Finally, worn out with running from the fire to the table every time he saw one of the party moving innocently up that way, he told Bobby to keep strict guard over the food, and that young gentleman wiped the ashes and perspiration from his face with an air of relief, as he seated himself near the largest pie, prepared to act the part of watch-dog.
Tip, who had been running about in everybody’s way, and seriously troubling his master, now came toward the fire, and sat down on his little stubbed tail in such a suspicious manner that Tim felt reasonably certain it was his purpose to steal the hen whenever a good opportunity presented itself.
Such base action on Tip’s part caused Tim more delay, as he was obliged to tie the dog securely to a tree out of reach of temptation, and by the time the tired cook got back to his work again a great commotion was raised by Captain Jimmy and Bobby.
When Bill Thompson had quelled the tumult it was learned that Captain Jim doubted Bobby’s honesty from the first moment he had been appointed guardian of the food, and had watched him from behind a tree. He stated positively that he saw Bobby’s eyes fixed on the apple-pie in such a way as no officer of the company should look at a pie, unless the time had come to eat it, and, at a time when he thought no one was looking, Jim was sure he saw him put his fingers under the crust, pull out two slices of apple, and eat them.
Of course such a charge as this caused intense excitement, and the majority of the party thought Bobby ought to be punished in some way, as a warning to others, and more especially to show that the officers of the party should be above reproach, or, failing in their duty, be punished severely.
Bobby actually grew frightened as his companions discussed the question of his punishment, and he looked imploringly at Tim, thinking his brother-officer should try to shield him in his crime of stealing the pie. But there was no pity to be seen in the head cook’s face; he felt that the taking of those two pieces of apple by the man who had been appointed to guard them was indeed a crime.
Some of the party proposed that the culprit be condemned to go without his dinner; others, not quite so bloodthirsty, believed he should be deprived of his office, while there were those who believed that to forbid him eating any pie would be punishment enough.
It is hard to say just how Bobby would have been obliged to atone for the sin, if the hand of Justice had not been stayed by the dinner itself.
The chicken was becoming blackened and burnt on one side, from not being turned often enough, the potatoes were boiling into a perfect jelly, and it was all being done so quickly that Tim had not the time to attend to the food properly; therefore it was he who saved his assistant from his judges.