“Hey, bring back that sweater, you! That’s my blue moon sweater you’re wearing, and I want it, I tell you! I’ll have the law on you for stealing, d’ye hear that, you sneak? Jack, why don’t we start right out, and chase ’em with the Tramp or the Wireless? Seems like none of you fellers care a whit whether I ever get my bully old sweater back again. How’d you feel if it was yours, now, and a birthday present at that?”
But Buster’s wild grief was suddenly turned into great joy; for Andy came running out of the shack, into which he had darted despite the fact of its being on fire, and he was waving something over his head as he advanced.
“Troth, phat do ye call this same, Buster? ’Tis a sweater, and sure there’s a blue moon on the front, in the bargain. Don’t ye say, the omadhaun sthripped it off so that he could swim better.”
Buster clasped it to his heart, and actually kissed the precious garment, which doubtless he had come to value more than ever, since he lost it, for we “never miss the water till the well runs dry.”
And so, after all, the wonderful sweater came back to its own. Buster had it on right away, and seemed to feel that luck had marked him for its especial favors.
“Here, let’s get busy!” cried George, “perhaps we can save the best part of this cabin after all. I see an old tin bucket that’ll do to scoop up water with. Everybody work to put out the fire, fellows!”
That was just like George, who could be the most generous chap any one ever met. Those two loggers had been of considerable assistance to the boys in baffling the burglars and forcing them to give up their ill-gotten gains; so that it would be only right in their trying to remedy things as much as possible.
Well, the fire was soon gotten under control.
Meanwhile Jack had gone aboard the Tramp, where, unobserved, he could again open the hand bag, and extract some of the money; for he did not happen to have twenty dollars about him at the time, since they had not expected finding any use for so much cash on their simple little Easter cruise.