“Well, what’s the answer?”
For several moments Bob made no reply. He was thinking and Jack was wise enough not to interrupt him.
“One thing seems fairly certain,” he volunteered finally.
“That’s better than nothing. What is it?”
“Why, it must be that we are somewhere near where they do business, else there wouldn’t be so many of them round.”
“Sounds reasonable. And then what?”
“I guess dinner’s about the next thing. How does it strike you?”
“Right where I live.”
After a short search they found a spring a short distance away and for the first time in over twenty-four hours they ventured to build a small fire using such bits of wood as would make the least smoke.
“Jack, I hardly like to do it but I’m going to ask you to stay right here and let me do a bit of scouting by my lonesome,” Bob said as soon as they had eaten.