“‘A watched pot never boils,’” drawled Dave, “all the same, I guess maybe it’s up to me to do some of the watching. What’s the plan, Ned?”
“My scheme is to walk out there before dark and find a good hiding-place where we can watch both the road and the old shanty,” explained Ned.
“O.K. with me,” agreed Dave. “All except the walking. What’s the matter with taking the car and hiding it in the brush this side of the old road?”
“That’s all right, Weary,” laughed Ned. “Get a good supper under your belt and call for me about seven o’clock. And now, if there’s nothing more to be said, let’s adjourn, and remember to keep mum for the present.”
CHAPTER XVII
A SINISTER DISCOVERY
Promptly at seven o’clock Dave Wilbur’s car slowed down in front of the Blake house and Ned hopped nimbly into the seat beside the driver.
“It’s going to be a black night,” remarked Dave, as the car regained speed. “Look at those clouds piling up. Here’s hoping it doesn’t rain on us,” and he pointed to a low-lying bank that had appeared in the western sky.
“There’s a lot of wind in those clouds, judging by their ragged edges,” replied Ned, “but as for being a black night, all we want is light enough to find the entrance to the old road and locate the shack and the pile of slabs. I think our best plan will be to hide among the slabs, where we can watch both ways.”
Five miles out from town, Dave swung into an opening among the trees that lined the highway and forced the car far into the brush to screen it from the observation of any passer-by. “My guess is that we’re less than a mile from the entrance,” said Dave. “Can you find it?”
“Yes, I think so, although it’s getting dark fast,” was the reply. “We’d better stop short of the place and sneak into the brush. Somebody may be watching the entrance even at this early hour.”