“Moved to? You mean flew to.” (It was the same sort of expression Dudley had used.) “They’ve gone to the woods. Didn’t you know?”
“To the woods!” both girls exclaimed.
“Yessir. And sensible thing to do too. The woods is just the place for them.” And Captain Quiller brought his cane down so hard and so near his sore foot that he groaned anyhow, although he didn’t touch it.
“Where? What woods!” demanded Barbara impatiently.
“Well, now. Not so easy to locate from here seein’ as how it’s some miles back. But he’ll be here, Nicky will. He’s my stand-by now,” the captain declared proudly. “Depend more on him than I can on Pete. Yessir, Nick is some boy.”
Barbara loved to hear him praise her little protégé. She didn’t realize it, of course, but she was taking Nicky and his affairs to heart just as grown folks take protégés and their affairs.
“Couldn’t we find their camp?” pressed Cara. “We really want to speak to Nicky just as soon as we can.”
“By the time you would find him he would be due here likely,” answered Captain Quiller. “Hope nothin’s wrong?”
“No, not exactly,” said Babs, “just a little mixed up.”