“Must a mislaid it, that’s what, Josh,” declared Herb, consolingly. “Sometimes my mind plays hob with me that way. Everybody get a move on and look for the grub. We just can’t afford to have our goods floating around every-which-way right in the start. We’ve got to find it, that’s what.”
“Hold on, before you get to running around wild,” interrupted Jack, and somehow when he spoke in that way it seemed as if all the other fellows felt as though Jack had conceived an idea, for he was always quick along those lines.
“What’s doing, Jack?” inquired Buster.
“I want to ask Josh particularly where it was he laid that stuff out,” continued the other, impressively.
“Why, just like I said, over ther by that clump of brush,” the cook explained, as he pointed in the quarter indicated.
“On that flat stone, perhaps?” continued Jack.
“Now, that was just what I did, Jack,” Josh went on to say, “and when I stepped over just now to get the stuff, why, it wasn’t there. I scratched my head, and tried to remember moving it, but I’d take my affidavy that I never came back to get it till just now, after I got my fire good and ready. That’s the way it was, Jack.”
“Wait a bit,” remarked the other, as he started for the spot in question.
They all watched him curiously. First he bent down, and sniffed of the stone.