“A good thing in one way,” commented Dick. “When he comes he’ll bring another string of packhorses and more supplies.”
“Corporal Richardson and Malemute Slade promised to pay us a visit too,” Sandy reminded him. “What were you three doing together last night?” he suddenly demanded, sitting up and glowering down at the other.
“You think I’m secretive and selfish, I suppose,” Dick replied, “but really there wasn’t anything so very mysterious about our little meeting. You could have come into the room where we were if you had cared to. I motioned to you when you passed down the hallway, but you pretended not to see. You’re terribly stubborn at times, Sandy.”
“Not at all,” Sandy protested. “But I feel like this: I wouldn’t for the world attempt to intrude where I’m not wanted. You and Corporal Richardson and Malemute Slade went into that room without saying a word to me. Not a word!”
The aggrieved young man carefully broke off the brown stem of a withered pea-vine and crumpled it between the palms of his hands.
“As usual you weren’t around when we wanted you,” explained Dick. “I looked everywhere. But as I said before, there was no particular secret between us except—” Dick lowered his voice—“except that, at Corporal Richardson’s suggestion, we made a second copy of the map. He took the copy and put it in the inside pocket of his coat. In a day or two, when he returns to headquarters, he’s going to hand it over to the Inspector for safe-keeping.
“You can see for yourself,” Dick resumed, “that it was a wise precaution. If the map we have with us should be lost or stolen, we’ll still be able to find the mine.”
“Yes,” agreed Sandy, now fully recovered from his pique, “the plan was a good one. The Inspector will give us the other copy if we lose ours. A little delay, that’s all.”
“Just the same, I hope we don’t lose the map again. I’ll be pleased if nothing happens this time. I’d like to make good time getting over to the mine.”
That Dick’s wish gave every promise of being fulfilled, became more and more apparent as the days passed. So far the little cavalcade had not been molested. Through deep forests and across broad, seemingly endless meadows they plodded hopefully, making very good progress. It seemed to Dick that one rare and glorious day followed another. The sun shone almost incessantly—a great, yellow, burning disc,—that had begun to work miracles in the land, which only a few weeks before had been gripped in the mighty hand of an implacable winter.