“Oh! it’s too late to stop him, Rob!”
“Yes, I see it is,” replied the scout leader, and somehow there was not much of excitement about either his voice or his manner, only an apparent inane desire to grin, Hiram thought as he looked at his chum.
“There, he’s actually grabbed hold of the fat boy, and is trying to lift him up so as to get him out of the window.”
“You’re a little off there, Hiram. Seems to me I would say Andy was trying to hug the poor fat boy, because he’s certainly thrown his arms around him, and acts as if he might be glad to meet him!”
“Why, Rob, whatever can that mean! He is acting just as you say, and it seems to me Andy isn’t doing all the hugging, either.”
At that Rob broke into a hearty laugh.
“You know what it stands for, and you won’t tell me a thing, which I think is a mean job,” complained Hiram.
“Look again,” Rob told him. “Now the fat boy happens to have his face turned this way. Don’t you think you’ve seen that same moon phiz before, Hiram? Doesn’t it somehow take you back to dear old Hampton, and the many jolly times we’ve had on our camping trips? Say, you ought to know that boy, Hiram.”
As soon as he could catch his breath, Hiram gave a shout.
“Why, consarn my picture if it isn’t our chum, Tubby Hopkins!”