“Now we’ll get our prize tramp here and hustle him back to town and deliver him over to the constable. Then, while you fellows follow our original plan about the engineer, I’ll set out after Ruth. It’ll have to be luck for me to find her, but I’ll track down the river bank in the hope of finding some trail.”
The return to town was made without incident, though the boys kept a sharp watch for fear that some of the tramp’s friends might come along and attempt to free him from his captivity. They led him directly to the little lock-up and turned him over to the constable with instructions to notify the sheriff so he could get in touch with the authorities at Portland.
Garry’s last words to the tramp were to bid him to keep silent about his having told them about Ruth and LeBlanc, threatening if he opened his mouth to forget his promise to plead for special immunity for him. The tramp readily agreed to keep his silence.
“Now gather round here fellows. I’m going to stock up on provisions, and start for the river. You fellows had better arrange between yourselves to keep an eye on the engineer and Green. Decide who will take the engineer, and the other one watch Lafe. Either one may lead you to a clue.
“So that we will have check on my movements, start about eleven o’clock tomorrow morning to call me on the wireless. Keep calling me at intervals for two hours. Set your range for about twenty-five miles. I won’t be further away than that. If you cannot get me, get the sheriff and have Green taken up again and squeezed until he comes through with information about the girl. Of course LeBlanc will be arrested on sight, if he comes back here, but he probably is wherever he has taken Ruth.”
“Suppose we don’t hear from you; what about your own safety?” asked Phil.
“In that case, get some help and come after me. My plan is to go to that little town we passed through the time we found the tourmaline mine, and then head across the river. You remember it was all wooded land on the other side. I’ll leave several trail signs to show whether I went up or down the river. Then at intervals of a half a mile, I’ll tie a strip of white cloth to a bough on one of the trees along the river bank. If I turn into the woods at any point, I’ll tie the strip there and then leave trail signs. Keep an eye out for a small stone cairn, for I may leave a note. Now I’m off to the store for some groceries.”
Giving each of his chums a hearty grip of the hand, Garry headed for Denton’s general store.
Denton asked him several questions about why he was purchasing extra provisions, but Garry gave him evasive answers.
“By the way,” said Garry, “how come you didn’t think to tell us this morning about Miss Ruth Everett being missing?”