selves with serviceable clubs, that might
come in handy in time of necessity. Then they slipped silently into the
underbrush, and worked their way along until they had attained a
position where they commanded a view of the cabin's only door.

The spot they had chosen was surrounded by dense thickets, and one might
have passed within ten feet without spying them. Bob carefully parted
the bushes and broke off twigs here and there until they could see
plainly enough, and yet were securely hidden from the cabin. This done,
the boys made themselves as comfortable as possible under the
circumstances, and prepared for a long vigil.

They had been in their retreat less than half an hour when the door of
the shack was flung open, and the black-moustached man appeared on the
threshold. He gazed searchingly about the little clearing, then glanced
up at the mounting sun and stretched prodigiously. At length, apparently
satisfied that all was as it should be, he turned back into the cabin,
and soon the aroma of bacon and coffee came floating down the wind to
where the boys lay. Jimmy's nose twitched and his mouth watered, but he
thought of the importance of the mission that had been intrusted to them
by the radio inspector and stifled his longings.

The man in the cabin ate a leisurely breakfast, and apparently was in no
hurry. Indeed, from the way he loitered over the meal, the boys rather
suspected that he was awaiting the arrival of some other members of the
gang. Nor were they mistaken. After a time the lads could hear the sound
of approaching voices, and soon three men entered the clearing and made
for the cabin. At the first sound of their voices, the man inside had
stepped swiftly to the door, one hand in the bulging pocket of his coat;
but when he recognized the others an ugly grin spread over his face,
while his hand dropped to his side.

"So you have got here at last, eh?" he snarled. "I'm glad to find you
didn't hurry yourselves any. I thought I sent you a wireless message to
get here early."

"So you did, chief," spoke up one of the newcomers. "But we couldn't get
here no sooner."

"You couldn't?" snapped the other. "Why couldn't you?"

"We got word that one of the government radio inspectors was at the
lumber camp, so we had to come here by the long way. We were afraid he
might recognize one of us if we happened to bump into him."

"Well, the cops have photoed all of you so often that I don't wonder
you're shy,