“Can’t help it. I have nothing to sell. Now go away, or I’ll put out the dog.”
“Don’t send out your dog; I’ll go,” cried Joel Runnell, in pretended alarm, and then turning, he made his way to the shelter of the trees.
“How did you make out?” whispered Joe.
“Hush! don’t speak,” said the old hunter, warningly. “Crawl back, or somebody may see you.”
The boys moved to a safe place, and then clustered around the old hunter for information. Joel Runnell was chuckling quietly to himself.
“Thought they’d play a joke on me, didn’t they?” he said. “But I’ll soon have the boot on the other leg.”
“What do you mean?” asked Harry.
The old hunter then told of what had been said. “It wasn’t Ike Slosson who was speaking at all,” he added. “It was some other man, and his voice was thick with liquor. I’ve a notion those fellows have done something to Slosson and taken possession of his house and all of his goods and money.”
“Can they have killed the old man?” asked Link, in quick alarm.
Joel Runnell shrugged his shoulders. “There is no telling.”