“Well then, why not let the kid act as ballast? Acting as ballast, you wouldn’t exactly call that something big, would you? You and I were chatting about good turns and all that sort of stuff; now here’s one made to order for you. A middle sized one, that’s what I call it.... Not interested?”
“Nothing doing,” said Simpson.
“Well then, the kid will have to stand on shore. I only thought—he’s sort of—sort of—out—”
“Oh yes, I know,” said Simpson. “I suppose you think it would be a good thing for me to get out of the Raven Patrol and let him go back in.”
“I never thought of that,” said Brent, not unkindly but with a little suggestion of disappointment and surprise. “I’d call that something really big. Almost too big.”
“The largest size made, huh?” said Billy. “Well, you needn’t worry, I’m not going to do that just at present. I’m not a quitter.”
“Well, there’s no hard feeling?” Brent asked, still sorry for him. “If I happen to have a job lot of heroic acts, vast multitude stuff, I’ll bring them around and let you look them over. You may find something to fit you.”
There was just the faintest note of sarcasm in this last remark, and Billy Simpson realized that he had lost some measure of regard from the only real friend he had in camp.
CHAPTER XXX—THE COMING EVENT
Brent said nothing of his talk with Simpson, but in some mysterious way these things get abroad in a large camp, and it came to be known that Billy Simpson had refused to yield his place in the canoe to Pee-wee. No one would have thought twice about it except for Pee-wee’s position and the fact that he was such a universal favorite.