“Well, it does beat all!” said the Captain. “Of course, you understand there may be some reason that will make it impossible for you to take these children out of the country.”
“All I can say is, there hadn’t better be,” said Porky, thrusting out his square jaw. “Think I want to give up my kid after it came to me and I lugged it around for an hour?”
“And do you suppose I want anybody but mother and me to bring up this girl?” said Beany, awkwardly hugging the sleeping mite in his arms closer.
“Besides,” said Porky, “what about mother? It’s up to us to bring her what she likes best, and you read that letter. What she wants is orphans, and she’s got to have ’em if we steal ’em! So long as we are around, mother has got to have what she wants.”
“I should think that nearly settled it,” said the officer. He laughed but there was a queer gleam in his eyes that looked suspiciously like tears. “I am going to report this to the General now,” he said. “Of course we cannot take the children with us, and some way must be found of sending them back to headquarters. I don’t see just how it is to be done, as it would be a pity to make you go back with them when this trip is only beginning and will be a wonderful thing for you.”
“No, we hate to lose the trip,” said Porky wistfully. “I don’t suppose two other Boy Scouts in the whole world ever had such a chance and we sort of earned it.”
“Stay here,” said the Captain, “and I will be back presently.”
He walked away, and the two boys, holding the two children, sat quietly on the old bench planning in low tones for the future.
“This girl is going to be a peach,” said Beany proudly. “See the way her hair crinkles up? She is rank dirty, but you wait till mother gets her cleaned up.”
“My word!” said Porky. “She’s got to be washed before that! Why, they have to have a bath right off as soon as we get hold of a nurse or some woman who understands enough about kids to do it.”