Now as long as that hike was so crazy, on account of us all being crazy, we decided that it was best to call our remodeled garage the “Good Turn Cabin.” In about four hours and forty-two minutes, those Columbus scouts were almost as crazy as we were, or rather are.
“Say, fellows, let’s go over to the ‘Good Turn,’ and show the boys this wild country!” said I.
“Suits me,” said Hervey.
“Let’s serenade them,” said Pee-wee.
“Sere what?” asked Westy.
“Oh you know what I mean,” said Pee-wee.
“Is it a new kind of drink?” asked Warde.
By this time we had almost reached the campus of the “Good Turn.”
I said, “Hello, there, everybody happy?”
“I’ll say so,” said a chorus of voices.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” said I, “we’re here——”
“Because we’re here,” finished the Columbus scouts.
“Right,” said I. “We’re here because we’re here, but that’s not all. Pee-wee wants to give you some serenade, or something like that.”
“What kind of ade?” asked one of the boys. “If it’s something like lemonade, you’re welcome.”
“You think you’re so smart,” said Pee-wee.
“Are you going to stand here like a couple of dunces, or are we going to show these boys what we know about this part of the mountains?”
“Pee-wee’s right,” said Warde. “Roy, do your bit.”
“Ahemm,” began I. “I have come, attended by my bodyguard, or faithful followers, to find out whether or not we may have the pleasure of your company at dinner to-day, we——”
“Oh shut up,” said Pee-wee. “Gee, you haven’t any brains at all. I’ll tell them. We want to take you boys around and show you the woods and the lake, an’ I know where there’s a peachy bird’s nest; I’ll show it to you,” said the good-natured little fellow.
“Pee-wee’s right,” said I.
“I’m sure we’d love to come, but some of the fellows are gone to the post office, so that leaves just a few of us left,” said one of the boys.
“But we’d, be delighted to come,” someone said.
It happened that this fellow came from Maine. That made him a special friend of Hervey and me, because he’s a Maniac.
“All right, let’s go,” said I. And we did go.
“This is the place where we trailed that convict, isn’t it?” asked Westy.
“Wait till you see my little nest,” said Pee-wee.
“Your which?” asked the Maniac.
“Shh, we’re near it now,” said Pee-wee.
“Boys, hold your breath, don’t breathe or talk, we are now about to enter the land of mystery,” said I.
“There it is, in that bush that comes down low like. Don’t touch it though,” said Pee-wee.
“We wouldn’t harm a hair on its little head,” said the Maniac.
“That’s nothing,” said I. “Let me show you where the daisies grow. Then you’ll see something nice.”
“Are you going to take us to the land of nod?” the Maniac asked.
“Oh, you’re going to do more than nod,” I promised. “Wait ’til you get there! Just wait.”
“Let’s go up the hill,” suggested Westy.
“By the old haunted farm house?” asked Warde.
“Nothing doing,” said the Maniac. “I’m scared of such places. If you promise to take me by the hand and shield me from all danger, I might think it over. Otherwise, I’ll go home and finish my knitting!”
“We promise,” said Westy.
Now I’ll tell you all about this haunted farm, so that you won’t be frightened. In the first place, it’s not haunted at all. That is I don’t think so, but the people that lived there did think so, ’cause they moved out and left the farm just as it was. (When I get married I’m coming up here and start farming, there’s enough tools and things.)
“Gee, you can have lots of fun here,” said Pee-wee. “I like the apple trees and the big swing. You can see way over Overlook Mountain and Black Lake when you’re eating an apple.”
“What? Do you mean to tell me they have magic apples up here? That’s some record,” said the Maniac. “I know you can see stars, when you’re hit over the head or something like it, but seeing mountains and lakes when you’re eating an apple, beats anything I’ve ever heard.”
Westy said, “Didn’t you hear Roy say we’re about to enter the land of mystery? You should listen.”
“Sure,” I said, “if you eat enough apples you can look right through the Woolworth Building.”
“Swingin’ of course, oh you fellows know what I mean——” began poor Pee-wee.
“Sure we do,” said the Maniac. “You mean if you take an apple and a cup of hot water before retiring, you’ll never get a puncture.”
I wish you could have seen that yard. It was a dandy place for a picnic. The grass was so soft and green. Gee, it was a dandy farm.
“How can anyone ever accuse this place of being haunted?” asked the Maniac. “I think it’s a picture.”
“Let’s go up to the hay loft,” said Pee-wee. “I can see lots of hay through this big door.”
“Be careful, that’s all I’ve got to say,” said Westy.
“I suppose it’s all right for us to climb up, we’re not hurting anything, or breaking anything, what do you think, Roy?” asked Warde.
“I think it’s all right, we’re just having some fun, or honest pleasure, (oh what’s that saying again?) and I don’t think anyone’s mean enough to begrudge us our fun.”
“You’ve got a good line, Roy,” said Warde.
“Come on, we’re going to invade this barn, with you as our gallant leader,” said the Maniac.
“Who, me?” said I. “Let Pee-wee lead us. Why to-morrow the whole town will know about the brave scouts; when Mr. Oltiemer reads his paper, he will know how the brave scouts, or rather how the charge of the light brigade swept the country side, how it invaded the poor old defenseless barn, with brigadier-general Harris leading his brave regiment through all sorts of falls and somersaults!”
I wish you could of seen that kid. There he was, at the top of the ladder, ready to climb over to the loft, when good night, he stumbled.
“Going down, Pee-wee?” asked the Maniac.
“No stops ’til we reach the ground floor!” said Warde.
An............