“I don’t mind having some help, since you are so kind, X-Ray,” Lub told him; “and so the first thing you do fetch me some more wood.”
X-Ray had perhaps thought to be the “chief-cook-and-bottle-washer” himself for once, as he himself expressed it, for he made a wry face upon being ordered about in such a summary fashion. However, he nodded his head toward the autocrat of the culinary department, and went off to get his arms full of fuel, saying as he did so:
“Anything to keep peace in the family; and besides I’ll have some say about the bill of fare we put up at our hotel this night.”
While supper was cooking Ethan caught hold of Phil’s sleeve and pointed over to where the little chap had been placed, rolled up in Lub’s blanket. He was now sitting bolt upright, and rubbing his eyes with his knuckles as though he did not know what to make of it all.
Phil immediately hurried over, and threw himself down beside the little fellow.
“It’s all right, bub, we’re your friends, and mean to keep you here with us until your daddy comes along for you. Went out hunting, eh, and got lost? Well, never mind, plenty of bigger men than you have done the same thing. You tried the best you knew how to light a fire, too; and I believe you’d have done it if the ground had been clear of snow, so you could find plenty of small wood. But supper will be ready soon, and we’re expecting you to be pretty hungry.”
Somehow there was that about Phil Bradley to invite the confidence of any one, especially when he smiled as Phil was doing now, and spoke so soothingly, and directly from the heart.
It was not long before he had the little chap smiling; and when Lub came over into the shelter with a cup of warm soup for the boy, he drank it ravenously. This told Phil that it must have been many hours since the child had tasted any food.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he left his home, wherever that can be, early this morning, and had been pushing his way through the snow ever since. No wonder he was all tired out, and couldn’t say a word, but keep on moaning. But he’s all right now.”
“If they start out and follow his trail,” ventured X-Ray, with one of those bright inspirations that had given him his nick-name, “they’ll show up here in our camp some time or other, I should say. Whee! I hope now, that terror of the pines will be reasonable, and believe what we tell him; that is, I don’t want him to suspect we tried to kidnap Johnny here.”