Hugh felt a strange fascination in connection with the matter. It was growing more interesting than ever, and more mysterious, he admitted. What had Benjy been doing in that store that he should dislike to have his brother see him, and actually turn and slink away?
“I’ll know something about this before a great while,” Hugh was telling himself as he walked slowly on, trying to figure out what his best plan of campaign might be under the circumstances. As a wise scout he always tried to make ample preparations before starting in on a game.
As once before, Hugh had gotten almost within sight of his home fence when he heard his name called from the rear. It was not Tom Sherwood this time who came running after him, but Ralph Kenyon.
Ralph had always been a great favorite of Hugh’s. There was a time when the other had been making money trapping small fur-bearing animals up above Oakvale, and proving himself quite a woodsman, in so far as having a knowledge of the habits of these four-footed forest denizens went.
That was before Ralph became interested in the scouts and finally joined the troop. He could not be induced to set a single cruel steel trap now, because he looked at things in an entirely different light from those other days. But he was without a peer in the whole troop when it came to a question of following a trail, or being able to understand what the thousand-and-one little signs in the woods stood for.
Ralph looked excited, Hugh saw, as the other drew near, and the first thing the scout master thought the cause to be some fresh insult from the rough element in town opposed to the new conditions.
Hugh was ready to turn right-about face and go back to the office of the Chief, if Ralph’s complaint seemed serious enough to warrant it. He was determined that the work so well begun should not be put back by any underhand methods.
Ralph soon came up, gulping in big draughts of air. His face was red, and what seemed to be a look of indignation, according to Hugh’s mind, could be seen there.
“Something got twisted and needs straightening out, eh, Ralph?” asked the scout master pleasantly.
“Worse than that, I’m afraid, Hugh,” replied Ralph.