Chapter 9 ROSCOE JOINS THE COLORS

It was now nearly dark, and Tom worked his way along slowly, hobbling where there were no trees, and grateful for their support when he found them bordering the trail. His foot pained him exquisitely and he still felt weak and dizzy.

At last, after almost superhuman efforts, he brought himself within sight of the dark outline of the shack, which seemed more lonesome and isolated than ever before. He saw that the light was from a fire in the clearing near by, and a smaller light was discernible in the window of the shack itself.

Tom had always stood rather in awe of Roscoe Bent, as one of humble origin and simple ways is apt to feel toward those who live in a different world. And even now, in this altogether strange situation and with all the advantages both of right and courage on his side, he could not repress something of the same feeling, as he approached the little camp.

He dragged himself to within a few feet of the fire and stood clutching a tree and leaning against it as Roscoe Bent, evidently startled, came out and faced him.

A pathetic and ghastly figure Tom must have looked to the fugitive, who stood staring at him, lantern in hand, as if Tom were some ghostly scarecrow dropped from the clouds.

"It's me-Tom Slade," Tom panted. "You-needn't be scared."

Roscoe looked suspiciously about him and peered down the dark trail behind Tom.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded roughly. "Is anybody with you? Who'd you bring--"

"No, there ain't," said Tom, almost reeling. His weakness and the fear of collapsing before he could speak gave him courage, but he forgot the little speech which he had prepared, and poured out a torrent which completely swept away any little advantage of self-possession that Roscoe might have had.

"I didn't bring anybody!" he shouted weakly. "Do you think I'm a spy? Did you ever know a scout that was a sneak? Me and you-are all alone here. I knew you was here. I knew you'd come here, because you're crazy. I seen-saw-"

It was characteristic of Tom that on the infrequent occasions when he became angry, or his feelings got the better of him, he would fall into the old illiterate phraseology of Barrel Alley. He steadied himself against the tree now and tried to speak more calmly.

"D'you think just 'cause you jollied me and made a fool out of me in front of Miss Ellison that I wouldn't be a friend to you? Do you think"-he shouted, losing all control of himself-"that because I didn't know how to talk to you and-and-answer you-like-that I was a-scared of you? Did you think I couldn't find you easy enough? Maybe I'm-maybe I'm thick-but when I get on a trail-there's-there's nothin' can stop me. I got the strength ter strangle you-if I wanted to!" he fairly shrieked.

Then he subsided from sheer exhaustion.

Roscoe Bent had stood watching him as a man might watch a thunderstorm. "You hurt yourself," he said irrelevantly.

"It says in a paper," panted Tom, "that-that a man that's afraid to die ain't-fit to live. D'you think I'd leave-I'd let you-stay away and have people callin' you a coward and a-a slacker-and then somebody-those secret service fellows-come and get you? I wouldn't let them get you," he shouted, clutching the tree to steady himself, "'cause I know the trail, I do-I'm a scout-and I got here first-I--"

His hand slipped from the tree, he reeled and fell to the ground too quick for Roscoe to catch him.

"It's-it's all right," he muttered, as Roscoe bent over him. "I ain't hurt.... Roll your coat up tight-you'd know, if you was a scout-and put it under my neck. I-want a drink-of water.... You got to begin right now to-night, Rossie, with the Colors; you got to begin-by-by bein' a Red Cross nurse.... I'm goin' to call you Rossie now-like the fellers in the bank," he ended weakly, "'cause we're friends to each other-kind of."

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