"Oh, I guess he is spooking around some place. He'll turn up before long."
The lad was right. Hal and Chester had hardly composed themselves to sleep when the flap to the tent was lifted and Stubbs' head appeared. He struck a match and looked at the two lads.
"Asleep?" he asked.
Neither lad was, but neither replied. They were both too sleepy to care to enter into a conversation with Stubbs, so they maintained a discreet silence.
"All right, then," said Stubbs, "if you're asleep I'll soon be with you."
He removed his clothing and went to bed.
Stubbs was up early the following morning and when the lads arose entertained them with an account of his wanderings.
"And," he concluded, "I've stumbled across a story that's a wonder."
"A story?" repeated Chester.
"Yes. A 'story' is a newspaper man's way of expressing something big."