“No, no,” protested Hippy and Grace. “Let’s find out what the mystery is,” added Grace.
“I’ll stay back and watch the horses while you are gone,” offered Stacy.
“Back to camp for us, now. To-morrow we shall decide what is best to be done,” advised Tom.
Having reached the safe side of the mountain, the party took a direct course for their camp, which was located close to what they had named “Bear Mountain,” because its top strongly resembled an ambling bear. They found pretty rough going until they reached a point about a mile from the camp, and there Tom suggested that they move more cautiously, and not blunder into camp, not knowing what they might find there.
They had approached within sight of their camp when Hippy halted and beckoned his companions to him.
“What is it?” questioned Tom.
For answer, Hippy pointed to a jutting rock which they knew lay just back of the camp itself. There, outlined on the rock, was a figure. It did not require very keen eyes to recognize the figure, even at that distance.
“Woo! Thank goodness,” exclaimed Miss Briggs.
“I’ll give him a yell,” volunteered Stacy.
“No, no!” protested Grace. There was that in the attitude of the Chinaman that appealed to Grace’s bump of caution. “Wait until he sees us,” she counseled. “Trust Woo to shout, unless there be good reason why he should not.”