The young lumberman was soon on the return to Tunley. He saw Baptiste Ducrot watch his departure eagerly, but did not let on that he noticed this.
"He's a slippery customer," thought Owen. "I'll have to work quickly if he is to be captured."
When he arrived at the camp he had several things to do before the day came to an end and he could tell Dale of his discovery, and of what Philip Rice had said about Ulmer Balasco and Foxy Hildan. Dale listened eagerly.
"Oh, Owen, we ought to send a letter to Mr. Wilbur at once, and another to the authorities in Maine!" cried the young lumberman. "It might be criminal to delay."
"We'll write the letters now," answered Owen. "And I'll post them myself to-morrow, before the mail train reaches Tunley."
The young lumbermen had pens, ink, and a large writing pad with them, and sitting close to where Dale rested, Owen wrote two communications. The one was short and to the point, notifying the sheriff of the county at home that Baptiste Ducrot was working at Philip Rice's yard and could be identified by himself and Dale. The second was to Jefferson Wilbur, and told of everything that had happened at the camp bearing on the railroad contract, and of what they had heard concerning Ulmer Balasco and Foxy Hildan. In this communication Owen laid particular stress on what Mr. Rice had said about Mr. Wilbur coming out to Oregon to look after his interests.
"That will give him a good idea of how matters stand," said Owen, when he had finished, and added a few lines that Dale had suggested. "I have an idea it will bring him on in a hurry."
"If he does come on, I'll wager he and Mr. Balasco have a quarrel over that railroad contract. But for the life of me, I can't see why Mr. Balasco should hold back as he is doing. His interest in that contract is the same as that of Mr. Wilbur."
"Perhaps not—we don't know the particulars of that contract, Dale. I have an idea this Foxy Hildan comes in on it somewhere."
"Well, we'll know later."