"Now--now, if you please, I wasn't intendin' to be fresh.I just--""Well, you are.Who is this fellow? How does he happen to be here? Does any one know?"Jed's first interrogator, the big workman, being the only one present beside the speaker and the object of the question, took it upon himself to answer.
"I don't know who he is," he said."And he won't tell why he's here.Looks mighty suspicious to me.Shouldn't wonder if he was a German spy.They're all around everywheres, so the papers say."This speech had a curious effect.The stoop in the Winslow shoulders disappeared.Jed's tall form straightened.When he spoke it was in a tone even more quiet and deliberate than usual, but there could be no shadow of a doubt that he meant what he said.
"Excuse me, Mister," he drawled, "but there's one or two names that just now I can't allow anybody to call me.'German' is one and 'spy' is another.And you put 'em both together.I guess likely you was only foolin', wasn't you?"The workman looked surprised.Then he laughed."Shall I call a guard, sir?" he asked, addressing the lieutenant."Better have him searched, I should say.Nine chances to one he's got the plan in his pocket."The officer--he was very young--hesitated.Jed, who had not taken his eyes from the face of the man who had called him a German spy, spoke again.
"You haven't answered me yet," he drawled."You was only foolin'
when you said that, wasn't you?"
The lieutenant, who may have felt that he had suddenly become a negligible factor in the situation, essayed to take command of it.
"Shut up," he ordered, addressing Winslow.Then to the other, "Yes, call a guard.We'll see if we can't get a straight answer from this fellow.Hurry up."The workman turned to obey.But, to his surprise, his path was blocked by Jed, who quietly stepped in front of him.
"I guess likely, if you wasn't foolin', you'd better take back what you called me," said Jed.
They looked at each other.The workman was tall and strong, but Jed, now that he was standing erect, was a little taller.His hands, which hung at his sides, were big and his arms long.And in his mild blue eye there was a look of unshakable determination.
The workman saw that look and stood still.
"Hurry up!" repeated the lieutenant.
Just how the situation might have ended is uncertain.How it did end was in an unexpected manner.From the rear of the trio, from the top of the sandy ridge separating the beach from the meadow, a new voice made itself heard.
"Well, Rayburn, what's the trouble?" it asked.
The lieutenant turned briskly, so, too, did Mr.Winslow and his vis-a-vis.Standing at the top of the ridge was another officer.
He was standing there looking down upon them and, although he was not smiling, Jed somehow conceived the idea that he was much amused about something.Now he descended the ridge and walked toward the group by the fire.
"Well, Rayburn, what is it?" he asked again.
The lieutenant saluted.
"Why--why, Major Grover," he stammered, "we--that is I found this man here on the Government property and--and he won't explain what he's doing here.I--I asked him if he had seen anything of the plan and he won't answer.I was just going to put him under arrest as--as a suspicious person when you came."Major Grover turned and inspected Jed, and Jed, for his part, inspected the major.He saw a well set-up man of perhaps thirty-five, dark-haired, brown-eyed and with a closely clipped mustache above a pleasant mouth and a firm chin.The inspection lasted a minute or more.Then the major said:
"So you're a suspicious character, are you?"Jed's hand moved across his chin in the gesture habitual with him.
"I never knew it afore," he drawled."A suspicious character is an important one, ain't it? I--er--I'm flattered.""Humph! Well, you realize it now, I suppose?""Cal'late I'll have to, long's your--er--chummie there says it's so."The expression of horror upon Lieutenant Rayburn's face at hearing himself referred to as "chummie" to his superior officer was worth seeing.
"Oh, I say, sir!" he explained.The major paid no attention.
"What were you and this man," indicating the big carpenter, "bristling up to each other for?" he inquired.
"Well, this guy he--" began the workman.Major Grover motioned him to be quiet.
"I asked the other fellow," he said.Jed rubbed his chin once more.
"He said I was a German spy," he replied.
"Are you?"
"No." The answer was prompt enough and emphatic enough.Major Grover tugged at the corner of his mustache.
"Well, I--I admit you don't look it," he observed, dryly."What's your name and who are you?"Jed told his name, his place of residence and his business.
"Is there any one about here who knows you, who could prove you were who you say you are?"Mr.Winslow considered."Ye-es," he drawled."Ye-es, I guess so.
'Thoph Mullett and 'Bial Hardy and Georgie T.Nickerson and Squealer Wixon, they're all carpenterin' over here and they're from Orham and know me.Then there's Bluey Batcheldor and Emulous Baker and 'Gawpy'--I mean Freddie G.--and--""There, there! That's quite sufficient, thank you.Do you know any of those men?" he asked, turning to the workman.
"Yes, sir, I guess I do."
"Very well.Go up and bring two of them here; not more than two, understand."Jed's accuser departed.Major Grover resumed his catechizing.
"What were you doing here?" he asked.
"Eh? Me? Oh, I was just picnicin', as you might say, along with a little girl, daughter of a neighbor of mine.She wanted to see where the soldiers was goin' to fly, so I borrowed Perez Ryder's power dory and we came over.'Twas gettin' along dinner time and Ibuilt a fire so as to cook....My soul!" with a gasp of consternation, "I forgot all about that chowder.And now it's got stone cold.Yes, sir!" dropping on his knees and removing the cover of the kettle, "stone cold or next door to it.Ain't that a shame!"Lieutenant Rayburn snorted in disgust.His superior officer, however, merely smiled.
