The Boy Scouts Book of Stories. Various

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ Monte Cristo" tumble unheeded on the floor, seized a tennis ball, and went across the campus to the esplanade of the Upper House, where for half an hour he bounced the ball against the rim of the ledge, a privilege that only a fourth former may enjoy. Tiring of this, he wandered down to the pond, where he skimmed innumerable flat stones until he had exhausted the attractions of this limited amusement.

      "I—I'm getting homesick," he admitted finally. "I wish I had a dog—something living—around."

      At supper-time he saw the Butcher again, and forgot his own loneliness in the concern he felt for his big friend. He remembered that the Butcher had said that if he were expelled he knew what he would do. What had he meant by that? Something terrible. He glanced up at the Butcher, and, being very apprehensive, made bold to ask:

      "Butcher, I say, what does Cap think?"

      "He hasn't seen the Doctor yet," said the Butcher. "He'll see him to-night. I guess I'll go over myself, just to leave a calling-card accordin' to et-iquette!"

      The Big Man kept his own counsel, but when the Butcher, after dinner, disappeared through the awful portal of Foundation House, he sat down in the dark under a distant tree to watch. In a short five minutes the Butcher reappeared, stood a moment undecided on the steps, stooped, picked up a handful of gravel, flung it into the air with a laugh, and started along the circle.

      "Butcher!"

      "Hello, who's that!"

      "It's me, Butcher," said the Big Man, slipping his hand into the other's; "I—I wanted to know."

      "You aren't going to get sentimental, are you, youngster?" said Stevens, disapprovingly.

      "Please, Butcher," said the Great Big Man, pleadingly, "don't be cross with me! Is there any hope?"

      "The Doctor won't see me, young one," said the Butcher, "but the at-mosphere was not encouraging."

      "I'm sorry."

      "Honest?"

      "Honest."

      They went hand in hand over to the chapel, where they chose the back steps and settled down with the great walls at their back and plenty of gravel at their feet to fling aimlessly into the dusky night.

      "Butcher?"

      "Well, Big Man!"

      "What will you do if—if they fire you?"

      "Oh, lots of things. I'll go hunting for gold somewhere, or strike out for South America or Africa."

      "Oh!" The Big Man was immensely relieved; but he added incredulously, "Then you'll give up football and baseball?"

      "Looks that way."

      "You won't mind?"

      "Yes," said the Butcher, suddenly, "I will mind. I'll hate to leave the old school. I'd like to have one chance more."

      "Why don't you tell the Doctor that?"

      "Never! I don't cry out when I'm caught, youngster. I take my punishment."

      "Yes," said the Big Man, reflecting. "That's right, I suppose; but, then, there's the team to think of, you know."

      They sat for a long time in silence, broken suddenly by the Butcher's voice, not so gruff as usual.

      "Say, Big Man—feeling sort of homesick?"

      No answer.

      "Just a bit?"

      Still no answer. The Butcher looked down, and saw the Big Man struggling desperately to hold in the sobs.

      "Here, none of that, youngster!" he exclaimed in alarm. "Brace up, old man!"

      "I—I'm all right," said the Great Big Man with difficulty. "It's nothing."

      The Butcher patted him on the shoulder, and then drew his arm around the little body. The Big Man put his head down and blubbered, just as though he had been a little fellow, while his companion sat perplexed, wondering what to do or say in the strange situation.

      "So he's a little homesick, is he?" he said lamely.

      "N-o-o," said the Great Big Man, "not just that; it's—it's all the fellows I miss."

      The Butcher was silent. He, too, began to understand that feeling; only he, in his battling pride, resisted fiercely the weakness.

      "You've got an uncle somewhere, haven't you, youngster?" he said gently. "Doesn't he look after you in vacation-time?"

      "I don't miss him," replied the Big Man, shaking his head. Then he pulled himself together and said apologetically: "It's just being left behind that makes me such a damned cry-baby."

      "Youngster," said the Butcher, sternly, "your language is at-rocious. Such words do not sound well in the mouth of a suckling of your size."

      "I didn't mean to," said the Big Man, blushing.

      "You must leave something to grow up for, young man," said the Butcher, profoundly. "Now tell me about that uncle of yours. I don't fancy his silhouette."

      The Great Big Man, thus encouraged, poured out his lonely starved little heart, while the Butcher listened sympathetically, feeling a certain comfort in sitting with his arm around a little fellow-being. Not that he was sensible of giving much comfort; his comments, he felt, were certainly inadequate; nor did he measure in any way up to the situation.

      "Now it's better, eh, Big Man?" he said at last when the little fellow had stopped. "Does you sort of good to talk things out."

      "Oh, yes; thank you, Butcher."

      "All right, then, youngster."

      "All right. I say, you—you don't ever feel that way, do you—homesick, I mean?"

      "Not much."

      "You've got a home, haven't you?"

      "Quite too much, young one. If they fire me, I'll keep away from there. Strike out for myself."

      "Of course, then, it's different."

      "Young one," said the Butcher, suddenly, "that's not quite honest. If I have to clear out of here, it will cut me up con-siderable."

      "Honest?"

      "A fact. I didn't know it before; but it will cut me up to strike out and leave all this behind. I want another chance; and do you know why?"

      "Why?"

      "I'd like to make friends. Oh, I haven't got any real friends, youngster; you needn't shake your head. It's my fault. I know it. You're the first mortal soul who cared what became of me. All the rest are thinking of the team."

      "Now, Butcher——"

      "Don't think I'm crying СКАЧАТЬ