“You’d think so if you had that kid around all the time,” grunted Short and Long, as Jess finally allowed him to wriggle loose. “I think he’s more of a terror than he is a dear.”
“He takes it from you, then,” laughed Bobby.
“Yep,” said Lance, grinning, “it runs in Billy’s family to be a cut-up—like wooden legs!”
“What’s Tommy been doing now?” asked Dorothy Lockwood.
“Why, he is great chums with the kid next 125 door, and they got into mischief of some kind the other day. The other kid’s mother told them that if they did such things ‘the bad man would get them.’ ‘Who’s the bad man, Tommy?’ our Sue asked him, and Tommy says:
“‘Don’t know. You’ll hafter ask Charlie’s mother. She’s well acquainted with him.’”
“Come on, now!” exclaimed Lance. “Who’s going to take the Duchess and go to Elberon Crossing for this bill of goods? We can’t all go hunting for robbers.”
“I shall stay here to help defend the girls, doncher know,” stated Purt, swaggering about the camp. “But any of you fellows can take my boat.”
“Spoken like a nobleman, Purt!” declared Chet, laughing. “Come on, now! Let’s arrange how we shall sweep the island, from shore to shore.”
But first it was agreed that Lance and Reddy should go with the Duchess for the new supply of food for the girls. They set off at once.