"I know I haven't seen much of you in the last couple of days," I told him; "but I don't want you to think it's because I don't care any more. It was mostly because I was trying to help Skinny. Anyway, it's all over now. How did the fellows treat him to-day? If they'd known it was his last day, they'd have treated him decent, I bet." "I didn't see him," Westy said; "I was hunting for you most all the afternoon." "I'm going to stick by you closer after this," I said. "It was only because Bert Winton was, sort of--you know--" "I know," Westy said, "everybody fell for him. I'm not blaming you." "But anyway, I'm glad I've got you now," I told him; "we were always good friends, that's one sure thing. I'd feel mighty lonesome if I didn't have you." "I never got jealous," Westy said; "I always knew how it was with us. I just went stalking with the Ravens--it was so kind of slow." "It won't be that way any more," I told him; and I just almost had to gulp--gee, I don't know why. "Only a couple of nights ago I was flopping around like this with Bert Winton and now he's gone--he was a hero, that's sure--and you and I are together again." "We heard you while we were at camp-fire," Westy said. "Did you mind?" I asked. "No, I didn't mind," he said. "It's funny how two fellows get to be chums," I said. Westy didn't say anything, only just rowed around. After a while he said, "He knew how to feather, that fellow did. I guess his troop will go home now, hey?" "Maybe he turned and went back through the passage and they'll find him all safe in the pit," Westy said. "Nope," I told him; "the lake's different--everything is changed. Skinny won the cross and he's dead. And Bert is dead. It doesn't make any difference what the camp thinks about Skinny now, because he won't know it. And even if they're sore still, Bert won't know it. They won't be back. Everything is changed." "You just said you and I are not changed," Westy said. Then we just rowed around and neither one of us said anything. It was awful dark and still. "How do you suppose Skinny happened to get there?" I asked Westy. "The flood carried him through," he said. "But how did he happen to be in the cove? It couldn't have carried him through if he hadn't been in the cove," I said. "Guess we'll never know that," I told him. Then we rowed around some more and neither of us said anything. "Look up there and see if you think that's a lantern," Westy said, after a while. "Yes, it is," I said, "they're coming back." And then my heart began to thump. "I bet they've got them and that everything's all right," Westy said; "I kind of think so by the way the lantern is swinging." Pretty soon we saw another light and then another one; and then I could hear some of the fellows talking and hear twigs crunch under their feet as they scrambled down. I didn't dare to call them, but Westy called. "Any news? Are they all right?" "Who's there?" a fellow called.