They knew that the lads would go, rain or shine, and were already making preparations to go with them. Thede was called over to the Esmeralda and given instructions, and the two men, accompanied by the boys, started away through the storm, taking the direction from which the sounds came.
CHAPTER XX
TAKEN AT LAST
Paul awoke shortly after Thede’s departure for the Esmeralda, and Clay, Case and himself spent some moments wondering about the success of the night expedition in the rain.
Case and Clay only laughed at the idea of the counterfeiters being taken, declaring that the clicking sounds which the men had heard probably came from a long distance, and that, anyhow, there wouldn’t be any counterfeiters present when they came, after a long tramp in the rain, to the locality where they had been.
“They are slippery people, these counterfeiters,” Case argued, getting ready for supper, “and are not to be caught napping. When you get where you can put your finger on them, they are not there!”
“But suppose, for a minute, that they did catch them,” urged Paul, “what are they going to do with them? They might be kept on the Esmeralda. She is not loaded down with people like the Rambler.”
“Catch your men before you find places for them!” Case laughed. “If the boys do catch them, we’ll find a place to store them!”
“Say,” said Clay, sniffing at the rather meager supper cooking on the electric stove, “is that the best you can do in the way of supper? I could eat all that myself, and then want more! Suppose we go over to the Esmeralda for supper?”
“It is only a short time since you had your supper,” Case laughed. “I was just preparing a little snack because there was nothing else to do. If you want a hearty meal, you sure will have to go to the Esmeralda for it.”