“Bobby, that headpiece of yours is a wonder!” exclaimed Fred enthusiastically.
“It’s a dandy scheme,” chuckled Billy.
“It’ll sure put it over,” declared Mouser.
“Now, the first thing to do,” continued Bobby, “is to lug a lot of these books into the cabin where Mooloo’s sleeping. When he wakes up, we’ll show them to him and turn over the pages so that he’ll see they’re all there. Ten to one he won’t do more than grunt and think we’re dippy for taking any interest in such things. But we’ll keep on until he’s got the idea fairly planted in his head that the books consist of nothing but leaves, for which he doesn’t care a rap. Then he’ll have no further curiosity, and will probably never look at them again.
“That’ll be the first step. Then the next time he goes out hunting we’ll get busy and cut big hollows in the center of the books. We’ll pack these with as much gold as they will hold, and by the time we get through we’ll have disposed of the whole thing. Then we’ll bind each book around with thongs so as to hold the covers securely together. And those books won’t be unbound until we’re safe and sound again at home.”
“But how about the money to pay Mooloo and the other Eskimos for their trouble?” objected Billy.
“I’ve thought of that,” replied Bobby. “We’ll save some out loose in our clothes so that we won’t have to unfasten any of the books. They won’t know but that we had that money with us when we came North. And we’ll pay them so handsomely that they’ll be tickled to death and think we’re regular fellows. I want especially to see that Kapje and his family get plenty for being so kind to us. And as for Mooloo, he’ll get enough to make him a high muck-a-muck among the Eskimos.”
The boys lost no time in carrying out their plan. They lugged a dozen of the ponderous volumes into their living quarters, and when Mooloo awoke he found them poring over them with a great appearance of interest. He jumped at once to the conclusion that these were the documents that they had come to find.
“Find um-huh?” he inquired.
“Just what we wanted,” replied Bobby with perfect truth, taking the book he was busied with and turning over the pages before Mooloo’s eyes.