Four Afoot: Being the Adventures of the Big Four on the Highway

  CHAPTER XXI

  WHEREIN TOM LOSES HIS TOOTHBRUSH AND DAN TELLS A STORY

  The next day, which was Saturday, the seventeenth, dawned clear andcold. It was the first touch of real autumn weather they had had,and when they hurried downstairs the fire in the living room, whichhad been freshly built, felt very good. Will came down with them. Hedeclared himself “all right,” but he was so uncommunicative and so illat ease that it was difficult to find out much about him. Mr. Cozzenstried his best to draw him out at breakfast, but his embarrassment wasso painful that it seemed kindness to let him alone. After breakfastthey went out to the point to look after the sloop, taking the dorywith them. The wind was in the north, and bit fingers and noses as itswept across the blue, white-capped bay. They found the sloop wherethey had left her. The tide was high, and a good sea was still running,but things looked vastly different from what they had the afternoonbefore. This morning it was hard to believe that there were such thingsas storms.

  Mr. Cozzens and Nelson set out in the dory. They found the slooptwo-thirds full of water, and set about pumping her out. Will had toldthem that they would find a pump in the locker, and they soon had it atwork. After they had the water pretty well out they found that severalof the planks had sprung, and Mr. Cozzens advised hauling her out onthe beach and having her repaired. So they pulled the anchor in, andNelson rowed back to the beach for Dan and Bob. The latter and Mr.Cozzens took a line from the sloop’s bow and fixed it to the stern ofthe dory. Then they got into the latter, and tried to pull the sloopoff the sand bar, while Dan and Nelson stood in the stern in order toraise the forward part. It was hard work, but at the end of twentyminutes the sloop was afloat again, and half an hour later she waslying on her side well out of water, thanks to the efforts of Princeand all hands. There they left her, after securing her with a coupleof cables, and it was decided that Will should return home by train toGreenport and ferry to Sag Harbor. They paid him five dollars, since,as Dan pointed out, they had really benefited by the misadventure, andWill, with muttered thanks and farewell, disappeared in the directionof the station.

  A little while later the Four, too, took their departure, thanking Mr.and Mrs. Cozzens heartily for their kindness, and promising to comeagain to the red cottage if ever they had the opportunity. Mr. Cozzenswalked with them as far as the neck, and pointed out their road to them.

  “Good-by, boys,” he said. “I’m glad I had the pleasure of meeting you,and I hope it won’t be the last time. Come and see my school some time.Meanwhile, let me hear from you about your friend as soon as you can.Good-by and good luck!”

  The nip in the air was conducive to brisk traveling, and when, at noon,they reached Jamesport they had eight miles to their credit. In theafternoon they did still better, and reached Fairhaven, twelve milesdistant, tired and hungry and happy, at half-past six. They foundletters awaiting them at the post office in the morning. Mr. Speedewrote that, since Dan was really in earnest, he would be glad to doanything in reason for Jerry, “even to the extent,” he wrote, “ofbecoming custodian and administrator of the FUND!” Tom’s father andNelson’s also professed themselves eager to help, and Jerry’s life forthe next two or three years seemed to be nicely arranged. If only theycould find Jerry!

  The day was Sunday and, although warmer than yesterday, was stillpretty cold. In spite of the fact that by waiting for the post officeto open they had delayed their departure until after nine o’clock, theyhad resolved to make the day’s journey a record one.

  “We haven’t done a real day’s work yet,” declared Bob. “We’ve just beenloafing along. If we can make Kingston to-night that’ll leave us onlyabout half a day’s tramp to Barrington, and we can get there to-morrownoon. Then we can find Jerry, spend the night there, and go to thesteamer landing Tuesday morning.”

  “How far is Kingston from here?” asked Dan.

  “Not over twenty miles.”

  “We can do it, then.”

  “Of course we can,” agreed Nelson. “We’re in good shape now.”

  “Yes,” answered Dan. “Even Tommy’s shape is better, I think. I’ll bethe’s walked off ten pounds.”

  “No, I don’t believe so, Dan,” said Bob. “You see, as soon as Tommyloses any flesh, he gets busy at the table, and puts it right back.”

  “Well, come ahead,” said Dan. “Let’s get at it. Where’s that dog gotto? You Barry! Where are you, you rascal? Oh, found another bone, haveyou? My, you’re getting more and more like Tommy every day; eating allthe time!”

  “Hope you choke,” said Tom in a good-natured growl.

  That day’s march was barren of incidents worthy of mention, unlessthe incident of Tom’s knapsack is worth speaking about. It was afterdinner, and they had done some fourteen of the possible twenty mileswhen there was a cry of disgust from Tom.

  “What’s the matter?” asked Dan, turning.

  “Mu-mu-mu-matter!” answered Tom. “Mu-mu-matter enough! Lu-lu-lu-look atmu-mu-my knapsack!”

  “What have you done to it?” asked Nelson in amazement. “It--it’s empty!”

  “No wonder,” said Bob with a smile; “it’s all untied.”

  “That’s no way to fix a knapsack,” said Dan soberly. “What have youdone with your things?”

  “Du-du-du-done with them!” sputtered Tom. “Wh-wh-wh-what do yousu-su-suppose I’ve du-du-du-done with them? Eaten th-th-th-them?”

  “Well, we know your appetite, Tommy,” said Nelson gently.

  “Th-th-they’re su-su-scattered fu-fu-from here to the hotel!Wh-wh-wh-what’ll I du-du-do?”

  By this time the others were laughing at the tops of their lungs, andit was several moments before any suggestions came. Tom stared from oneto another of them in mingled reproach and indignation. Finally,

  “Sit down and wait for them to catch up with you,” Dan suggested.

  “Send Barry back for them,” said Bob.

