“Important! Why, the cipher is in it!” exclaimed Joe.
“Yes, but he knows the cipher by heart, no doubt. And the very fact that the message is in cipher will protect him. He knows that if we do chance to find the notebook, it will be a hundred chances to one that we’ll never be able to find out what it means. He may not worry about losing the notebook after all.”
The boys were thoughtful.
“We may never catch him, then?”
“I hope so,” said Frank. “But we can’t count on it too strongly.”
“We’ll get him,” Joe declared. “That message had something to do with Cabin Island. The man will be back here anyway, notebook or no notebook, I’m dead sure.”
CHAPTER XV
Chicken Thieves
Next morning, although the boys kept a sharp lookout, there was no sign of the marauder.
“We’re not going to let him spoil our holiday,” declared Frank. “If he decides to come back for his notebook we’ll be ready for him, but we don’t have to sit around waiting.”
“What say we go back and call on Amos Grice?” suggested Joe. “He may be able to tell us some more about Elroy Jefferson and the stamp collection.”