"Well, I am willing to push on at any time you say."
"I'll push on as fast as Slavin can travel. I can't do more than that. If he caves in on our hands we'll have no means of finding out anything more about my uncle's whereabouts."
"He can't be shamming, can he?"
"Not a bit of it. He was caught under the tree and I wouldn't have been in his position for a thousand dollars."
"Then don't push him any harder than you dare. To me he looks like a fellow who might be getting a fever."
"I noticed that. But I hope he doesn't," concluded Allen.
But the fever was coming and by nightfall all of the others saw that Slavin was in a bad way. He sat up and began to talk wildly.
"Let me go! Take the tree from me!" he cried. "I haven't got the money! Oh, how do ye do Mr. Winthrop. Glad to see me, eh? And how is that new mine, an' what kind of a trade are ye goin' to make with Captain Grady, eh? Ha! ha! The cave by the seven pines! A good hiding place, the seven pines! Let me go, the tree is crushing me!" And then he fell back almost exhausted.
"He won't travel any more, not jes' yet," said Watson, soberly. "He's up ag'in a long spell o' sickness."
"Did you hear what he said about Captain Grady?" asked Allen.