"Can this be him, then; has he been a prisoner all these years?" gasped Smithy; at which there was a scornful laugh from the others.
"His name wa'n't Aleck; near as I kin remember 'twas Jerry," said Toby.
"P'raps, suh, he had a son?" suggested Bob White.
"Just what I was going to remark," added Allan, eagerly.
The intelligence that had come to them in that last reply had created a sensation among the scouts. Indeed, even Thad was so astonished that for the moment he could not find words in which to continue the interesting conversation by fire.
Then his torch expired.
"Hurry Giraffe, and fetch me that other light!" he called; but there was hardly any need of saying this, because the party in question was already advancing by kangaroo-like leaps, covering ground in a manner simply miraculous.
"What was that last he said?" he demanded, and Step Hen made haste to answer, partly because he wanted to stagger the tall scout; and then perhaps he realized that Giraffe would really give them no peace until he was told:
"Said his name was Aleck Rawson—remember what Toby told us about the man who found the mine long years ago! Well, this might happen to be his boy, we think."
"Keep still! Thad's going to talk some more!" grumbled Bumpus.