“After a time, a rabbit hopped up close to where I was sitting and I became interested in him. I had just chucked a piece of bark at him, when I heard a sudden commotion. Someone was talking in a loud voice.
“It was the sergeant. There he stood with a gun in his hands, bawling out orders. The half-breeds and the funny duffer in the gray cap were huddled in front of him like a flock of frightened sheep.
“Even then it didn’t occur to me that they were Murky’s packers. I guess I was a little bewildered. The thing had happened so suddenly. I heard Richardson calling me.
“It was the white man who told us the story. He said he was sick of the whole business and was ready to quit. He said he hadn’t done anything wrong anyway, but even if he had, he preferred jail to another day in that wilderness. He was only a common sailor, he told us, and would be mighty glad to get back to his ship. Until just recently, neither he nor any of the other sailors knew that the fur had been stolen. Captain Reynolds, master of the yacht, had told them a very plausible story and they had believed it.”
Sandy paused again.
“There isn’t much more to tell. We reached the warehouse less than an hour later, where we found Corporal Rand and his prisoners. Maybe you think I wasn’t glad.”
Dick looked up into his chum’s face and smiled.
“I’m glad too. This surely came as a surprise to me. It won’t be long now until we can return to Fort Good Faith.”
Sandy rose to his feet. He stretched his arms above his head, yawning lazily. Suddenly his hands dropped and he stared in surprise.
“Look, Dick! Here comes Sergeant Richardson. He’s bringing all the prisoners.”