  “Whistle,” said Nelson.

  But presently they agreed that it was hard luck, and finally calmedTom’s despair.

  “I’ll go back with you a ways,” Nelson volunteered, “and the others cango on if they want to.”

  “We’ll wait awhile,” said Bob, “and then if you don’t show up we’llwalk ahead slowly, and give you a chance to catch up with us.”

  Luckily they found most of the missing articles within a mile and ahalf. Tom’s toothbrush and a pair of stockings, however, were not to beseen.

  “Let ’em go,” said Tom. “I’ll get a brush at Kingston or Barrington;and it doesn’t matter about the socks because I’ve got plenty more inmy trunk. Help me tie this old thing up right, will you?”

  The knapsack rearranged, they started back.

  They caught up with Bob and Dan two or three miles outside of Kingston,and reached that town just at dusk. Nelson and Tom were inclined tobe stuck-up over the fact that they had done three miles more thanthe others and therefore held the record. But Dan maintained that itdidn’t count when you went over the same ground twice. Of course theywent to the hotel in which they had put up on the occasion of theirprevious visit and where Barry had distinguished himself, and of coursethey received a warm welcome. Barry was in real danger of death fromovereating, so attentive was the proprietor. After dinner they told thelatter of their further adventures with the thief, and it was plain tobe seen that he didn’t approve of their clemency, although he didn’tsay so. When bedtime came Dan and Nelson went into the room occupied byBob and Tom, and stretched themselves out on the bed while the othersundressed. After Bob had brushed his teeth he carried his toothbrushover to the bed in a stealthy manner, and placed it under his pillow.

  “What the dickens is that for?” asked Dan.

  “S-sh!” whispered Bob, finger on lips. “You know Tommy lost his.”

  “Huh!” answered Tom amid the laughter. “You needn’t think I’d useyours!”

  “That reminds me,” said Dan, with a giggle. “Did you ever hear aboutthe Englishmen on the steamer?”

&
nbsp; “Help!” cried Nelson. “Help! Dan’s going to tell a joke.”

  “Never mind,” said Bob soothingly; “humor him; laugh if you possiblycan.”

  “All right; you say when, Bob.”

  “Shut up,” said Dan, “and let me tell you. It’s funny. I read itin--in--_Punch_, I think it was.”

  “_Punch!_” howled Nelson. “Good night, you fellows; I really must begoing.”

  But Dan pulled him back to the bed.

  “You stay here,” he said. “This joke’s all right if it did come from_Punch_.”

  “Let him tell it and get it over with,” advised Tom, between splashesat the washstand.

  “Well, there was an Englishman,” began Dan. “No, there were twoEnglishmen.”

  “Make it three, old man,” advised Nelson. “There’s luck in odd numbers.”

  “Shut up, you! They were on a steamer, and had the same stateroom.”

  “Which had the lower berth?” inquired Tom.

  “And they were strangers to each other,” continued the narrator. “Well,one of the Englishmen went down----”

  “Which one was it?” asked Bob.

  “Went down to his cabin and found the other chap----”

  “I know!” cried Tom.

  “Well, what is it?” asked Dan indignantly.

  “He went down and found the other chap had stolen the berths!”

  “Oh, you go to thunder! He found the other chap using his toothbrush.”

  “Now!” cried Bob, and he and Nelson proceeded to go into spasms oflaughter.

  “Best thing _Punch_ ever printed!” gurgled Bob.

  “Frightfully funny!” moaned Nelson. “Oh! Oh! I shall die!”

  “Imagine--imagine how the--toothbrush felt, Nel!” shrieked Bob.

  “Say, will you shut up?” said Dan, pummeling Nelson. “That isn’t all ofit. Wait till I tell you. The first Englishman----”

  Loud groans interrupted him.

  “It isn’t all, Bob,” said Nelson sorrowfully. Bob shook his head.

  “Bear up, Nel! Who knows? Maybe he’s forgotten the rest.”

  “I know!” interrupted Tom again.

  “Know what?” asked Dan.

  “The rest of it. The toothbrush was loaded!”

  “Loaded, you idiot! How do you mean?”

  “Had--had powder in it and----”

  “Oh, you fellows make me tired,” said Dan good-naturedly, rolling offthe bed. “Come on, Nel.”

  Nelson allowed himself to be pulled to the floor, and then found hisfeet.

  “All right, Dan,” he said. “Let’s go. They have no sense of humor here.They’re a stupid lot, anyway. Barry’s the only one who has any sense.”

  “Hold on!” cried Tom, as the door was closing. “I want to know which ofthe two had the lower berth.”

  “Find out,” replied Dan disgustedly.

  Later, when the lights were out, and Dan and Nelson had composedthemselves for slumber, the latter broke the silence.

  “Say, Dan!”

  “Yep.”

  “What was the rest of that story?”

  “Will you shut up and let me tell it?” asked Dan suspiciously.

  “Honor bright! Go ahead!”

  “Well, you see, the first Englishman came down and found the otherEnglishman using his toothbrush, and----”

  “Meaning the toothbrush belonging to the first Englishman?”

  “No--yes!” answered Dan. “Of course the first Englishman’s toothbrush,you idiot. I said that, didn’t I?”

  There was no answer, and he went on.

  “‘I say, my dear fellow,’ said the first Englishman, ‘that’s mytoothbrush you have there!’ ‘Really?’ said the second Englishman. ‘Ibeg your pawdon, old chap! I thought it belonged to the ship’!”

  Dan chuckled in the darkness, and waited for Nelson’s laughter.

  “I think that’s pretty good, don’t you?” he asked presently.

  There was no answer. Nelson was snoring placidly. Dan rolled over andthumped his pillow.

  “Idiot!” he muttered.