"Steady, Johnny." Douglas looked up at the circle of faces.
"Is there anybody friendly enough here, if they knew who did this, to tell me?"
There was no reply, and Peter said, "I don't think if it was Scott and
Charleton working together, they'd confide in anybody!"
There was a murmur of assent. Douglas stood, the kind hand still on
Johnny's shoulder, drawing long shuddering breaths.
"If they hurt my old sky pilot," he said, "God pity 'em, for I sha'n't.
'Are any of you folks going to help me organize a hunt for him?"
"How do you know the two old fools didn't set fire to it themselves?" demanded John thickly. "The sky pilot was in bad and that would be a good way out."
Douglas swung himself up on the Moose. In the vivid light his lips were twisted contemptuously.
"Glad to help you out personally any way, Doug!" exclaimed Jimmy Day.
"But you'd better let the sky pilot go. They ain't going to hurt him.
You've been the church buildingest damn fool in the Rockies."
"Speak for yourself, Jimmy!" cried Peter. "I'm with you, Doug."
"And so am I!" exclaimed Judith. "This is the rottenest trick ever sprung in Lost Chief!"