“Bill came to see us when we first came, and I just told Mr. Tudor that Bill was the high ruler of this little village and would very likely want to know about him. He laughed and said that he had nothing to do with catching rum-runners, or words to that effect. He is a writer looking for material and taking a vacation, I suppose. He just came from New York.
“But I’m going to say to Bill sometime that he is going a little too far. The way he does things around here makes any square people suspicious. I’m too busy right now to spend any time on fellows like Bill Ritter, but I am a good citizen of my country and I’m not protecting that sort of thing, either. Bill had better stick to fishing if he doesn’t want to get into trouble some day.”
“I kinda thought you’d feel that way about it,” said the man, “but you’ll have to tell Bill that. Some of the rest of us don’t like Bill any too well, but—well, the kids has to have bread and butter. Bill didn’t tell me to ask was he with the coast-guard. That was my put-in. Bill told me to find out what he was up to. See?”
“Well, now you know, and you can tell Bill from me that I informed Mr. Tudor about unfriendliness shown us and told him to be on the lookout!”
The man laughed roughly. “I will. Sure he’s a writer fellow all right?”
“That is what he told me, and he talked like one. You noticed that he carried his little typewriter case, didn’t you?”
“Was that what it was? I noticed that he parked it kinda careful.”
Dalton felt that this conversation had not been in vain. He repeated it to Mr. Tudor, who was setting up a small heater and began to demur in regard to taking supper at the Secrest camp. “It’s an imposition,” he declared. “I have plenty to eat right here.”
“Sure you have, but what will Beth think? Moreover, we caught too many fish to-day for four people to eat up. Better not refuse to come,—make it a celebration of getting into the woods on your vacation.”
Dalton had scarcely stopped speaking when a feminine “Hoo-hoo” sounded from the woods across the stream. Leslie and Sarita were calling them. “Hoo-hoo,” replied Dalton in shrill imitation, and added, “we’ll be there, girls; give us ten minutes longer here.”