“That’s the place.”
“Why, I know Elroy Jefferson very well. When he was living on the island in the summer months he used to come down here for his supplies.” Mr. Grice cackled with delight at having found a common topic of conversation. “Yes, I know Elroy Jefferson real well. He’s a fine fellow, too, but very queer.”
“He’s a bit eccentric,” agreed Frank.