"Well then, we'll find out who it does belong to, that's what," Bert said. "Camp McCord doesn't strike its colors as easily as all that. Mr. What's-his-name back?"
I told him no, Mr. Ellsworth wasn't back yet. Then I said, "Maybe Lieutenant Donnelle was sent away; maybe he had to go to South Africa on account of the League of Nations. I read that the Zulu's were having a war."
"You're a regular Calamity Jane," Bert said; "can't you think of something better than that to worry about?"
CHAPTER XXXVIII
TELLS ABOUT THE SCOUT PACE
We had it fixed that as soon as I got a letter I would start right down to Camp McCord with it. And, oh, boy, didn't I hang around Administration Shack, where the camp mail was sorted. I guess my patrol thought I was crazy and I bet that robin in the maple tree wondered what had become of me. Gee, you can say I was a Calamity Jane if you want to, but honest, I had Lieutenant Donnelle sent all over the world. One minute I was saying he was dead, and the next minute I was saying he had gone to Russia, and the next minute I was saying the money wasn't his at all. Then I was saying that he'd be mad, because I told Bert about him and wouldn't send any answer at all. Then I'd get to thinking about Bert and that would kind of cheer me up; because he was so sure.
Three days went by and no letter came. Every time they handed me a letter I'd be shaky all over till I saw who it was from, and then I'd just be all down and out when I'd see it was from my mother or my father. Even the letters with my allowance in didn't make me feel good, so you can see from that how anxious I was.
All the fellows around camp didn't say much about Skinny. They thought he was just a little thief, but anyway, they weren't the kind of fellows to be always talking about it. They had something else to do. They talked a lot about Bert though, and said he was a kind of a crank about Skinny. But anyway, they admitted that he was a hero. Gee, they had to do that.
All the while I didn't go down to see Bert, and he didn't come up to camp. I just didn't want to go unless I had the letter. Reggie hiked up one day and wanted to know if he could borrow a pair of smoked glasses. "The fellows here don't smoke," Doc Carson told him. It was a shame to guy him, he was such a nice fellow, but oh, boy, I had to laugh to see him start back with that pair of big auto goggles on. But anyhow, all the fellows admitted that the Gold Dust Twins were all right. They were terrible bunglers when it came to scouting, and they even laughed at themselves; that was the best part of it. But you know what a tin horn sport is. Well, they weren't that, anyway. They had one of those long fancy brass things with a wax taper to light their camp-fire with; honest, it was a scream. I guess it was used in the parlor at home, to reach the chandelier with.
Well, it got to be Tuesday and no letter came. Oh, wasn't I discouraged. I just started out through the woods, because I didn't want to see anybody. All of a sudden, who should I meet but Pee-wee. He motioned to me to keep still, because he was stalking a hop-toad. Even though I didn't feel much like laughing, I had to laugh.