CHAPTER XIV

FRIENDS IN TIME OF NEED

"That's so, Jack; unless he can produce the little sister we've got to believe his fine yarn is all a fraud," Josh observed seriously.

"Did you say as much to him, Jack?" questioned George.

"I did," came the ready reply.

"And what was his reply to that?" asked Buster.

"I gathered from his gestures and actions," explained Jack, "that he stood ready, yes, and anxious, to go into the woods near by and get his sister, if only we gave him permission. So I thought I'd put it up to the rest of you first."

"Oh, tell him to go and fetch her along," sneered George. "If he really has got a little sister, and she's hungry, why, I'd be willing to go on half rations myself to help out. I may be suspicious of him, but there isn't a stingy bone in my whole body."

"We know that, George," Jack told him quickly, "and since you seem willing I'll let the poor fellow know about it right away. You can see how eagerly he's watching us now, because he understands what I'm telling you."

"Tell him supper's about ready, and that he ought to hurry," explained Buster.

Jack had another short interview with the young Serbian. Then the other sprang hastily to his feet and ran off, looking back once or twice, and smiling as he waved his hand toward Jack.

"Good-by!" called out George derisively, and then, turning to the others, he added: "Because I hardly expect to see him again, unless he comes back with the other three. Chances are he knew we'd got on to his game, and means to slip away now so he couldn't be nabbed by the authorities."

"Shame on you, George, you old unbeliever!" cried Buster.

"Wait and see who's right," warned the other st.u.r.dily, for George always clung to his belief until convinced that he was wrong, when he would frankly confess his error of judgment.

A minute, two of them, pa.s.sed, and still the boy did not return. It would really seem as though he had had time to go to where he left his sister concealed at the time he crept toward the landing spot of the cruising party in the motorboat, and come back again.

George was grinning with that important air of his, which, being interpreted, meant the usual "I told you so."

Then Josh, whose sharp eyes had detected a moving figure in the semi-gloom, exclaimed:

"There they come over yonder, I do believe!"

"Two or four?" questioned Buster.

"It's all right, boys," Josh continued, for he was standing on a stump, and in this position could see what was invisible to the others.

"Then he's got his little sister along with him, has he?" asked Buster.

"Sure thing," reported Josh, "and as for you, old croaker George, it'd be doing the right thing for you to beg everybody's pardon, and especially the boy's, for thinking such mean things about him."

"Who was the first to guess that he must be one of that band of desperate Serbian youths, tell me?" demanded George. "I was wrong, I'll admit, but an ounce of prevention is always better than a whole pound of cure."

With that he threw away the club which he had been gripping, as though in company with it went all his suspicions.

Presently the Serbian boy came into camp, holding by the hand a pretty dark-eyed little maid of about seven. The boys were immediately smitten with her charms, and no longer wondered that her brother had so openly boasted she was the prettiest little girl in all Belgrade.

Apparently that noted surgeon had done a splendid job, for never had they looked into brighter and more roguish eyes than she possessed. If they had been dulled by cataracts, as Jack suspected was the case, then the curtains had been skillfully removed.

Buster immediately announced that supper was all ready, and would be spoiled by any further waiting; so they sat down, places being prepared for the guests of honor.

While they ate the boys kept up a conversation among themselves. Jack from time to time would hold communication with the Serbian youth, whose appet.i.te proved the truth of his a.s.sertion that no food had pa.s.sed his lips during the whole of the preceding day.

Later on Buster amused himself trying to talk with the little girl and teach her a few words in English. Jack and Josh and George got their heads together, being desirous of settling on what they ought to do with regard to the pair cast adrift in a strange and hostile land.

"They can stay with us all night, anyway, and have breakfast in the morning," suggested Josh.

"And we could make up a little purse among us," added the now penitent George, "enough to carry them across the border and into their own country."

"That's fine of you to mention that, George," Jack told him, "but you are forgetting something. Serbia is at war with Austria, and so you see no trains can be running to the border that would allow a Serbian young fellow to pa.s.s. If he ever gets across the river to Belgrade it must be with our help."

"You've got a plan fixed, I guess, Jack?"

"I've been thinking it over, and wanted to hear what your ideas might be before I mentioned it," the other explained. "But, now that you ask me, I'll tell you what I'd like to do. We can find room for them aboard the boat when we start in the morning. Unless we are overhauled on the way there'd be little danger on account of our having Serbians with us, a boy and a child at that."

"I agree with you there, Jack," said George, now evidently seeking to make all amends possible for having allowed himself to believe the stranger a desperate character, when in truth he was only a kind and protecting big brother.

"Ditto here," added Josh glibly, as though he were a parrot.

"We will have to tie up by the time another night comes along,"

continued Jack, "and if it's cloudy we can hope to try and pa.s.s the hostile batteries by keeping in the middle of the river and just floating with the current, never showing a single light. But before that we might make a landing on the Serbian side and put the brother and sister ash.o.r.e."

Josh and George exchanged looks, nodding their heads as if in approval.

"Now, I call that a good scheme, if you want to know it," declared the former.

"And as Buster is always ready to agree to anything Jack says," George remarked, "I move we call it unanimous."

The readiness of his chums to fall in with his proposition, of course, pleased Jack. He always made it a point to invite the fullest discussion when offering any plan of campaign, because it was better that all of them should feel that they had a hand in engineering matters.

So it was settled, later on Buster being told the arrangements. As George had prophesied, the fat boy had not the slightest objection to make; indeed, he was enthusiastic over the idea of helping the little Serbian girl get back home to her anxious mother.

Arrangements for sleeping were soon effected. As their guests had no blankets, George and Buster insisted on loaning them one each. They said they could go without easily enough; though Jack finally induced George to share his covers, while Josh compelled the fat chum to crawl under with him.

The night pa.s.sed without anything occurring to disturb them. Everybody slept after a fashion, though doubtless the boys were not as comfortable as though each possessed his own blanket.

It made them feel that they were suffering in a good cause, however, when they saw how happy both the boy and his sister seemed in the morning. The dark clouds that had of late been hanging over their heads had apparently taken flight, and with the rising sun they smiled, and seemed contented with having found such good friends.

After breakfast they started down the river again. It might prove to be the last day of peace for them for some time, since Jack figured that by another sunset they would very likely have reached the scene of hostilities, when danger might be lying in wait for them at every turn.

Of course, all of them were more or less concerned about the prospect of being held up again by some Austrian river war vessel. The presence of Serbians aboard the motorboat would look suspicious in those trying days, and might get the boys into trouble. Nevertheless, not one of them so much as hinted at any desire to be rid of their guests.

The little girl was so winsome that she had captured all their hearts by storm, and they could not do too much for her.