"Couldn't be anybody else," chuckled Nat, "because Lil Artha is as tall as a house, you know."
The contestant representing the Hickory Ridge scouts was standing there in the middle of the road, waiting for them to come up.
"Is it time, Elmer?" he asked, anxiously, as the other three joined him.
The gloaming was about them; indeed, since the heavens were beginning to be overshadowed by clouds, the dusk had already commenced to settle, earlier than usual in the end of August.
It had been a pretty fair day, but there was no telling what the night might bring forth; and Lil Artha, wisely looking ahead to a possible thunder-storm about midnight, was determined to complete his long hike as early as possible.
"Yes," replied the leader of the Wolf Patrol, quietly. "We're going to hide our machines somewhere about here, where we can find them when we need them a little later."
"And you want me to hold up till you're ready?" asked Lil Artha.
"That's the programme," came the reply. "You see, we expect that the four hold-up fellows must be hidden only a little farther along; and we want to have our part of the game fixed. Just sit down here, Lil Artha, and we'll be back again in a jiffy."
"Well, if it's all the same to you, Elmer, I think I'll keep on standing," replied the tall boy, with a chuckle.
"Oh, all right," replied Elmer; "you're the doctor, and ought to know what's best for your own case. Just wait for us here. Come along, fellows, and bring your motorcycles with you."