Pee-Wee Harris Adrift Part 22

Townsend had made it his religious duty all through that week to consult Keekie Joe about every meal, and indeed about everything that was to be done. He jealously saw to it that Joe had a voice in everything. Not that any of them denied Joe these rights, but Joe felt out of place among these strange boys and the boys sometimes forgot about him.

It was exactly like Pee-wee to drag poor Joe head over heels into scouting, and then forget all about him. It was exactly like Townsend Ripley to take the poor little hoodlum quietly in hand and be his friend and sponsor. He treated him always as an equal and as a comrade. What the others forgot, he remembered.

He agreed with Joe, or disagreed with him, as pals will agree and disagree. He always took him seriously. He allowed Joe to teach him to play c.r.a.ps and then said he didn't see much fun in it, and such was his magnetic power over poor Joe that Joe said he didn't see any fun in it either. And there was an end of it.

So it was with all the wretched hoodlum games and tricks that poor Joe had known; one by one they failed in the test, and he became ashamed of them. It is no wonder that Keekie Joe wors.h.i.+pped this keen, easy-going patrol leader, who seemed to be no leader at all. Even Pee-wee was sacrificed in the good cause and Townsend made fun of Pee-wee for Keekie Joe's amus.e.m.e.nt.

As they sprawled about the fire that Sat.u.r.day night, the last night but one of their outlandish vacation, and ate spaghetti from tin platters, the trend of the talk showed somewhat the effects of the week's outing upon the poor little derelict of Barrel Alley.

"Seems good sitting here and not eating hunter's stew, doesn't it?"

said Townsend in his funny way. "I never realized how much I enjoyed not eating hunter's stew. I shall always love hunter's stew for the pleasure it has given me when I didn't eat it. I suppose the Discoverer ought to be getting back pretty soon."

"Unless those girls took him to Edgemere," said Brownie.

"I don't think they'd do that, they spoke well of Edgemere," said Townsend.

"There's no telling where he'll drift to," said Nuts.

"Please don't talk about drifting," said Townsend. "The way I feel about drifting I don't ever want to look at a snow-drift. I can't even listen to the drift of a person's conversation. How about _you_, Joe?"

"De Discov'r's all right," said Joe, loyally.

"I wouldn't say he's all right," said Townsend; "but when he's wrong he's at his best. That's what _I_ think, Joe."

"He's always at his best," said Brownie.

"Except when he's at his worst," said Townsend, "and then he's best of all. That's logic, as he would say. I wonder what he'll bring back with him. Let's each guess; I guess a carpet sweeper. How about _you_, Joe?"

Joe only smiled, but did not venture a guess.

"I guess an alarm clock and a headlight from an automobile," said Brownie.

"I guess part of a floor lamp--the shade part," said Billy.

"I guess--I guess," said Nuts; "let's see--I guess some chicken wire, part of a typewriter machine and a megaphone."

"You're all wrong and I'm right as you usually are," said Townsend; "he will bring back----"

"Let's go in swimming," said Brownie.

"Good idea," said Townsend. "Joe, I'm going to teach you to swim."

Now it was right then that Keekie Joe said something which surprised them all. And it was just that little remark which showed the effects of the week's outing upon his simple mind. He had certainly not received any particular training or instruction; he had been in some measure a partic.i.p.ant but mostly a bashful and amused witness of his companions' adventures and a silent listener to their talk.

He had heard them all speak of their parents and of how this or that plan might be approved or disapproved at home. He had heard them discuss whether their parents would probably expect them home on Sunday night or early Monday morning. Perhaps it was not a sense of dutiful obedience, but rather a certain budding pride in the bosom of Keekie Joe, which caused him to make the remark which surprised them.

He would let them know that he too had a parent, though no one had thought to speak of his parents. If he could not have clothes like them at least he could have obligations like them. Perhaps the true spirit of obedience was not in him. But the point is that the poor little wretch had discovered a certain pride within himself and wished to boast of a restraint which a week previously he would have ignored.

He too had someone who was interested in his goings and comings. So he said,

"Me mudder sez I dasn' go swimmin' widout she leaves me."

It was strange how Keekie Joe, who had disregarded his poor mother's wishes on so many occasions, should present her now to his new friends.

He did not have any of the things which they had, bicycles, tents, cooking sets, radio sets; but one thing he had as well as they, a mother. And so he used her as they used theirs. He played her as his only card.

"Me mudder sez I dasn' go swimmin' widout she leaves me."

"Good for you, Joe," said Townsend, "I'll see your mother next week and fix it. _And you do just what she told you to do till then_. You've got the right idea, Joe." And he hit Joe a good rap on the shoulder in his friendly way . . .

CHAPTER x.x.xI

A PROMISE

When he had put the racing fans on the Edgemere trolley, Pee-wee, like Jack ash.o.r.e, betook himself into Bridgeboro to have his fling before returning to the s.h.i.+p. The habit of sailors home from long voyages is well known, and we need not be surprised to find him bending his steps toward Bennett's Fresh Confectionery, where he climbed onto one of the stools before the soda fountain.

He had just consumed a raspberry ice cream soda and was considering the question of whether he should have another when he noticed somebody which reminded him of the doom which awaited him on Monday morning.

This was Miss Carlton who taught in the Bridgeboro Public School. She had just consummated the purchase of a box of candy and such were the cordial relations between herself and Pee-wee (out of school) that she proffered him the box for a choice of its contents.

"I don't know whether to take a chocolate one or a white one," Pee-wee said.

"Why not take both?" she suggested.

"I guess maybe that would be safest, hey?" he said.

"And what have you been doing all week?" Miss Carlton asked.

"I've been at sea," Pee-wee said; "I've been floating around on a desert island that's on a scow and this is the first day I came ash.o.r.e.

I started a new patrol and Keekie Joe is in it. He's in your cla.s.s, isn't he?"

"He is--sometimes," said Miss Carlton ruefully.

"He goes on the hook a lot, doesn't he?" said Pee-wee.

"Oh, lots and lots," said Miss Carlton; dubiously.

"But anyway, don't you care," said Pee-wee, "because now he's a scout and he'll go to school every day, because a scout's honor has to be trusted. Do you know what was in that white one? Kind of lemon like."

"Won't you have another?"

"Brown and white are our patrol colors," said Pee-wee. "We just started our new patrol."

"Take a brown one and a white one," said Miss Carlton.

"I bet you don't know the name of our new patrol. It's the Alligators."

"I think that's a good name for Joe McKinny," said Miss Carlton; "he's so slow coming to school."