“Um,” says Jiggins. “See myself? Oh-ho, neighbor, I hain’t getting cheated, to speak of. You’re some sight yourself.” And then he began to sing that silly tune of his, “Tum-diddle-dum-dum. Tee-dee-diddle-dee-dee.”
“It’s a risky and adventurous life,” says Collins.
“That fat boy would have enjoyed this,” says Jiggins, with a grin. “He’d have appreciated it. You bet. This gives ’em a good start, eh? Good big start.”
“Don’t believe they’d hurry much,” says Collins. “They didn’t know we had a boat. They’ll take it easy, and if I know anything about kids they’ll see things to stop and look at.”
“If anything delays the fat kid,” Jiggins says, emphatic, “it’ll be eatin’. He’ll have to eat.”
“You ought to know,” says Collins, with a look at the size of Jiggins.
“Wonder how long they’re going to keep to the river?” Jiggins says, shaking his head. “Must know where they’re going, eh? They acted like it was all planned out.”
“I’d like to meet somebody to inquire of. We’ve got to keep track of ’em. Maybe somebody’d know where Mr. Hieronymous Alphabet Bell is, too. Then we could take a short cut to him.”
“All I can see to do is just keep ahead. Lucky the boat wasn’t busted.”
They quit talking and put on their soggy clothes. Their boat was pulled up on the shore, and they got in it again and pushed off.
“Good-by, gentlemen,” says I to myself, and felt like standing up to wave my hand after them.
When they were out of sight I got up and went back to Mark. He wanted to know what I saw, and I told him. It made him mad to think he’d missed seeing it.
“Anyhow,” says I, to comfort him, “we can make a cup of coffee if you want to.”
We needed a good rest, so we took one. I couldn’t get to sleep, but Mark found no trouble about it at all. He can always eat and sleep. We had been up a long time. It seemed days ago we escaped through the tunnel and began the trip down the Père Marquette, but it was that same morning, and now it was just past noon. While Mark slept I sat around until I was tired of doing nothing, and then I got that _Kidnapped_ book out of the canoe and read it. That made the time pass pretty quickly.
Mark didn’t wake up till nearly three o’clock. As soon as he’d stretched and rubbed his little eyes open we launched our canoe and started again.