By the time he was out of sight of the cabin, around a turn of the road, the chuckles inside of Corporal Raynes got so close to the surface that they surged over.
"What's the smile, Corporal?" demanded the wagon boss.
"Oh, I'm pretty near choking over one of the lying yarns that old fellow told me about how he bagged twelve grizzlies single handed one day," lied the corporal.
"He must be a talented old liar," nodded the wagon boss.
"He is," agreed Corporal Raynes. "I never could understand, either, why anyone would take the trouble to lie unless he was paid for it."
Hal and Noll, all unsuspicious of trouble of any other kind than that against which Captain Cortland had warned them, kept on cautiously along the trail, then branched off at the road shown them on the map. Two miles further on they reached a village, with its two hotels for health-seekers, cottages and other buildings.
Even in this basin in the mountains the Western Union Company had penetrated. The two young military messengers found the telegraph office, turned over their message and then were ready to return.
"But, war or no war," declared Noll bluntly, "I'm not going to start back until I've crossed the street and had an ice cream soda."
"We'll have two," laughed Hal boyishly, "and then make up for lost time on the trail."