"Can you beat it!" exclaimed Chet. "Gee, it's a wonder they wouldn't work at something honest!"
Among the woods on the slope the boys wandered aimlessly. The sun cast great shafts of light through openings in the leaves above and once in a while they could catch glimpses of the blue waters of the bay in the distance.
Frank was in the lead. He was proceeding down a narrow defile in the forest when the others saw him suddenly stop and turn toward them with a finger on his lips, cautioning silence.
They remained stock-still until he beckoned to them, and then moved quietly forward, their feet making no noise in the heavy grass.
"I heard voices," Frank whispered as they came up to him.
"Ahead?" asked his brother.
Frank nodded.
"We'll go easy."
He moved on cautiously and the others followed. In a few moments they heard a dull murmur of voices and smelled the unmistakable odor of a wood fire. So far they could see no one, but soon the faint trail wound around in the direction of a clearing ahead and those in the rear saw Frank crouch among the bushes, peering through the leaves.
Quietly, the others came up. The four boys gazed through the undergrowth at the scene in the grassy clearing.