Part 41 (2/2)

Presently Tank sez: ”What ya thinkin' about?”

I shook my head, and in about half an hour The asked the same question. I waited a minute, hove out a sigh, and sez: ”Gee, I wish I was you.”

”Why do you wish you was me?” sez he.

”'Cause,” sez I, ”you've got a chance to do the biggest deed I know of.”

”What is it?” sez he, examinin' my face to see if I was sheepin' him.

”No,” sez I, shakin' my head; ”I ain't got any right to even think of it, let alone hint at it. You might think I was b.u.t.tin' into your affairs, and then again-No, I refuse to suggest it. If it's your duty, you'll see it yourself; but I won't take the responsibility of pointin' it out.”

”What in thunder did you mention it at all for, then?” sez The, gettin' curious an' exasperated.

”And then besides,” sez I to myself, out loud, ”there's Horace. Like as not he wouldn't allow you to run your head into danger any more.”

”What!” yelled The. ”Didn't we run our heads into danger all over the tropics of the Orient, didn't we goad up danger an' search for it and roust it out of its hidin' places and-Why, confound you-”

In about ten minutes I stopped him, an' sez in a quiet voice: ”Well, then, if I was you, I'd go on down to Ty Jones's and take on with him again.”

We lay on the gra.s.s there, along Pearl Crick for some time without speakin'. Up on the rim, the gra.s.s was burned to a crisp; but along the crick it was still green. Promotheus pulled blade after blade of it and chewed 'em up in his mouth, while me an' Tank watched him.

”What you mean, is for me to take on with Ty Jones-and then to act spy on him. Ain't that what ya mean?” sez The after a time.

I'd 'a' sooner he hadn't put it into words-it did look rather raw when he stood it up before us naked. ”I don't mean nothin' in particular, The,” sez I. ”You and I are different, and what I could do without feelin'-”

”That's all right,” he broke in. ”The' ain't any need to treat me like an infant baby. Come right out with it-What you want me to do is to play spy, ain't it?”

”That's the only way I can see to help the Friar,” sez I; ”but he wouldn't want you to do anything for him you didn't feel was right.”

”I know, I know,” he sez, lookin' down at his hands. ”Ty Jones is as mean as a snake, and I don't deny it; but he's been square with me, and once he saved my life. Then again, the Friar has been square with every one, and if he hadn't nursed me night and day, Horace wouldn't have had a chance to save my life. If Horace had killed me it would have spoiled his life; so that the whole thing is held together in a tangle. I'm willin' to cash in my life for the Friar-it ain't that-but I do hate to turn again' Ty Jones underhanded.”

”Better just forget I mentioned it,” sez I.

”No,” sez Promotheus, ”I intend to lay the plan before Horace, and let him settle on it.”

”That's a good scheme, that's the best way out of it,” sez ol' Tank, and I joined in with him.

We sat there on the bank a long time, thinkin' the thing over, and finally just before supper, Horace hove in sight and started to josh us; but when he saw how sober we were, he settled down, and asked us what was up.

”Horace,” sez The, ”what would you think of my takin' on with Ty Jones, and playin' the spy on him?”

”That would be madness!” exclaimed Horace. ”He'd see through it and kill you first pop. I don't know though-you might fix up a tale-but then it would be too infernal risky. Nope, don't you try it.”

”If it could be done,” persisted The, ”what would you think of it?”

”Oh, it would be a great thing for the Friar,” sez Horace; ”but, Promotheus, I don't like to have you take the risk.”

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