“Wouldn’t go along!” he gasped. “Say—where’s the joke, Cranny?”
“As the politician says, ‘I haven’t anythin’ to say at this time!’”
“But you surely don’t—can’t mean it!”
“I surely do, Tom, old boy!”
This time there could be no longer any room for doubt. Cranny’s tone, the aggressive tilt of his jaw, the shrug of his shoulders, symptoms which every one of the crowd knew denoted an iron determination to stick to his resolution, were all in evidence.
Tom Clifton’s surprise was almost ludicrous in its intensity. This was the first time in all the Ramblers’ experiences with Cranny Beaumont that he hadn’t eagerly grasped at an opportunity of being a participant in anything which promised adventure.
The Rambler looked at him narrowly. A dreadful suspicion flitted into his mind. Had Cranny’s nerve been shaken by the stirring events in Mexico? Could it be possible? Tom didn’t want to think so. Or perhaps the scorching heat and hard ride had affected him. Yet, as he sat there among the crowd, Cranny looked to be about as healthy a specimen of a boy as could be found in the whole of the United States. No! it evidently wasn’t that! Oh, yes; how stupid of him not to have thought of it before! The Tacoma lad’s financial situation, the dread of returning to his home and being forced to confess to his father that he hadn’t made good, must be the cause! Well, it certainly did seem pretty tough! And no doubt the loss of “Starlight” had struck the finishing blow to Cranny’s dream of surprising the folks at home!
“Poor chap, I’m awful sorry we didn’t try to help him a bit more,” soliloquized Tom. “The crowd must try to make up for it, and——” Why, what was the matter? Hadn’t he struck it right this time, either? There was Cranny slapping one of the Texas Rangers on the shoulder in the exuberance of his mirth over some remark which had just been made.
“Well, I’ve got to give it up!” he pronounced to himself, helplessly. “It’s the strangest thing I ever heard of!”
“What’s the matter, old chap?” asked Dick, suddenly. “See anything particularly beautiful in that knot-hole in the floor you’ve been gazing at for the last few moments?”