“If he’s this way in the morning we won’t dare leave him,” said Ned to his chums. They were very fond of Professor Snodgrass and would do anything for him.
However, the morning saw a big improvement in the little scientist. He was brighter and more cheerful than in many days, and though his mouth was sore and bruised from the cruel gag and though he felt lame and stiff from his mauling and being bound to the tree, he was able to be up and about.
The situation was explained to him—that a posse, or, to be more accurate, two posses, were to set out and try to rescue Bill Cromley and capture Noddy and his fellow conspirators.
“Though what we’ll do with them after we get them is a question,” said Tinny.
“You go right along! Don’t mind me! I’m all right!” declared Professor Snodgrass.
“But we may be gone two or three days,” Jerry said. “And if we leave you here alone you are apt to go out after specimens, and something may happen to you.”
“No, I won’t leave camp—I promise you,” declared Uriah Snodgrass. “I can’t do any field work until I make some new specimen boxes, and that will take me quite a while. Go ahead, boys, get Cromley, by all means. I’ll stay in camp. Every one isn’t going, I take it.”
“Oh, no, we’ve got to leave a force to work and guard the mine,” Tinny answered. “And Hang Gow will be here, of course.”
“Sule! Me stay! Me give plofless nice blid-nest soup alle sammee,” promised the Oriental.