amateur detective awakened, and his heart was made glad by the
sight of a glow from the lower encampment.
"They haven't started yet," he said, as he awakened the guide, "and it
stands us in hand to be ready to leave the minute they do."
"Better let 'em get to the carry first. When they keep on down the
stream, we'll know where they're headed for, an' can get through in
time, for I don't reckon there's a chance of their stayin' on Round
Lake."
"There may be, and we mustn't run any risks."
The boys were ready to continue the journey some time before the men
gave any sign of leaving camp, and they bustled around first in one
direction and then another to make it appear as if they were doing work
of importance, in case the game should be suspicious.
Not until Bob and Sam had been half an hour on their way would Jim
consent to start, and that he had been wise in so doing could be seen
after the fatiguing labor of "the carry" had been performed.
The fugitives were not more than two hundred yards in advance when the
boys came out of the woods with the last load, and Jim said with a
chuckle:
"I knowed they'd take the wrong turn, an' we'd been a good bit ahead if
it hadn't been for layin' back."
By working slowly the boat was not reloaded until some time after the
men were out of sight, and then when she had been pulled to the
entrance of Round Lake, Jet insisted on remaining there a while,
concealed by the bushes, to watch the movements of the other craft.
"I swow! They are goin' to stop here after all!" Jim exclaimed, as he
saw the men turn toward the shore about a mile from the stream.
"There's one thing about it, though, they're bound to leave before many
days."
"Why?"
"'Cause there's no game 'round here, an' the fishin' ain't anything to
speak of."
"I don't reckon they care, so long as the provisions hold out."
"Of course, they can get fish enough, if they only want them to eat;
but I never heard of anybody campin' here."
"That's probably the very reason why they stop; no one would think of
looking for them where there's so little sport to be had. Now we'll
slip down about half-way between here and there, and build our camp."
This time Jet rowed, and his companion steered the little craft to a
small point within less than half a mile of where Bob's boat could be
seen.
The guide took upon himself the task of building a shelter, and he had
a very respectable looking lean-to finished be
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