“Gee,” he said laughingly, “I wasn’t sure it wasn’t in my mouth!”
“Tell us how you did it!” demanded Dick. But Billy, pulling his sleeves down, shook his head smilingly.
“Professional secrets,” he said. “And now I must be off to bed. I’ve kept you fellows up pretty late, I’m afraid.” They assured him that they liked it and that he should stay longer. But he got into his oilskin coat and took his departure through the rain.
“Say, he’s all right, isn’t he?” asked Dick awedly. They all agreed that he was. But a moment later Chub said suddenly:
“I guess a fellow who can do things like that wouldn’t have much trouble getting a handkerchief into his hip pocket!”
[CHAPTER XIV]
VOICES IN THE NIGHT
The next morning when they awoke they found that it was still raining, although not so heavily. At half-past ten Roy and Chub went over to the Cottage and found Harry and brought her back with them. It very nearly ceased raining after dinner and they all went around to Billy Noon’s camp to pay him a visit. But both he and the Minerva were absent. After supper, however, he showed up and there was another evening of stories and tricks, Harry demanding them since she had not been in the audience the evening before. Even Chub took part in the general hilarity to-night. He still had his suspicions of Billy Noon, but it was very hard to remember them when that gentleman was so frank and friendly and entertaining. To the amusement of the others, Chub kept his hands in the pockets of his jacket all the time Billy was doing his sleight-of-hand tricks; no more toads for him, he asserted. So the toad this evening was a pine-cone, and Harry found it in the pocket of her rain-coat and was terribly disturbed until she discovered that it wasn’t nearly as dangerous as it felt.
The party broke up early, however, in spite of the jolly time they were having, for Harry was nervous about going home because of an attempted burglary the night before at Farmer Mercer’s house about a half mile away. So at half-past eight Roy and Chub paddled her across to the landing and only left her when the gate in the hedge was reached.