The boys patted Sandy again and again as they listened to Nate’s story.
“Did you find any trace of the robber?” asked Garry.
“Nary a sign except the footprints on the lawn under the window. I figure it must have been someone that knew I got paid for the land that evening, and that I kept a little valuable stuff in the desk, but there is no proof or nothing to work on to determine who it might be. I don’t care anyway, as long as the invader didn’t get my money,” replied Nate.
The boys invited Nate to lunch with them, and this invitation he accepted, and calling Mr. Boone they went into the dining room. In a few moments they were joined by “Moose” Boone and the greeting between the two old friends was pleasant to see.
During the luncheon hour they told Nate of the new work the boys were going on, and while he expressed himself as sorry that they were not immediately going back on the fire patrol, he agreed that they, if anyone, could solve the mystery of the stolen timber and mishaps at the logging camp.
After luncheon the boys decided that since a day or two extra would not make any great difference in their plans, they would walk to the camp instead of riding in the hot stuffy train. They decided to start that afternoon, as soon as the sun began to lower, and make about ten miles of their fifty mile journey, sleeping out under the open as soon as it got too dark to walk any farther.
Garry’s father agreed that they could take what little extra time was needed to walk, and so it was settled.
The first business of the afternoon was to visit a large grocery store and purchase enough provisions to last them on the trip, for they would do their cooking over an open fire along the way.
“We’ll just buy enough to carry us over for two days, for we ought to reach the logging camp by late afternoon of the day after tomorrow,” announced Garry, the chosen leader of the trio on all expeditions.
“This suits me to a T,” remarked Dick. “Then we won’t have to carry so much extra stuff in our packs, and in this hot weather a few pounds saved is a boon.”