As there seemed nothing else to do, the two cadets retired, and, feeling that the woman must be watching them from behind the tightly drawn curtains at the windows, walked on down the rough road until a bend hid the house from view. Then they came up through the woods again and rejoined those at the barn.
"Well, we found out one thing, anyway," declared Jack. "There is a woman keeping guard in the house, and the menfolks are all away and won't be back until noon or to-night."
"Evidently those chaps are very secretive," said Gif. "I agree with Jack that the whole thing looks mighty suspicious."
"Do you intend to wait around here until those Germans come back?" asked Fred a bit impatiently.
"Why not go out on a hunt and come back later?" suggested Randy.
"That's the talk!" broke in Andy. "I'm getting tired of hanging around here doing nothing." To him it had been a long wait while the others had gone to the house.
"I suppose we might as well go on a hunt," announced Gif. "Anyway, I'm willing to do whatever the others say."
So it was decided that they should go off on a hunt, to return to the house either later that day or else on the day following. This suited Jed Wallop, for the old hunter did not feel in the humor for investigating the old mansion or the Germans staying there.
"Come on, come on," said he, "and maybe we'll git a chance at a fox or two."
"Now you're saying something!" cried Fred.