They had hardly concealed themselves when he swooped down barely missing the two rocks.
“Are you sure that they’ll come this way after he gets off?”
“They did the other time but of course that don’t make it sure that they will this time,” Bob replied. “They must have come from the other direction yesterday and they may go away the same way.”
“Then I think we’d better get back as quickly as we can and all make a detour round to the other end of the field where we can get pretty close to the cabin so as to be sure to nab them after he leaves.”
“Aren’t you afraid we’ll miss seeing them load?”
“We might but from the fact that they haven’t started yet I fancy they are going to eat breakfast before they get to work and I think we’ll have time.”
They hastened back with all possible speed and the Captain explained the situation to his men and, with no other delay they set out. The traveling was not bad and they arrived at the other end of the field just as the door of the cabin opened and the man came out. That end of the field was fringed with a heavy growth of bushes and, by lying flat on their stomachs they were able to crawl up until they had a fair view of the smugglers not more than thirty feet away.
“That’s Hi Stone all right,” one of the men whispered to the Captain.
“Mebby he is now but he wasn’t the last time I saw him about two years ago,” the Captain whispered back.
Bob, who was lying close to the other side of Captain Jim, heard the words and from his tone and manner he was sure that he was greatly excited. But he asked no question knowing that it was best to talk as little as possible.