He liked his new job. It was great fun training this keen little lot of Cubs; and he was so pleased to be able to help Miss Prince in this way. But as he thought over things there was something that puzzled him. The boys’ grandfather was such a strange old man. No one ever saw him smile, or got a pleasant word from him. The village people hated him; he was a hard landlord and a harder master. And somehow he never seemed happy, though he was rich, and had a beautiful house and all a man could desire.
“He looks to me,” said Danny to himself, “as if he was always afraid, always dreading something—as if he had an awful secret weighing on his conscience.” And then the detective instinct in him began weaving mysterious stories around the gloomy figure of Mr. Ogden. Little did he think, however, that before many months had passed a strange adventure would befall him which should clear away the mystery surrounding the Cubs’ grandfather. It was a call from Nipper that brought him back to the present—“Danny, Danny, I’ve done!” Before long the six fires were complete and the judging had commenced.
It was actually Nipper’s fire that won! He had had the luck to find some large smooth stones with which to build his fireplace. Also he had had the happy thought of borrowing Danny’s hat to fan his fire with. Now he strutted with pride like a young turkey-cock.
“All bring your wood,” said Danny, “and pile it on to Nipper’s fire. We will boil the water on it for tea.”
Before long tea was made and the seven boys were squatting round ready to begin. It was then that a figure came on the scene—a figure whose coming was the beginning of a long series of adventures such as the Cubs had never even dreamed of.
CHAPTER IX
THE COMING OF THE MYSTERIOUS TRAMP
He came down the little path, through the bracken, walking rather unsteadily, like a man who is weak from illness or hunger. The evening sun, slanting through the trees, fell on his shabby figure. He halted as he saw the Cubs, and stood irresolute, as though wondering whether he should go back or proceed. The Cubs, turning from their fire, gazed in surprise at the intruder. But at first they did not notice his ragged appearance, for something in his face, his eyes, held them. His face was very thin, but it was a beautiful face. He had very clear, grey eyes—mysterious eyes that seemed to be looking away into the invisible—looking for something they never found. There was something very sad about his face, but there was also something about it that made the boys feel that he was a friend.
All this was the first impression that the man gave them as their eyes met. The next moment they were looking him over critically. With this look they noticed that his clothes were torn and ragged, his boots nearly worn out, but that he was very clean and carefully shaved, and had very white hands with long fingers. “Hands like an artist,” said Danny to himself. The man turned about as if to go back along the path, but Danny jumped up and stepped towards him. This mysterious stranger could not be allowed to go away like this. There was something about him that appealed strongly to Danny’s imagination.
“I say, sir,” he said (the sir came out involuntarily), “won’t you come and have some tea by our fire?”
The man turned, surprised, and then meeting Danny’s eager eyes, smiled.