CHAPTER XIX
IN THE CAVE
Afterwards, when our adventure had come to an end and I was home again, with my stomach crammed full of Mother’s grand cooking and my left foot done up in arnica bandages, Dad asked me if I was the one who had thought up the ghost trick. I could tell from the tone of his voice that the trick didn’t stack up very high in his estimation, so I hastened to tell him the truth about the matter.
“I rather thought it was Scoop’s work,” he grunted. “Why do you always let that crazy kid do your thinking for you?” he followed up, “Why don’t you do your own thinking?”
“He has more ideas than any of the rest of us,” I explained lamely.
“Is this a sample of one of his most brilliant ideas?”
I didn’t say anything.
“If I had been your leader,” Dad proceeded, “I wouldn’t have aroused the whole camp with a [[209]]crazy ghost trick. Instead, I would have quietly concentrated on the two kids in the big tent.”
I still didn’t say anything.