“What are you going to do?” demanded the young gentleman. “Are you going to let him stay up there and crow over us? I’m wet through, and I don’t want to stay here all day. I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll set the summer house on fire. That will bring him down.”
This was a brilliant idea of Waddie, and I was afraid he would put it into operation, for he was reckless enough to do anything.
“That won’t do,” replied the prudent Pinkerton. “We don’t want to get into any scrape.”
“No; don’t set it on fire,” added Dick Bayard; and so said all of them but Waddie; for probably they foresaw that they would have to bear all the blame of the deed.
“I don’t want to stay here all day,” fretted Waddie.
“Put it through by daylight!” I ventured to suggest, as I sat on the upper step, listening to the interview.
“He is laughing at us,” said the scion, angrily.
“Let him laugh; he is safe,” replied Ben. “I’ll tell you what we can do.”
“Well, what?” asked Waddie, as he cast a discontented glance at me.
“Let us camp out here to-night,” continued Ben.