Part 25 (2/2)
”That's one of those two fishermen we saw in the canoe,” whispered Jess.
”Wonder if you're right?” breathed Bobby.
Just then the man raised his head and turned so that the three girls from Central High could see his face. It was unshaven and the man looked altogether like a tramp. But there was no mistaking him for anybody but Professor Dimp, the Latin and history instructor of Central High!
CHAPTER XVII
A PERFECTLY UNSATISFACTORY INTERVIEW
”Goodness gracious!” gasped Bobby, the first to find her breath. She fell limply against Laura and Jess. ”What do you know about _that_?
Say, girls! Do you see the same thing I do, or am I going crazy?”
”Hus.h.!.+” commanded Jess, hoa.r.s.ely.
”Don't be ridiculous, child,” advised Laura, rather sharply. ”He will hear you----”
”Will that be a crime?” demanded Bobby, still in a whisper.
”It may be,” said Laura, slowly. ”We don't know why the professor is here.”
”To commune with nature, I judge,” said Jess, drily.
”I can't imagine Old Dimple communing with nature--not as a pastime,”
giggled Bobby.
”He surely has some good reason for being here,” Laura murmured.
”We won't accuse him of robbing the camp that time, I suppose?” asked Jess. ”Or being up there last evening in the storm?”
”That trail came this way,” declared Bobby, suddenly forgetting to laugh.
”Barnacle's nose might have deceived him,” said Laura.
”I haven't faith in much of that dog _but_ his nose,” declared Jess.
”He showed particular intelligence in following the trail down here.
Why should we suddenly suspect him of being foolish, just because we found what we didn't expect.”
”Clear as mud!” exclaimed Bobby. ”'Didn't expect' is good, however. If you had asked me a minute before we saw him, who was the most unexpected person to find at the end of our walk, I should have said Old Dimple.”
”Why!” gasped Jess, ”it _couldn't_ be Professor Dimp.”
”You mean he couldn't have been the kleptomaniantic thief?” chuckled Bobby.
Laura began to laugh softly herself. ”Nor could he have been the person we--and the Barnacle--have been trailing,” she said, suddenly.
<script>