"You got even by placing
me under a great obligation?"
"Just that," nodded the cook, "we had trouble, once, and you
came out on top, didn't you?"
"Yes; but that little affair needn't have prevented us from being
friends."
"It did, until I had done something to make you needed me as a
friend," the cook declared.
Tom laughed at this statement of the case. It accorded quite closely,
however, with the cook's generally sulky disposition. Even a
friendship Leon would offer or accept grudgingly.
"But why did you follow me?" Tom continued, as they neared the camp.
"Did you think I was going to run into danger?"
Leon hesitated.
"Well," he admitted, finally, "when I saw you stealing off, soft
like, I had a queer notion come over me that, maybe, you were
discouraged, and that you were going off to put an end to yourself."
Tom started, stared in amazement, then spoke in a tone of pretended
anger:
"Much obliged for your fine opinion of me, Leon," he declared.
"Only cowards and lunatics commit suicide.
Pages:
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188