“Come along with me, fellows,” he cried, “and don’t make any more noise than you can help.”
The others followed him wonderingly until they reached the bend. Then, while they hid behind some grasses, Bobby pointed to two men who were lounging under a tree a short distance away.
They were smoking stubby pipes as they lay at their ease. Their faces were rough and unshaven and their clothing dirty and ragged.
“Don’t see much to get excited about,” remarked Shiner disappointedly. “Just a couple of tramps.”
“They’re more than that to us,” replied Bobby. “They’re the very tramps who robbed us in that old hut.”
The boys were on edge in an instant. Just then one of the men rose, stretched himself lazily and took a few steps toward the tree. As he did so, the boys saw that he had a perceptible limp.
“And the other one has a scar on his face,” whispered Bobby excitedly. “You can see it if you look close.”
They looked more closely, and Fred in his eagerness rose a little too high. His red head caught the eye of the man with the scar, and he uttered a startled exclamation.
“Now you’ve, done it,” whispered Mouser disgustedly. “Why didn’t you keep that red mop of yours out of sight?”
“Hurry, fellows,” urged Bobby. “We’ve got to catch those fellows before they can get away. Whip on your clothes and let’s get back after them.”