"We missed him," said one scout.
"Is the camp saved?" asked Garry.
"Mostly, but we had a stiff job."
"Don"t talk about _our_ job," said Doc Carson as he stooped, holding the lantern before Tom"s blackened face and taking his wrist to feel the pulse.
Again there was silence as they all stood about and the little sandy-haired fellow with the cough crept close to the prostrate form and gazed, fascinated, into that stolid, homely face.
And still no one spoke.
"It means the gold cross," someone whispered.
"Do you think the gold cross is good enough?" Garry asked, quietly.
"It"s the best we have."
Then Roy, who was among them, kneeled down and put his arm out toward Tom.
"Don"t touch my hand," said Tom, faintly. "It isn"t that I don"t want to shake hands with you," he added. "I wanted to do that when I met you--before supper. Only my hands feel funny--tingly, kind of--and they hurt.
"Any of my own patrol here?" he asked after a moment.
"Yes, Connie Bennett"s here--and Will Bronson."
"Then I"d rather have them carry the stretcher, and I"d like for you to walk along by me--I got something to say to you."
They did as he asked, the others following at a little distance, except the little sandy-haired boy who persisted in running forward until Garry called him back and kept his own deterring arm about the boy"s shoulder.
"I don"t mind my own patrol hearing--or you. I don"t care about the gold cross. It"s only what it means that counts--sort of. I let Garry save your brother, Will, because I knew he needed to stay longer--I knew about that kid not being strong--that"s all. I can go through water as easy as I can through fire--it"s--it"s easier--if it comes to that."
"Don"t try to talk, Tom," said Roy, brokenly.
"But I wouldn"t tell even you, Roy, because--because if he"d found it out he wouldn"t think it was fair--and he wouldn"t have taken it. That"s the kind of a fellow he is, Roy."
"Yes, I know what kind of a fellow he is," said Roy.
"Anyway, it"s no matter now. You see yourself Hero Cabin is burned down.
A fellow might--he might even lose the cross. It"s the three weeks that counted--see?"
"Yes, I see," said Roy.
"And tomorrow I want to go back with you fellows in the _Good Turn_--and see Mr. Temple. I want to ask him if that kid can stay with Jeb "till Christmas. Then I"ll come back up to camp. I"ve thought a lot lately about our trip up in the _Good Turn_, Roy."
"Yes--so have I, Tom. But don"t talk now. Doc doesn"t want you to."
"We"ve got to find Harry Stanton," said Tom, after a few minutes.
"Yes," said Roy.
But whether they ever did find him and the singular adventures attending their quest, are really part of another story.
THE END