"If I could, do you suppose I'd
be lying here talking to you now?"
"Are you hurt?" cried Dick.
"If I hadn't been, do you suppose I'd have stayed with you as
long as I have?" mocked the other indignantly. "It all came of
that money, too, and what you call 'conscience.' If I hadn't come
back with the money I wouldn't have had that nasty tumble over
the root, and my ankle would be as sound as ever."
"Do you mean that you can't walk?" Dick demanded.
"I can crawl, and that's all," Tag declared. "I was at the spring,
getting a drink, when I heard you coming. Then I crawled back
in here, but not fast enough to keep you from seeing something
moving here. It was right over yonder that I fell and wrenched
my ankle. I crawled over here so as to be near water until my
foot got so that I could use it again."
"Hoo-hoo!" bellowed Prescott, through his hands. "Hoo-hoo the
camp! Hoo-hoo!"
"That's right," jeered Tag. "Go in after the reward, when I can't
help myself. Serves me right for taking money when I should have
contented myself with my old game of stealing victuals only!"
"Hoo-hoo the camp!" repeated Prescott. "Hoo-hoo!"
"That you, Dick?" came in Darrin's voice.
"Yes; come here on the jump, Dave.
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