“He’s one of those fellows we fired out of our canoe down at Chagres. You can bet he doesn’t love us any!”
“You move along to Porcupine to-morrow,” I suggested. “I can look after Yank all right. They won’t bother me.”
Johnny walked for some steps in silence.
“No, they won’t bother you,” he repeated slowly.
He thought for a moment, then he threw back his head. “But look here, Jim,” he said briskly, “you forget. I told that fellow and his friends that I was going to live in this place. I can’t leave now.”
“Nonsense,” said I. “What do you care for that gang?”
“It would look like running away. No, I certainly don’t intend to leave now.”
272CHAPTER XXIX
THE CHALLENGE
We went out to see Yank, with the full intention of spending the evening and cheering him up. He was dozing, restless, waking and sleeping by fits and starts. We sat around in the awkward fashion peculiar to very young boys in the sickroom; and then, to our vast relief, were shoved out by Señora Moreña. With her we held a whispered conversation outside, and completed satisfactory arrangements for Yank’s keep. She was a chuckling, easy-going, motherly sort of creature, and we were very lucky to have her. Then we returned in the gathering dusk to our camp under the trees across the way.