“You know what p-i-g spells,” the latter declared as soon as he had finished. “’Pears like you want to have all the fun yourself. Why didn’t you let me go with you?”
“Well you see, when I started out I didn’t have an idea that I’d be gone more than a few minutes, and I didn’t want to pull you out of bed on a wild goose chase. Of course if I had known what was going to happen I would have taken you along.”
“I suppose so,” Jack grunted. “But are you sure that it was the fellow who tried to buy the wheels?”
“Certainly I am. I got several good looks at him.”
“Well, what’s the next move?”
“That’s the question before the house. Last night’s expedition was sure a very unfortunate affair for us. You see, if those men are the ones we’re after they will know now that we are spying on them and it will make our work much more difficult.”
“I guess you’re right about that,” Jack agreed soberly. “Think we’d better call up the captain?”
“Not yet. You see we haven’t really got anything to report. We don’t even know for sure that they are the men we’re after but I have a pretty good sized hunch that they are in the game all right. But we can’t report hunches very well and I reckon we’ll have to wait till we have something a little more definite. But one thing is certain and that is that we’ve got to look out for that fellow Pierre. He’s sure bad medicine whether he’s mixed up in this business or not. It’s apt to go hard with us if he ever gets hold of us away from civilization.”
“I guess you’re right there but I don’t think much of this wait stuff. We might wait around here for a week of Sundays without finding out anything.” Bob smiled at his brother’s enthusiasm.
“I didn’t mean that we should remain inactive. All I wish to impress on you was the futility of going off half cocked. Now I have a plan which has been growing in my mind. Look here a minute.” Bob took a large map from his pocket as he spoke.