“Me for the spring!” exclaimed Drummer, and a rush was immediately made for the cool, fresh water. The basins had not yet filled but there was enough for everybody and they drank and drank and drank.
“How’d that patch of pine get on fire?” Buck asked Ted, waiting for all of the smaller boys to quench their thirst before caring for his own parched throat.
“I haven’t the slightest idea,” Ted shook his head. “But it was deliberately fired!”
“By whom?”
“I don’t know,” was Ted’s reply. “But we have been annoyed by some one groaning around all the time you were gone!”
“I can’t figure that,” said Buck. “We chased our man, and he captured me for about five minutes. If you say that you were bothered, then there is more than one prowler.”
“Let’s get our drinks and then swap stories down at the fire,” suggested Ted, dipping a tin cup into the cool spring water as Buck did the same.
Gathering around the fire with fire-fighting implements still in their hands they looked like a band of Black Riders themselves, for their clothing had become burned and their hands and faces were black. Buck related his adventures and then Ted told of the groans and his search across the brook.
“Well, all I can see is that there are two of these fellows,” declared Buck, when Ted had finished his story. “I’m beginning to wonder if that one fellow didn’t purposely lead us a merry chase just so that his companion could fire the woods. You know, if the woods had burned, the authorities around here would be hot against us for having done it.”
“I know that well enough,” nodded Ted. “That’s why I just knew that we had to get that fire out. I guess that things have become so serious that we’ll have to get in touch with Mr. Calvert and have some real action taken. Next thing we know somebody will be getting hurt or kidnapped or something. Yes, it looks as though there are two of these fellows.”