"Did they say anything to either of you?"
"Oh, no. As soon as I saw them they sprang out of sight behind some trees, and this morning, when they caught sight of Mary, they hurried off in the direction of Haven Point."
"I think I had better tell the others about this, then we can all be on our guard. Those fellows do not belong anywhere near Haven Point, and in my opinion they cannot be here for any good purpose." Jack was thinking of the anonymous letter which had been received and which he now felt certain had been penned by Werner.
"If you tell the others now it will spoil the whole outing," pouted Martha. "Why don't you wait until to-night?"
"All right, I'll do that. And when you girls are by yourselves you and Mary must tell the others." And so it was agreed.
Those ahead had already reached the vicinity of the rocks and trees, and now began a diligent hunt by all for the rare ferns said to be growing there.
"Our idea was to empty the lunch from the shoeboxes and then fill the boxes with ferns," said Ruth.
The girls had brought a tablecloth with them to spread on the ground, and the entire lunch was placed in this and then wrapped in a newspaper and placed on a flat rock.
"I wonder if the squirrels will bother the lunch?" questioned Fred. They had noted several of the frisky little animals flitting from tree to tree as they walked along.
"The squirrels want nuts. I don't think they care for mustard sandwiches and onion cake," cried Andy. "Gee! but it feels good to be out here," he went on, and, leaping up, he grasped the limb of a low-growing tree and went through the performance generally known as "skinning the cat."