"I don't see how they can help but figure it out as it stands," came the reply.
"That is, they'll guess we fetched back their bags for 'em, and not wanting to turn the same over empty, just chucked a lot of nuts in to make 'em stand up," and George as he said this looked as consequential as though he had solved some great problem.
"All I'm afraid of," resumed Toby, "is they'll get the idea in their dense heads that we're only doing this because of fear; that is, we're offering a bribe, hoping they'll forgive us for frightening them, and won't hold us to a reckoning. I don't like knuckling down that way. I wish we thought to put a note in each sack telling them we only turned these nuts over because we had more than we could use ourselves, and thought they'd worked hard enough to earn some."
Elmer, however, shook his head.
"That wouldn't be worth while trying!" he declared. "I think it'd only make them more bitter against us. The best way to do is just to leave the bags in their yards, and say nothing. If they ever ask us why we did it, let's say we thought it only fair they should have some of the proceeds of the raid on the Cartaret grove, because they worked hard enough for it. If they want to make trouble after that why we'll have to accommodate them, that's all."
That settled the matter. When Elmer clinched an argument he seldom left any ground for the others to stand on; and in this case all of the boys seemed to be satisfied to let him do as he proposed, though several privately disliked the idea of carrying that additional weight back home, just to turn over to that turbulent, trouble-making crowd.
"There's nothing more to keep us here, seems like," suggested George; "so what do you say to going home?"
"It's time," admitted Chatz, "and if Nancy is able to draw such a heavy load, we ought to get there before dark, which comes along about five, these November days."
"It's mostly down-grade," Toby went on to say, as he climbed to his seat, and took up the lines; "besides, I told you the animal needed a good haul to take some of that extra spirit out of her. All aboard, fellows; those who can't get a board find a rail. Homeward bound, and with the greatest load of bouncing big nuts ever harvested along Hickory Ridge."
They were a merry lot as they found places on the wagon.