Mark Tidd, Editor Part 22

"L-lots of 'em," says Mark.

"Don't git fresh," says Jethro.

"I wasn't," says Mark. "I was t-t-tellin' the truth."

"Did you see a kid," says Jethro, "that looked like he was runnin'

away?"

"How does a kid l-look that's runnin' away?" Mark asked.

Jethro reached for the whip like he had intentions of taking a lick at us, but he changed his mind.

"You know all the kids in Wicksville," says he. "This was a strange one-one you hain't never seen before. See sich a one?"

"No," says Mark. "What's he runnin' away for?"

"'Cause he's a ongrateful little skunk," says Jethro. "If you see any strange kids sort of hidin' around, you tell me and I'll give you a dollar."

"You're Mr. Wigglesworth's man, hain't you?" says Mark, like he didn't know.

"Yes," says Jethro.

"Didn't know you had a b-boy," says Mark.

"He wasn't mine. I was sort of guardian over him."

"Oh!" says Mark. "And he's run off and you want us to help you f-find him?"

Jethro didn't say anything for a minute, but thought it over. Then he says to himself something about kids being all over creation and seeing everything that goes on. After that he says to us:

"You kids make a business of lookin' for this runaway, and I'll pay you five dollars if you find him."

"Why don't you advertise?" says Mark, and at that Jethro looked sort of startled.

"Look here," says he, "no advertisin' goes. This is a secret between you and me. See? You hain't to talk about it to anybody or you don't get no five dollars."

"Mum's the word," says Mark.

"You report to me at Wigglesworth's house," says Jethro, "if you find out anything."

"All right," says Mark, and off drove Jethro. When he was gone Mark turned and winked at me.

"Hired by the enemy," says he. "Now there's a way we can get into the Wigglesworth grounds and house any t-t-time we want to without makin'

Jethro suspicious."

"Sure," says I, "but what's this runaway business? Has Rock run off?"

"It l-looks that way," says Mark,

"What for?" says I.

"How should I know?" says Mark. "Let's head for the arbor and see if he's left a l-letter."

We ducked off the road and slid up the hedge. This time Mark was too interested in what was really happening to do any pretending about dukes or knights, so we just sneaked along like a couple of boys till we got to the arbor, and wriggled through the hedge. There was a letter in the hiding-place.

_Dear Friend_ [the letter said], I'm going away. I don't like it here because Jethro keeps getting meaner and meaner, and watches me all the time like I was in jail, and won't let me do anything. I won't stand it. Jethro isn't anything to me, and neither is that man with black gloves that comes and scowls at me and asks a lot of questions. I'm going off to China or Florida or the South Sea Islands or some place, so most likely I'll never see you again.

I don't know what I was brought to this place for. If anybody has a right to make me stay, why doesn't he say so? I might as well be in jail. I guess I can earn a living, all right. Maybe I'll go to Alaska and dig gold. Maybe I'll write to you some day.

Yours truly,

_Rock_.

"H'm!" says Mark. "He's g-goin' a lot of places, hain't he?"

"Wisht I was goin' with him," says I. "The South Sea Islands sounds fine."

"But it's quite a walk," says Mark, "especially when you think about crossin' the Pacific Ocean to get there."

"He'd stow away on a vessel?" says I.

"Shucks!" says he. "Rock won't get twenty m-miles from Wicksville."

"Bet he does," says I.

"Shucks!" says Mark again. "We got to f-find him, and I hain't goin' to look in Alaska, nor Florida, either."

"You hain't goin' to give him up to Jethro, be you?"

"That," says he, "is exactly what I'm goin' to do."

"Mark Tidd," says I, "I wouldn't 'a' thought it. For five dollars you'd squeal on this poor kid that's in a peck of trouble. Well," says I, getting madder and madder, "you can hunt for him alone. I won't have anything to do with it. It's a dirty trick," says I.

"Binney," says Mark, "l-look out or you'll bile out of your s.h.i.+rt. Keep it on," says he. "How many d-dirty tricks have you seen me play on folks?"

"None," says I, "but that don't stop this from bein' one."

He just grinned as good-natured as could be.

"You're foolin'," says I.

"No," says he, "I mean it."

"You'll give up Rock to them men?"

"Yes," says he, "if I f-f-find him."

"Then," says I, "you and me is through. We been perty good friends, and we've done a heap of things together, and I guess I figgered you was almost as great a man as Napoleon Bonaparte, but you hain't. I hain't as smart as you," says I, "but you can bet I don't go givin' away any kids that's in trouble. You go look for him," says I, "and I'll go look for him. But I won't be tellin' on him if I find him. I'll warn him," says I.