"Can't we slip out and run?" whispered Hubert as soon as he reached Ted's side.
"How can we? There's no window on the back and they are facing this way. They'd see us. We've got to stay right here till they go away, or till we get a chance to slip out."
"But what if they should come in here?" suggested Hubert.
"We'll have to risk it."
The breakfast was now over, and the two slackers rose to their feet. A few moments later the excited boys took note that all three of the men stood with their backs to the cabin door.
"Now's our chance," whispered Hubert. "Let's slip out, sneak round the house and run off."
"We'd better wait, I think," said Ted. "They might turn round on us before we——"
The boy stopped suddenly, for now the old trapper and Jackson turned, the latter saying: "Well, bring out your tobacco." The former moved toward the cabin accordingly.
"Let's lie down and pretend to be asleep, so they won't hear him speak to us," hurriedly proposed Ted.
When the trapper stepped into the room the slumber of the two boys appeared to be profound. He looked at them, smiled, and, as if deciding not to call them till later, went about the business of the moment, bending down over a large covered box with his back to them. Noting all this, Ted congratulated himself upon the success of his plan. It did not occur to him that curiosity might bring Jenkins into the cabin, or that the officious Jackson might wish to see for himself how large a store of tobacco the cabin contained.