n in!"

"Watch us when we go away?" repeated George. "Who do you think is going
away with the boy in search of his father?"

"I'm going, for one!" declared Tommy.

"Not so you could notice it!" Will cut in. "You and Sandy have been
doing all the scouting tonight, and now George and I will take a turn at
it!"

Tommy winked slyly at Sandy but said nothing.

Will, however, caught the look which passed between the two boys, and
declared that he meant to tie them both up before he left the camp.

"You boys are always running away, and always getting into trouble!" he
declared. "You remember what a scrape you got us into down in the
Everglades. If it hadn't been for the Seminole, you'd 'a' had us all
under ground before we'd been there two days!"

"Aw, who said anything about leaving camp?" demanded Sandy.

"No one said anything about it," returned the other, "but I understand
what you boys have in your minds, and I'll tell you right now that I
don't think it's right for you to leave the camp until we return."

"Of course we won't!" declared Tommy.

"Well, I've said all I'm going to say about it!" Will went on. "Of
course, you'll go if the notion comes into your heads, anyway, so what's
the use? I hope you'll get into something that'll keep you home for a
week if you do go out tonight."

"All right," laughed Tommy. "We know all about you! If we got into
trouble anywhere, you'd be the first one to help get us out."

"And now about plans for the search," Will went on, without seeming to
notice the last remark of the boy, "it is nearly midnight now, and we
may not be back by morning, so perhaps we'd better take something to eat
with us. We may be miles from camp at sunrise."

"And when we find Wagner, we may find a hungry man," George added.

"That's a fact!" cried Tommy darting away to the provision box.

In a very short time the boy brought a great package of egg and ham
sandwiches to the two lads who were about to start away.

"Now, don't eat all this truck before sunrise," Tommy advised. "As
George says, when you find Wagner, you'll find a hungry man."

After stowing the sandwiches away in their pockets, and seeing that
their automatics and searchlights were in good condition, the boys went
out to the place where they had left Chester and found him sound asleep
in the long grass.

"The poor fellow is about all in!" exclaimed George.

"I wish we could get him to remain in camp while we make the search!"