“Absolutely nothing?” Rand’s eyes seemed to bore into them.
The partners exchanged furtive, doubtful glances. Then the face of Emery darkened with a sudden resolve, and he thrust one hand in his pocket and brought forth—to the boys’ unutterable amazement—a small moose-hide pouch, scarcely more than two inches in width and three inches in length—a small poke, identical to the one Dick had held in his own hands less than twenty-four hours before. Seeing it, Dick had taken in his breath sharply, while Sandy and Toma rose excitedly to their feet and crowded forward.
“You found that?” asked Rand, wholly unmoved.
“Yes.”
“Let’s see it.”
Emery tossed it over and it fell in Rand’s lap. The corporal picked it up and examined it closely. He untied the cord at the top and opened it. He thrust two fingers inside.
“Empty,” he said.
“Yeah. Empty.”
Both Burnnel and Emery wagged their heads. Corporal Rand favored them with a keen, searching look.
“You’re sure about that. You didn’t take out its contents?”