I don’t know, but something about the way he acted made me feel sort of funny—suspicious, kind of.
I said, “Were you hunting for something with your flashlight? What’s the matter? Why don’t you tell me what you came out for?”
“There isn’t any reason, and why should I tell you anyway?” he said.
“Well,” I said, “because I’m your patrol leader for one thing. And as long as Mr. Ellsworth isn’t here, I have a right to ask you. I’m not mad. Only I wonder why you got up and came away, that’s all. Anyway, I got a splinter in my finger grabbing one of these trees, I know that.”
“You want to find out if I’ve got the flashlight?” he said.
“No, I don’t want to find out if you’ve got your flashlight,” I said, “because I know you have. I’m not that kind. First you have to say I didn’t speak about the splinter for that reason,” I said; “you have to take back what you said.”
“I never said you were sneaky,” he said; “here, take it.”
“It’s no crime to have a flashlight, I hope,” he said; “here take it.”
“I wouldn’t try to find out that way,” I told him.
“I know you wouldn’t,” he said.