Tom held a straight course for Joe's cabin, which was the nearest haven of refuge, but no sooner did he get a glimpse of it than he came to a sudden halt, and motioned to Joe to hasten to his side.
"What's the matter?" asked Joe. "There are no enemies in front of us, I hope."
"Did you forget to close and lock your door when you left home this morning?" inquired Tom.
"Of course I didn't. I took particular pains to— Now can anybody tell me what that means? The door is standing wide open, as sure as I live."
"Has Mr. Warren got two keys to that lock?" queried Bob.
"Not that I know of," answered Joe.
"Then that open door means this," continued Bob: "While we were prowling about the robbers' camp, they, or some of their kind, seized the opportunity to come here and see what you—"
Joe waited to hear no more. Without giving his friends a hint of his intentions, he ran toward the cabin at the top of his speed, hoping to corner somebody there, and cover him with his rifle so that he could not escape. But in this he was disappointed.
It was plain that some one had been there while he was gone, for the window was open, as well as the door, and the cabin was in the greatest confusion. It had been ransacked as thoroughly as Joe and his companions had ransacked the robbers' camp. Knowing that he could not do the matter justice in English, the young game-warden leaned on the muzzle of his rifle and said nothing.