"Still that doesn't prove anything," said George. "They may think that while they're about it they might as well get the lynching over with. Then they can come down here and attend to us afterward."
"They might make us take an oath that we wouldn't tell of anything we've seen," suggested Sammy.
"I don't suppose they'd do anything worse than that to us," answered George, "but that itself might get us into a whole lot of trouble. The safest thing just now is to keep out of their way."
"They'll have no trouble in finding us if we stay here," remarked Frank.
"I'll tell you what we'd better do," said George, after thinking for a moment. "Let's hunt up that old boat Mr. Claxton told us was hidden a little way up the river. Then we can get in that and row along the stream and lead the horses after us in the water. In that way they won't leave any tracks and these fellows can't tell in what direction we've gone."
The boys thought that this was a splendid idea. They scattered at once and soon found the hiding place of the old flat-bottomed boat. There was a serviceable pair of oars, and though there was a little water in the bottom of the boat, they speedily bailed this out. They pulled out into the middle of the little stream, George and Sammy handling the oars, while Frank and Bob sat in the stern holding the ropes they had attached to the horses, who splashed into the river and followed without holding back.
CHAPTER XI
THE CAVE BY THE RIVER
The Fairview boys pulled sturdily at the oars and the clumsy boat made fair progress. Their task was made easier by the fact that the boat was going in the same direction as the current. There were places where it was almost too shallow to use the oars and at one place the boat itself nearly grounded. But they kept on, and as the river made several windings they were soon out of sight of their first camping place.
Confident now that they were reasonably safe from pursuit, they relaxed their efforts, and Bob and Frank took their turn at the oars while the others took charge of the horses.