Then he turned to the band of young fellows:
“Tie their arms tighter, and we’ll make them walk ahead of us. We have the goods on them, so we’ll just put them in jail right now.”
This had the desired effect on the taller one of the two tramps. He had no wish to go to jail if there was any chance to evade it—and Snadder figured there was nothing now to be gained by trying to protect Jeek any longer.
“I’ll tell you about it,” he blurted out suddenly, wriggling around in his bonds. “Jeek went back to the camp by another path. There is one that is shorter and quicker.”
“Then he is not coming back here this afternoon? Not going to relieve you fellows again?” said Frank quickly.
“Yes, he told us he would come here so that we could get something to eat,” Snadder answered reluctantly.
Frank was satisfied by this statement that Jeek had gone back to the cabin—for a while. He was just enough satisfied that he asked for directions, and then, alone, leaving every one of the boys at the shack to watch the two tramps, he went out to follow trails through the snow to learn whether Snadder had told the truth.
When he came to the spot where the trail was to divide, as told by Snadder, he found there was a trail which led off in another direction, though it did not seem to bear back toward Old Moose Lake.
However, Frank followed it for a while, and discovered that it made a turn around the hills and bore back in the correct direction.
Learning this, he went back to the shack and informed the boys quietly what he had found. Whereupon, the bonds on the arms of the two tramps were made tighter and their legs were freed of the towel ropes.