Carefully he unlocked the door and, removing the key from the lock, he stepped outside. After he had closed the door he locked it from the outside and dropped the key in his pocket.
“Now he’ll be all right I guess,” he thought as he stood and listened.
Save for a faint rustle as a light breeze stirred the tree tops no sound broke the stillness of the night until the loon cry was once more borne to his ears.
“I’ve heard too many loons cry to be fooled by that fellow,” Bob thought as he stepped from the little porch and felt his way cautiously around to the back of the cabin.
It was so dark that he could hardly see his hand before his face. The thick forest grew close to the back of the cabin which was toward the lake.
“You’re not very far off, Mr. Fake Loon, and I’m going to see if I can find out what’s up,” he thought as he carefully felt his way from tree to tree.
Just then the owl gave three more hoots now only a short distance away and slightly to his left.
“He’s coming this way pretty fast for a dark night,” he thought as he stopped to listen.
But all was still and he started forward again feeling his way cautiously foot by foot to avoid making a noise which might reveal his presence. He well knew the desperate character of the men who were engaged in the nefarious business of whiskey running and was aware that his life might pay the forfeit should he fall into their hands. Of course he was by no means sure that the cries had come from any of these men but he reasoned that no honest man would be making signals at that time of night.
Suddenly he stopped as his quick ear caught a sound a bit to his left. Eagerly he listened. Someone or some animal was making his way through the thick woods toward him. Without a sound he threw himself at full length on the ground and listened. Although the man, if it was a man, was making but little noise, Bob could hear him distinctly in the stillness of the forest. Nearer and nearer he came until he could hear his breathing and, although he could see nothing, he knew that it was standing close by his side. And then all doubts regarding what it might be were ended as the man three times imitated the whoop of the owl. Almost at once the false cry of the loon came, now but a little way off to the right.