The Andre Norton Megapack - 15 Classic Novels and Short Stories

course.”
    “Then you’ll probably have a chance to identify them.” There was a grim look about Rupert’s jaw. “Ricky’s told me all that you overheard. I don’t know what it means but I’ve heard enough for me to get in touch with LeFleur. He’ll be out tomorrow morning. And once we get something to work on—”
    “I’m beginning to feel sorry for our swamp visitors,” Val interrupted.
    “They’ll be sorry,” hinted Rupert darkly. “How about you, Val, beginning to feel hungry?”
    “Now that you mention it, I am discovering a rather hollow ache in my center section. Supper ready?”
    “Half an hour. I’ll bring you up a tray—” began Ricky.
    But Val had thrown back the sheet and was sitting on the side of the bed. “Oh, no, you don’t! I’m not an invalid yet.”
    Ricky glanced at Rupert and then left. Val reached for his shirt defiantly. But his brother raised no objection. The painful stiffness Val had felt at first wore off and he was able to move without feeling as if each muscle were tied in cramping knots.
    “May I pay Jeems a visit?” he asked as they went out into the hall. Rupert nodded toward a door across the corridor.
    “In there. He’s a stubborn piece of goods. Reminds me of you at times. If he’d ever get rid of that scowl of his, he’d be even more like you. He warms to Ricky, but you’d think I was a Chinese torturer the way he acts when I go in.” There was a shade of irritation in Rupert’s voice.
    “Maybe he’s afraid of you.”
    “But what for?” Rupert stared at the boy in open surprise.
    “Well, you do have rather a commanding air at times,” Val countered. If Ricky had told Rupert nothing of Jeems’ confession, he wasn’t going to.
    “So that’s what you really think of me!” observed Rupert. “Go reason with that wildcat of yours if you want to. I’m beginning to believe that you are two of a kind.” He turned abruptly down the hall.
    Val opened the door of the bedroom. The sunlight was fading fast and already the corners of the large room were filled with the gray of dusk. But light from the windows swept full across the bed and its occupant. Val hobbled stiffly toward it.
    “Hello.” The brown face on the pillow did not change expression as Val greeted the swamper. “How do you feel now?”
    “Bettah,” Jeems answered shortly. “Ah’m good but they won’t le’ me up.”
    “The Doc says you’re in for a couple of days,” Val told him.
    Somehow Jeems looked smaller, shrunken, as he lay in that oversized bed. And he had lost that air of indolent arrogance which had made him seem so independent in their swamp and garden meetings. It was as if Val were looking down upon a younger and less confident edition of the swamper he had known.
    “What does he think?” There was urgency in that question.
    “Who’s he?”
    “Yo’ brothah.”
    “Rupert? Why, he’s glad to have you here,” Val answered.
    “Does he know ’bout—”
    Val shook his head.
    “Tell him!” ordered the swamper. “Ah ain’t a-goin’ to stay undah his ruff lessen he knows. ’Tain’t fitten.”
    At this clean-cut statement of the laws of hospitality, Val nodded. “All right. I’ll tell him. But what were you after here, Jeems? I’ll have to tell him that, too, you know. Was it the Civil War treasure?”
    Jeems turned his head slowly. “No.” Again the puzzled frown twisted his straight, finely marked brows. “What do Ah want wi’ treasure? Ah don’t know what Ah was lookin’ fo’. Mah grandpappy—”
    “Val, supper’s ready,” came Rupert’s voice from the hall.
    Val half turned to go. “I’ve got to go now. But I’ll be back later,” he promised.
    “Yo’ll tell him?” Jeems stabbed a finger at the door.
    “Yes; after supper. I promise.”
    With a little sigh Jeems relaxed and burrowed down into the softness of the pillow. “Ah’ll be awaitin’,” he said.
    CHAPTER XIII
    On Such a Night as This—
    It had been on of those dull, weepy days when a sullen drizzle clouded sky and earth. In consequence, the walls and floors of Pirate’s Haven seemed to exude chill. Rupert built a fire in the hall fireplace, but none of the family could say that it was a successful one. It made a nice show of leaping flame accompanied by fancy lighting effects but gave forth absolutely no heat.
    “Val?”
    The boy started guiltily and thrust his note-book under the couch cushion as Charity came in. Tiny drops of rain were strung along the hairs