"What is it?"
"There are two men. The man who was here met another fellow in the clearing over yonder. They talked together a little and then rode away. It's my opinion that something is going on in these mountains and that it might be a good idea for us to keep a weather eye open."
"What did I tell you?" demanded Stacy.
"About what?" questioned Tad, turning to his companion.
"About the blind men and the one-eyed horse, and the black cat and the three-legged rat," answered the fat boy triumphantly. "I knew something was going to happen. Chops knew it, too. Those gnomes weren't roosting on the rocks for nothing. I guess I know something about gnomes. Look out for the black cat. He's a trouble-maker."
"We have important matters to discuss," interrupted Professor Zepplin. "Be good enough to cease your nonsense, Stacy."
"Nonsense? Nonsense? Well, I like that. Here I give you warning of trouble and you call it nonsense. I'd like to see any weather bureau hit off the weather as closely as I hit off trouble."
"You cause more than you hit off," answered Tad. "Professor, what do you make of this?"
"Nothing. I don't know what to think of it."
"Nor do I, but as I said before, it seems to me that, if that fellow really is an officer, he must be crazy. Oh, I forgot, we were going to look at the map."