"
"Oh, I couldn't think of taking them," expostulated Tom, but his
eyes sparkled in anticipation, for he had been wishing for a gun
such as Mr. Duncan owned. He also needed a compass.
"If you don't take them I shall feel very much offended," the
hunter said, "and the nurse here will tell you that sick persons
ought to be humored. Hadn't they?" and he appealed to the pretty
young woman, who was smiling at Tom.
"That's perfectly true," she said, showing her white, even teeth.
"I think, Mr. Swift, I shall have to order you to take them."
"All right," agreed Tom, "only it's too much for what I did."
"It isn't half enough," remarked Mr. Duncan solemnly. "Just
explain matters to my wife, if you will, and tell her the doctor
says I can be out in about a week. But I'm not going hunting or
practicing shots again."
A little later Tom, with the compass before him to guide him on
his course through the fog, was speeding his boat toward
Waterford. Now and then he glanced at the fine shotgun which he
had so unexpectedly acquired.
"This will come in dandy this fall!" he exclaimed. "I'll go
hunting quail and partridge as well as wild ducks. This compass
is just what I need, too."
Mrs. Duncan was at first very much alarmed when Tom started to
tell her of the accident, but she soon calmed down as the lad went
more into details and stated how comparatively out of danger her
husband now was.
Pages:
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107