“All right,” Alex agreed, putting off the evil time when Jule would have to know, “you can go, and we’ll let you stay here with us until we start. We’ll need you. Isn’t that right, boys?”
They all declared that it was entirely right, but Case’s acquiescence seemed a little forced, though the boy’s stay with them seemed to be only for that night. Nothing whatever was said about the diamonds, and Case took the precaution of putting them inside his pillow-slip before he went to sleep. It was daylight before the boys awoke, for the evening had been an exciting one, and they had had much to think over before they could sleep.
Clay rolled out of bed and turned the electric switch, for it was still dark in the cabin. The first thing that met his eyes was the rude bed on the floor which had been made up for Frank Porter. It was empty, and the cabin door was ajar. The boy had gone without a word of good-bye! Then Clay saw something else. It was a copy of an evening newspaper, open at the “lost and found” page. He read the paragraph to which a pencil-made hand pointed, and set up a great shout.
“Boys!” he cried. “Wake up and hear the blessed news! There’s a reward of $500 offered for the return of the diamonds, and no questions asked. We’ll go in style, go to-day! What?”
CHAPTER VI.—$500 REWARD——LIGHTS OF PARA
“Why, of course we’re going to-day!” came from Jule’s bed. “Why not? Haven’t we been planning on to-day right along?”
The boy bounced out of his bed. His three chums regarded each other with glances of understanding. They had almost forgotten, in the excitement of the moment, that, though all hope of getting away in the immediate future had been abandoned by them, Jule did not know.
“Of course, this very day!” shouted Case. “We will be ready in no time, just as soon as we get breakfast. Here, Alex,” he cried, “you make coffee, and I’ll run over and see Captain Joe. We’ll have to tell him about it.”
“If Frank Porter is going with us,” Clay declared, “he’ll have to be showing up.”
Alex busied himself making coffee and frying bacon and eggs and Clay stepped outside with Case.