“Well, I’ve kept his square of that fine chocolate carefully, and it’ll be pretty refreshing, I reckon. You all know that Perk is wildly fond of the stuff, and eats it by the yard, week in and week out. They say that’s one reason of his being so fat.”
“Aw! they’re only joshing you, Amos,” chortled Wee Willie. “He comes by that just naturally, you see. When Nature shapes a boy to be as round as a rain barrel it doesn’t matter one whit what he eats, or how much, he’s bound to keep on filling out. Just the same way if a fellow’s going to be thin and scrawny, like me, f’r instance, you c’n stuff and stuff him with every sort of fattening food; and, say, he keeps on growing skinnier all the while. I’ve been through that thing, and there’s absolutely nothing in it. I eat because I like my food, and not just to try to pick up a pound or two of flesh.”
Elmer laughed as if amused. He knew Wee Willie’s principles of old, and doubtless also fancied there was considerable of good hard common-sense in what he had just said.
By now the blare of the fish horn was quite loud, as from time to time it continued to well forth. Wee Willie occasionally sent out an answering yell, just to reassure Perk.
“It’s going to make our work lighter if he keeps on tooting away,” was his explanation for this periodical outburst. “If all of a sudden he let up, why, we might have some trouble in actually locating Perk; because, you see the woods are growing mighty dense around here. Such monster trees, too; I don’t believe I’ve seen their equal anywhere about Chester. Why, you’d nearly think you were out among those monster redwoods of California.”
“There’s one that’s hollow,” observed Amos, pointing; “and what a fine old refuge the big cavity would be in a snow-squall, for it faces the south. A hunter caught in a big fall of snow could even have a little fire going to keep warm by, if he took care not to burn his house down in the bargain.”
“There’s one that must have been struck by a bolt last night,” suddenly observed Elmer, with a touch of awe in his voice; for the wreck of the great forest monarch was supreme, branches and splintered wood covering all the immediate neighborhood.
“I’m glad Perk didn’t forget what he’s been told about such things, and seek shelter in a hollow tree while a thunder storm was raging,” Amos continued. “A poor chap wouldn’t know what hurt him, if he had been in that tree, or even hiding under its sheltering branches, when the bolt fell.”
Elmer turned a trifle more to the left. That last toot gave him his clue, and he felt certain now that even though they should catch no further signals from Perk’s fish-horn he could pilot the expedition straight to the spot where the missing chum was awaiting their coming.
“Why, he’s right close by,” said Wee Willie.