“Promise to come up and see me again tonight, boys,” the old farmer had pleaded, as he came to the door with them, after positively refusing to accept any pay for what they had received. “I want to speak with you about something that’s on my mind a heap lately. You helped me once; p’raps ye can again.”
“Now, what under the sun do you think he meant?” remarked George, as they plodded along with their heavy burdens toward the lake shore, where the boats lay.
“Just wait, and we’ll know all about it soon,” replied Jack; for while he could himself give a pretty good guess what was on the mind of Mr. Fosdick, he did not care to commit himself.
The others greeted the foragers with loud cries of delight.
“Then there wasn’t any bull handy?” said Nick, with an evident shade of disappointment in his voice; for Nick was nothing if not generous; and having tasted the delights of being chased up a tree by an angry bovine, he felt that the other fellows ought to share the experience with him.
The fire was already burning briskly, and Josh employed in his customary tasks of getting things ready for cooking. At such times Josh was looked upon as a czar, and his simplest word was law. It was very pleasant for the tall, lanky lad to feel that he did have an hour or so each day, when every one bent the knee to his superior knowledge; and he certainly made the most of it.
And the supper was of course a bountiful one. It could not be otherwise so long as Nick and Jimmie had a hand in its preparation. The former hovered around from time to time, suggesting that Josh add just another handful to the rice that was being cooked, or possibly wondering if they could make one big can of mullagatawny soup do for six fellows; until frequently the boss would turn and wither him with a look, backed up as it was with that big spoon.
Later on, after everybody had declared themselves satisfied, Jack beckoned to the skipper of the Wireless.
“We promised that we’d run up and see how Mr. Fosdick was getting on, fellows,” remarked the latter. “Be back inside of an hour or so; long before you are thinking of going aboard.”
Nick started to rise, but sank back again as Jack shook his head.