William took a book from a shelf and sat down at the table, resting his head on his hands.
“I put it away last Autumn till the decent weather came round, but I could have sworn I put it away with a roll of films in.”
His eye fell sternly and accusingly upon William.
William looked up, met it unflinchingly with an expression of patient endurance on his face.
“Robert,” he said with a sigh. “I wish you’d talk more quietly. I’m trying to learn my history dates.”
Robert’s jaw dropped. Then he went quietly from the room still gaping. There was simply no making head or tail of that kid....
CHAPTER VI
WILLIAM THE MONEY-MAKER
The rain poured ceaselessly upon the old barn where the Outlaws were assembled. They had meant to spend the afternoon birds-nesting, and they had continued to birds-nest in spite of the steady downpour till Ginger had torn such a large hole in his knickers that as he pathetically remarked, “S’all very well for you. ’S only rainin’ on your clothes. But it’s rainin’ right on to me through my hole an’ it’s jolly cold an’ I’m goin’ home.”
His threat of going home was hardly serious. It was not likely that any of the Outlaws would waste the precious hours of a half-holiday in a place so barren of any hope of adventure as home.