Alice gazed at the disappointing result of their search, and then began to laugh.
“Rather a joke, isn’t it?” she said. “After all our expectations!”
“Afraid that’s just what it is,” said Joe. “This is probably Old Dick’s shack, all right. These hollow-log gums are just what the Old nigger is said to have used. Probably some of them were stolen, some died, and likely he never did have many. Those niggers’ stories are apt to be awfully exaggerated.”
“Well,” said Bob, after they had looked for some time at the gums, “there’s no use in staying any longer, is there? Unless you want to carry these gums home in the boat.”
Nobody expressed any desire to undertake this, and, after another look about the cabin, they tramped back to the river.
“And now for home!” said Carl. “Never mind! When we came South we didn’t know anything about Old Dick, and we’ve still got all the country to look for bees in.”
They packed the outfit and turned the boat upstream. It was a long, hard pull against the current, under a hot sun, and it was well after noon when they arrived at Magnolia Landing. Leaving the camp kit to be brought over by wagon, they tramped up the road, meeting Uncle Louis on horseback within half a mile of home.
“Hello! I was looking for you back,” he cried. “Did you find Old Dick’s bees?”
“Oh, yes, we found ’em!” returned Joe, sadly.