out and walked around the
house.

Lucky it was for Bob that he acted as he did, because he had barely
started when the door was flung open and those inside came streaming
out. For a few moments they stood in a group in front of the door,
talking, and then scattered, some walking about, while others threw
themselves on the ground and smoked.

But by this time Bob had reached the cover of the woods undiscovered,
and set out to rejoin his friends. This necessitated a long detour, and
it was a full hour later that he crept silently into their hiding place.
So quietly did he come that Jimmy was on the point of uttering a
startled exclamation, but checked himself just in time.

CHAPTER XXIII

PREPARING AN AMBUSH

"Say, you came as quietly as a shadow," whispered the plump youth. "How
do you ever do it?"

"You don't expect me to blow a whistle under the circumstances, do you?"
asked Bob.

"Never mind that, but tell us what you heard," said Joe impatiently.
"What are they up to, Bob?"

"I can't tell you until I compare what I copied down with the code key,"
said Bob, as he fished in his pocket for the bit of paper on which he
had noted down the robber's message. Having found this, he and Joe
searched through the key and soon had the following message pieced
together:

"Truck--silk--Barberton Road--to-night. Meet me and others--Hicks
Bridge--eight o'clock. Truck due--ten o'clock."

Having deciphered the message, the boys gazed questioningly at one
another.

"That doesn't give us much time to act," said Joe. "If we wait here it
may be close to eight o'clock before the others come to relieve us, and
then it will be too late to prevent the robbery."

"The answer is, that we won't wait here," said Bob decisively. "As long
as we know their plans up until this evening, there's no need of
watching this cabin any longer, anyway. We'd better start back right
away, and tell Mr. Brandon what we've found out. He'll know the best
thing to do then."

"That sounds all right to me," said Joe, and as Jimmy saw a chance of
getting back to camp in time for dinner, he put in no objections.

"Now, for the love of butter, try to go quietly, Jimmy," warned Bob. "If
those fellows hear a sound from this direction, they'll be right after
us, because their suspicions are already aroused."

"I'll do the best I can," promised his rotund friend. "But I'm heavier
than you fellows, and I can't slide around so easily."

"Well, go