His followers looked startled and uneasy and he noted the look. “You fellows stay here and I’ll just take a quick look,” he said, stepping over the wall. “Put your lights out.”
“I’ll go with you,” declared Drummer, lifting one foot over the wall.
“No, you stay here with the boys. There aren’t many stones in the yard and it will only take me a moment. I’ll be right back, so keep absolutely quiet.”
With that Buck began his search, looking behind the stones by the light from his flash. The graveyard was a little longer than he had been able to make out from the rays of his light, and he kept moving away from the boys in the road. Back of every stone he flashed the light, but found nothing.
He was now at the far end of the country cemetery and one large monumental stone alone remained. He stepped toward it, pressing the button on the flashlight, for he allowed it to go out after each flash. As he did so he stepped around the big stone and instantly sensed the presence of someone in the darker shadow behind the shaft.
But before he could step back or press on his light a strong arm was thrown around him and a rough, horny hand was clapped over his mouth.
CHAPTER XVIII
AN UNEASY CAMP
The boys who had remained in the camp stood watching and listening as the field squad rushed off on the trail of the man who had slipped down into their camp. Small as the boys were, every one of them wished earnestly that he had been included in the party delegated to do the active work, and it was with some envy that they saw their more favored comrades run out of the circle of light and enter the black belt of the woods.
But Ted had no intention of allowing them to stand around and watch. There were things to do and he knew that action would relieve them of some of their stored up feelings.
“All right, fellows,” he called to them. “Let’s get on the job and build big fires. We don’t know what time the other boys will get back, and when they do we want to have the fires going briskly. Get your axes and we’ll snap to it.”