"Very well," said Jack. "One minute."
Then Linda perversely frowned and bit her lip because Kate could bring him with a nod, where she was unable to command.
It was not a cheerful meal that followed. Jack told Mrs. Worsley briefly what had happened, Vassall supplying a lamentable chorus. Mrs. Worsley took it with raised eyebrows and closed lips. Afterward Jack relapsed into silence. He had difficult matters of his own to think of. None of them knew of his intimate connection with Garrod, and it was impossible for him to speak to them of what concerned him so closely. Meanwhile the three talked as people always talk, of Garrod's strange behaviour during the last few days, and how anybody could have seen what was going to happen, if anybody had thought.
After they had come out of the tent, Jack saw Mary stroll through the trees on the westerly side of camp. His eye brightened. Since they were back so soon they must have been successful. Mary quietly set to work to prepare their dinner. In a little while Davy appeared dragging the saddles.
"What have they been up to?" Linda said curiously. "They've been gone all morning."
"I suppose they have their own matters to attend to," Mrs. Worsley said, relieving Jack of the necessity of answering.
When a decent interval had elapsed Jack strolled over to the Cranston's fire. "Were you in time?" he asked casually.
Mary raised a face as controlled as his own. "Yes," she said. "We did what you told us."
"Did you meet the other party?" he asked anxiously.
She shook her head. "We found your raft," she said; "so we had plenty of time. We landed above Seven-Mile Creek, so they could not see the raft when they came up. After we had marked the posts we crossed the little stream, and came back on that side, as they went up the other. We heard them. The Indians would see our tracks of course, but Sir Bryson pays no attention to them."