Raising his head, Bert took a long look at the camp. Not far away stood Tom Reade, the outlines of a rifle in his grasp showing very distinctly. Dalzell was over nearer the shadow of the tent, yet Bert made sure that Dalzell had a rifle also.
"Gracious! There is likely to be real enough trouble in the woods to-night!" muttered Bert. "Those boys didn't have guns when they left Gridley. The authorities have probably furnished them."
Just then a popping fire rang out further up the lake slope.
"There it goes!" almost yelled Danny Grin. "The marshals have run into the moonshiners. The fight is on. Oh, I hope none of our fellows are being hit!"
Certainly the firing continued briskly. Dodge forgot all about lighting the fuse of the fireworks' bomb.
Instead, he crouched low, then darted from the bushes, running as fast as he could to the point where he had left his companion.
"In here!" chuckled Bayliss gleefully. "I didn't know you had anything with you but the bomb, Bert."
"That's all I did have," whispered Dodge, white-faced. "Hustle out of here, Bayliss!"
"What's the matter?"
"Hear that firing?"