“I don’t know, I don’t know,” answered Jim thoughtfully. Then, seeing how agitated the girls were growing, he decided to make as light of the matter as was possible.
“Sounds rather mysterious,” he said, with a reassuring smile; “but the sound is probably the only mysterious thing about it. These things often clear up of themselves and you wonder afterward why you were such a fool as to wonder about them. However, I’ll keep my eyes and ears open, and if McCarney and his tall friend are cooking up anything, I’ll soon find it out.”
“I wonder where Joe is?” said Mabel plaintively. “It isn’t like him to stay away so long.”
“I’ll go and look him up,” Jim volunteered, unwinding his great length from the seat. “I’ll make Robbie and McRae loosen their grip on him.”
As Jim started across the field the girls looked after his tall figure thoughtfully.
“I hope,” said Mabel, putting back a lock of hair that the wind had whipped about her face, “that this doesn’t mean more trouble for the boys. Perhaps it’s foolish of me, but I’m always just a wee bit worried about them. And now this McCarney——”
“Stop your crabbin’,” said Reggie, laying an affectionate hand over his sister’s little one. “I’m not particularly impressed with this McCarney chap myself, but from personal observation I have learned that both Joe and Jim can jolly well take care of themselves. Bah Jove, it would take a pretty keen chap to put one over on them! It jolly well can’t be done, you know!”
Meanwhile Jim, not completely sharing Reggie’s optimism, reached the clubhouse just as Joe emerged from it.
“Hello!” said the latter, his eyes brightening at sight of Jim. “Thought I’d never be able to give McRae and Robbie the slip? Did the girls get tired of waiting?”
“Mabel sent me in search of you,” answered Jim, with a grin, then, his face sobering, he swiftly told Joe the main facts about McCarney and his mention of the fifty thousand dollar clean-up.