My father was good and mad. He said, “I want to know all about this. I want to know what you boys were doing at Mr. Slausen’s shop, climbing out of the window there after dark. We’re going to get to the bottom of this.”
I noticed that Westy’s father didn’t say anything, he just kept looking at Mr. Ellsworth. I didn’t say anything. Neither did Westy. I could hear the big clock in the hall ticking.
“You boys don’t want to go down to the station, do you?” the chief asked us.
“I should worry,” I said. “We didn’t set fire to the shop, I know that, and we can’t tell you why we were there on account of a reason. What’s the use of having scout laws if we don’t pay any attention to them?”
My father started to speak, but Mr. Ellsworth said, “Just a minute. I can’t stand between you gentlemen and these boys, but so far as I am concerned I will not urge either of them to say anything more just now. I just wish to have it understood that I take no part in this business. If these boys were mine I would not require them to tell anything—just at present. There are some other things to be explained first.
“It is one of our scout laws that scouts must obey their parents. So much for that. It is up to you gentlemen. But if one scout law is to be obeyed, of course the others must be obeyed, too. These boys are in my troop. I have never known either one of them to lie. They seem to think their honor is involved. If you gentlemen, their fathers, insist on their talking, I hope they will obey their parents. But I ask you to think twice before you insist. I know these boys.”
“Do you think I want my son arrested?” my father said.
“A great many innocent people have been arrested before now, Mr. Blakeley. I’m not thinking of that. They put Columbus in chains, you know,” Mr. Ellsworth said, kind of laughing.
Just then Mr. Martin (that’s Westy’s father) spoke up. He said, “I think I’ll stand with my boy and Mr. Ellsworth in this matter. If you men are here to press the matter I’m here to see it through. I think perhaps we’ll all be the gainers, my friend Mr. Slausen included, if we respect these boys’ wishes. What next, Chief? Shall we all go down to the station? That was a very good point you made, Mr. Ellsworth, about putting Columbus in chains. Be careful not to say a word, Westy, my boy. Are you going down to the station with us, Mr. Blakeley?”