"Yes, we need him," added Bob. "But we'll do the best we can. If he doesn't come by night, I s'pose we'll have to go back home."
"And I sure will hate to do that," put in Sammy Brown. "Maybe there'll be a way out."
For a moment the boys looked at one another, and then at the spot where the hermit had vanished. Maybe barked once or twice, and then began running about, as he had been doing ever since he came out with the boys, hoping perhaps to scare up a rabbit.
Sammy was doing some hard thinking. His eyes blinked fast, as they always did when he had several ideas going through his mind at the same time. Suddenly he exclaimed:
"Fellows, are you with me?"
"With you? In doing what?" asked Frank.
"In following that old hermit? I want to see where he goes."
Neither Bob nor Frank answered for a moment.
"Well, he's probably going to his cabin, or cave, or whatever he lives in," Bob finally said: "We know about where it is, and I don't see any good in following him. He might get mad at us."