“What?”
“I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if that man is the one who has been annoying us in our camp!”
There was a moment of silence and the boys all looked at Ted. “What makes you think so?” Buck asked.
“You remember what that farmer told us about the very unfriendliness of the man? I wouldn’t be surprised if he just resented our camping anywhere near him and he tried to chase us away.”
“You think he is the man we chased, with the lantern, tonight?”
“I don’t know. Anyway, he had time to get back to his cabin and change his clothes. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to find that he is the one. But come on, we won’t get anywhere by just standing around here.”
They continued on their way to camp, talking over Ted’s theory, and the more that they talked of it the more plausible it seemed. They felt that they had made an important discovery.
“Maybe he has tired of his effort to scare us away,” said Buck.
“I hope so. We’re not going, anyway.”
“Hurrah, there is the camp!” cried Charlie, as they reached the bottom of the slope and started across the basin towards the tents.