“Go on,” I said.  “So Skinny told him it wasn’t true, and told him about the signal.  Jake didn’t pay much attention because he thought Skinny was just a little crazy on account of being so poor and hungry and all that and not having a good home.  So he was going up to your house anyway and Skinny cried and hung onto him, and begged him not to.  I guess he went on kind of crazy, but he said he was sure because he knew the Morse Code.  Anyway, just to humor him, I guess, Jake promised him he’d wait till early in the morning, and meanwhile you came home.  Do you see?”

Honest, I couldn’t answer him.

“Skinny was the one who did it,” he said.  “That accounts for his tracks, don’t you see?”

I shook my head to show him I understood.  But I couldn’t say it.

“And that’s how tracking and signalling have brought the three of us together—­see?” Westy said.  “It’s funny, isn’t it, how it brings the three of us together here in this tenement house.”

“How did you come here?” I said.

“I was just starting for the house-boat this morning early, when I met Skinny’s mother.  She was going to do her day’s washing.  And she told me how she had to leave him sick in bed, and she asked me if I’d go and stay with him till she got back.  I went back and got the ball and mitt because I thought maybe he’d like them.  She said he got a bad cold in the marshes and he was all excited and kind of crazy from the way he’d hung onto Jake and begged him not to go up to your house—­what did the fellows think when I didn’t show up?”

“You—­you should worry,” I just blurted out.

“Anyway I don’t care so much about the troop or Mr. Ellsworth either,” he said, “and even if I cared about Skinny it wouldn’t do much good, because he’s going to die—­the doctor says so.  But I care a lot about you and he did you a good turn.  I was afraid he might die before you had a chance to pay him back.  So I just sort of tried to pay him back for you—­”

All the while he was talking I could hardly hear what he was saying and there was one word ringing through my head.

It was the word slacker.

CHAPTER XVII

THE TWO CROSSES

I guess maybe I’d better tell you about Skinny now, so you’ll know all about who he is.  Before I was a scout I used to call him Wash-board, because he was so skinny you could have used his ribs for a wash-board.  I guess I used to think that was funny, but, gee, when you get to be a scout you find out what real fun is and you don’t call names like that.

He always lived down in Barrel Alley and his mother goes out washing.  Once Skinny’s father hit him on the head and it made him queer like.  But he got better mostly.  Only he was always afraid of people after that.  His father went away and got killed.  Sometimes Skinny sold papers at the station, but he was always scared of people, especially rich fellows.  How should I know he was interested in Scouts?  He didn’t have much to eat, I guess.  Anyway Jake Holden was a good friend to him and he wasn’t scared of Jake.  I guess maybe he had consumption.