The scattered men who had been hunting through the forests now straggled into camp, all eager to hear by whom and how the convicts had been caught. When they learned that a few girls did the work, they looked disgusted.
But one of the officers laughed heartily as he said: “Why didn’t we think of that hiding-place!”
“Wall, I kin say I’m glad th’ gals got it! They lost all the camp ferniture and grub, an’ has to go home now!” added Lem Saunders, the constable.
“Oh, we forgot to tell you! The food and some furniture was found hidden down the trail in the bushes,” exclaimed Joan.
“But ye haint be agoin’ to stay out here any more, air yeh?” asked Lemuel, wondering at such a risk.
“Of course! We are safer now than we were before we went to Bluebeard’s Cave, you know,” laughed Julie.
“Now we know where those convicts will be, but for two weeks past they were at large and we never knew it. That was when there was cause to fear for us—being in a lonesome camp,” added Mrs. Vernon.
“Yeh,” agreed Lemuel. “But what one don’t know never hurts one, ye know!”
“That reminds me!” exclaimed the Captain, holding up a hand for attention. “Do any of you men know a young hunter and trapper from up the mountain?”
“D’ye mean Ole Granny Dunstan’s boy?” asked Lemuel.