“But how has the rain put the spring out of commission, Cal?” asked Tom. “You promised to explain that.”
“By filling it full of surface water. It will be a week or more before the water there is fit to drink, at least as a steady diet.”
“There’s a much better reason than that,” said Larry.
“What is it?”
“Why, we must hurry to put ourselves in communication with the authorities, so that they can come down on that place before the scoundrels get away, or get their plunder away.”
“Yes,” said Tom, who was reluctant to leave the place and give up the adventure, “I suppose we ought to do that.”
“Ought to? Why, we simply must. Every decent citizen owes it as a duty to give notice of crime when he discovers it, and to aid the officers of the law in stopping it. Civilized life would come to an end if men generally refused to support the authorities in their efforts to enforce the law. We’ve discovered a den of thieves, engaged in robbing the Government—that is to say, robbing all of us. So we’ll get away from here just as early in the morning as we can. Now let’s get some sleep.”
It was easy to say, “Let’s get some sleep,” but not easy to get it in the excited condition of mind that had come upon every member of the little party. But, by keeping silence and lying still, the weary fellows did manage to sleep a little after awhile, and it was the sun shining full in their faces that at last aroused them to a busy day.