“Welcome back,” Constable Whitehall shouted. “Glad to see you all home again. The inspector is waiting for you.”
The three boys followed the police orderly to Cameron’s office, followed him in a state of mind in which excitement, happiness and relief intermingled. They had expected to find the grizzled police official sitting, as was his wont, sternly erect in his chair, lips pursed, steel-gray eyes levelled upon them. But to their surprise, as the door swung open, revealing the room beyond, the inspector was standing—not behind—but in front of his desk.
The grim look was not there. True, his eyes were upon them, and he did not speak for a moment, as they filed in and halted awkwardly in front of him. Then Dick noticed the smile: warm and friendly, a sort of paternal smile that wholly transfigured and enlivened his features, that had the curious effect of making the boys forget their shyness and feel at ease. And while Dick was making a mental note of this, Cameron had suddenly come forward and was shaking them by the hand, talking and joking, winking slyly at Constable Whitehall.
“You young rascals! No need to tell me that everything didn’t come out all right. Don’t try to deceive me. I see it—see it shining in your eyes. Constable Whitehall, bring over those chairs. That’s better. Sit down. Now, Dick—— Sit down, I tell you, while Richard here relates his experiences.”
In a few words, Dick told his story. Yet he was out of breath when he had finished, and a little incoherent when he tried to answer the few sharp questions Cameron fired at him.
“At any rate,” smiled the inspector, “you got there, and you came back. From what you’ve already told me, I gather that you had trouble at Keechewan. Was that the only trouble you had?”
“Yes, sir,” answered the bewildered young leader.
“Why, Dick,” Sandy reminded him, “we had trouble on the trail—lots of it.”
“So we did,” remembered Dick. “I’d forgotten about that. We picked up Lamont on our way back, but Fontaine and the rest left us—skipped out.”
“They’re here,” said Cameron grimly, “—in jail! We can eliminate them. Now, about this Lamont?”