"I can make flapjacks," said Pee-wee; "I"ve got eight pounds of Indian meal."
"How far would I have to hike to digest them?" Townsend asked.
"You"d need a bigger island than this," said Brownie. "You couldn"t digest a flapjack on anything smaller than South America."
"Give me a piece of chocolate," said Townsend, "and a couple of prunes."
"It looks nice up the river in the moonlight, doesn"t it?" Brownie asked.
"You mean down the river," said Townsend.
"I"m facing----"
"Don"t try to find out where you"re facing," said Townsend. "Here, eat a prune."
"I"m going to turn in pretty soon," said Nuts.
"That"s a new place to turn," said Townsend. "We"ve turned everywhere but _in_. In the morning we"ll turn out; then we will have turned everywhere."
"We"re flopping downstream pretty fast," said Brownie; "that"s one sure thing."
"I"m glad there"s something sure," said Townsend. It was as good as a circus to see him sitting against the tree with his knees drawn up, glancing this way and that with a funny look of patient resignation on his face.
"What do you say we put the tent up in the heart of the interior? Then we"ll be able to find it in the morning. The unknown heart of the interior seems to be the only place we can be sure of. At least it always stays inside. Hand me that grocery box from the extreme southern sh.o.r.e, will you? And another prune? The heart of my interior demands another prune. Do you know, Discoverer, what I think? I think I see a settlement. I don"t know where it is because I don"t know which way I"m facing, but I"m certainly facing a settlement--or at least I was a second ago. There it is again. I think we"re nearing the coast of j.a.pan; I see a j.a.panese lantern. That"s funny. Did we pa.s.s the Philippines?"
"I don"t know," said Brownie. "We pa.s.sed Corbett"s Lumber Yard."
"The Philippines are farther along," said Townsend; "they"re the second turn to our left. If this island hits j.a.pan they"ll grab it; I have a feeling that they"ll grab it like the island of Yap."
"_I"ve got an inspiration! I"ve got an inspiration!_" shouted Pee-wee in a voice of thunder. "I know where we"re at. That"s Mr. Skybrow"s place down there. He owns a lot of railroads and things! They"re having a lawn party there to-night!"
"Are they having anything to eat?" Townsend asked quietly.
"Yum, yum--m-m-m!" said Pee-wee. "They have everything. Once I went to Minerva"s birthday party and I couldn"t go to school all next week, that"s how much they have to eat there. Get the clothes-sticks. Get the clothes-sticks! Let"s pole the island to sh.o.r.e. I bet she"ll like you because you"re big--I"ll introduce you to her--all my old troop is going to be there--hurry up--push--keep pushing!"
"Reach over to the west coast and hand me that pole from the north coast before it goes over to the east coast," said Townsend quietly.
"Get up! _Get up_!" shouted Pee-wee, all excitement. "Aren"t you going to get up?"
"Positively," said Townsend, dragging himself to his feet.
"Shh!" said Pee-wee, "let"s surprise them."
"You"re the only one that"s making any noise," said Townsend.
"I mean myself, too," said Pee-wee. "Shhhh."
"He"s telling himself to keep still," Brownie, unable to control his laughter.
"I mean all of us--me too," said Pee-wee. "Shh."
It was during the long and rather difficult process of poling the island to sh.o.r.e that Pee-wee, unable to impose more than comparative quiet upon himself, edified his companions with an account of his recent adventure in Barrel Alley.
And it was his seemingly ominous mention of "cops" and fugitives which Minerva Skybrow and her friends, lingering at the little refreshment tent near the river, overheard. At that moment the desert island was bobbing against the thick rhododendron bushes at the edge of the lawn.
CHAPTER XIX
THE EARTHLY PARADISE
"I don"t care who it is or what it is," said Dora Dane Daring; "I"m not afraid of the biggest bandit that ever lived. I"m going to find out what those men are doing lurking about here."
Without another word she strode forward, parted the rhododendron bushes, and confronted the marauders.
"Well, I--_never_--in--_all_ my _life_," she cried. "It"s little Walter Harris! What on _earth_ are you doing here?"
"I discovered this island," said Pee-wee; "we"re exploring it. One of these fellers is a native because he was on it before it was an island."
"Look out you don"t get your feet wet on the stern and rock-bound coast," said Townsend. "Hold the lantern, Brownie."
"Did you ever _see_ such a thing!" said Minerva Skybrow, emerging through the bushes, accompanied by her official staff. "Walter Harris, what in goodness" name are you doing here? I thought you were robbers.
What in _all creation_ are you up to? And how did you happen to get here?"
"We"ve been going around quite a little lately," said Townsend quietly.
"This is Townsend Ripley," said Pee-wee; "he"s a friend of mine; these fellers are all friends of mine. We"re exploring."
"We"re very glad to meet you, Mr. Ripley," said Minerva, while Miss Daring whispered in the ear of Miss Timerson, "Isn"t he nice? So tall."
"We thought we"d come to the party," said Pee-wee.
"Have you any parking s.p.a.ce for islands?" Townsend asked.
"Oh, _indeed_ we have," said Minerva, "and you"re going to be the star guests. May we step on the island?"
"Yes, indeed, it"s very steady," said Townsend, helping them one after another onto the frowning coast while Brownie held the lantern.
"Wherever we go we take our island with us; it"s like ivory soap, it floats. Will you have a piece of wild chocolate, out of the heart of the interior?"
"Isn"t he just _lovely_," whispered Miss Daring.
"So can we stay?" asked Pee-wee.
"Stay? I wouldn"t let you go for anything," said Minerva. "Listen, girls, I"ve got an _inspiration_----"
"I have lots of those," said Pee-wee.
"They grow wild here," said Townsend.