“Well, I’m shaking hands with myself over the narrow escape,” Amos observed, “and Elmer, I want to say right now that dodge of yours worked like magic. He concluded he didn’t care much to stay over, and meet up with his warm friends Collins and Andrews from the State Asylum; in which I should say he showed a whole lot of wisdom; for they’d have simply declined to let him wander off again.”
“But say, I’m a whole lot sorry about one thing,” remarked Wee Willie.
“Tell us about it then,” urged Elmer.
“Think of the poor chap going without a single bite for perhaps days and days, ever since he broke out of the institution, mebbe,” continued the tall chum, shaking his head sympathetically. “He said it was a whole day, but I’ve got a sneaking notion it might have been a heap longer’n that. If we’d had our grub with us I’d certainly have cooked him a bouncing meal. He’s human, even if deranged, poor old chap!”
From which it can be seen that Perk was not the only member of the Camp Fire Boys’ Club who had a tender heart, and was able to feel for any one in distress, especially when hungry. Such a dreadful condition was calculated to appeal to a boy more than anything else on the calendar.
“Well, what’s next on the program?” asked Amos, yawning again.
“I’d say sleep would be the most acceptable to some fellows,” laughed Elmer.
“But would it be safe, do you think, with that crazy man hanging around?” Wee Willie put out at a hazard. “They’re all mighty sly, remember; and when he made out to walk away mebbe it was all a big bluff. He might be meaning to creep back here like a red Injun, and take us by surprise.”
“Then we hadn’t better all sleep at once,” suggested Amos, aroused once more by this dismal prophecy on the part of the other. “Now since I’ve had a few winks myself it seems only right I should take the first watch.”
“What time do you reckon it is, near daylight?” queried Wee Willie; but on putting it to a test by means of the little nickel watch, it was learned that the night had by no means advanced that far; in fact it was just twelve.