“Nothing doing along that line,” Jack declared emphatically, and Bob and Rex quickly agreed with him.
“But it’s not right for you to risk your lives for me,” Stebbins insisted.
“Right or wrong, we’re going to stick together,” Bob said in a tone which told him that it would be useless to argue further.
“Then I think your plan is probably best,” he acknowledged reluctantly; “but please be careful. If anything should happen to any of you I’ll never be able to forgive myself.”
“We’ll be careful, all right,” Bob assured him.
Stebbins at first insisted that he was strong enough to go out and watch with them, but the boys finally convinced him that three would be as good as four, and the more there were the better chance the enemy would have of finding out that they had left the cabin.
“You see, we’ve only three guns,” Bob argued, “and if you go one of us will be out there unarmed. If it comes to a rough and tumble fight, of course, you can come in as a kind of reserve force.
“Now then, fellows, when we get out we want to keep close to the cabin, and much depends on not making the slightest noise. Don’t shoot unless you have to, and if you do, aim low. I don’t want to kill one of them, even if they do deserve it. We’ll go out the front door. Mr. Stebbins, you fasten it after us, but be ready to let us in on short notice if it’s necessary.”
“Do we keep together?” Rex asked, as Bob was about to slip the bar.
“Guess we’ll have to,” Bob replied, then after a moment’s thought he added, “I believe we’re going at this all wrong after all. If we all three go out we’ll have to keep close together or we’ll be unable to tell who’s who. It’s so dark you can’t see your hand before your face. No, the proper thing is for me to go alone. So far as watching is concerned, one will be as good as three, and if I call, you can come.”