Following this, the painter was taken from one of the canoes, and the man’s hands were bound behind his back, despite his protestations and threats. Then he was marched to the cottage.
Browning and Hodge were just coming out to see what was going on when the trio appeared with the prisoner.
“He was stealing one of our canoes,” explained Frank.
“Well, what are you going to do with him?” asked Bruce.
“Don’t know yet. I’ll decide on that point later.”
Bunker was marched into the cottage, and then Frank observed:
“There is one little point I mean to settle without delay. There is a certain mystery about this gentleman. If I am not mistaken, it does not require a razor to give him a clean shave.”
Then he took hold of the captive’s whiskers and gave them a sharp jerk. They came off in his hands, showing they were false.
“Just what I thought!” exclaimed Merry, triumphantly. “Now, how about this long hair?”
It did not take long to establish the fact that Bunker wore a wig and his face was stained with paint that made it look coarse and repulsive.