“Did you swear?” demanded Betty, turning to me. “Did you really swear at him? Oh, I’m so glad; I was afraid you never did it.”
“And don’t you worry,” concluded Freddy, “the boss is all there and wide awake, and there ain’t going to be any fall-down: when the chance comes he’ll put the trick over and we’ll be out of the woods. He’s just living for that now.”
And Betty and I said as one—
“Good old George!”
“There’s only one thing worrying me,” resumed Freddy, peering out apprehensively. “The cap’ll be wise that I made a getaway to join you, and he’ll see my tracks where I crossed the river and come this way looking for the bunch of us.”
“That’s nothing to worry about,” I assured him. “Two of his men were within fifty feet of the cave a short time ago and didn’t see it.”
“What I’m worrying about,” said Betty, “is that you left George.”
“Hah? The boss? Why, how could I get the grub to you without leaving him? And he says we got to do that no matter what happened to us.”
“We could have got along without the food,” Betty continued, “and by leaving the yacht you weakened George’s plan. If he attempts to overcome Brack now he—why, he may be in danger of his life.”
“Sure thing. That’s understood. The boss knows that, but that ain’t what’s worrying him, not at all. If he can fix things right with you, that’s all he cares about. He told me so.”