“Well,” Alex replied, “I’ll go if you think best, but I’ll tell you this first. That freight was running on the time of a passenger. See? Oh, they’re train robbers, all right, and if there is any one prowling around the boat it is one of the bunch. You may be sure of that!”
Captain Joe now moved away from the boys and approached the lip of the canyon, where he paused and expressed disapproval of the men outlined against the fire by a series of savage growls.
“Come away, Captain Joe!” ordered Clay.
The dog growled again, but drew away from the canyon.
“We can’t take him along with us,” Alex declared. “He would give us dead away. We’ve got to slip up to the fire and find out what is doing without making our presence known.”
“That seems to be the proper way,” admitted Clay.
“Go back home. Captain Joe!” ordered Alex in a whisper.
The dog understood and replied by a wag of a sawed-off tail that he would go if the boys thought it best that he should, but that he wished it understood that he did so under protest.
“Go back to Case!” ordered Clay.
Captain Joe gave one reluctant growl with his face to the canyon and started away.