“I didn’t notice it whin I came ashore.”
“I landed a little way up the beach, where my boat now awaits me. You haven’t told me whether you learned anything through your scouting.”
“I saan no one but yersilf, but I heerd them two tramps laughing over something and I smelled the cigar that one of them was smoking.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“I don’t catch yer maaning, Uncle Elk,” said the mystified Mike; “I sartinly sniffed a cigar and heerd two men chuckling to thimsilves.”
“I haven’t denied that, but they were not the tramps you have in mind.”
“How can ye know the same for sartin?”
“I went to that spot on the shore to meet those men; they are old acquaintances and the name of neither is Biggs nor Hutt.”
“Who are they?”
“It would be useless to name them, since they are strangers to you.”