“Then the man was a tramp?” Brad asked.
“Yes, he had managed to get in through a cellar window, and then had unlocked the door from inside. Until he was caught, he enjoyed quite a comfortable existence.”
“Arrested?” Brad questioned.
“No, he slipped away before Mr. Keeler could call police. I understand no damage was done to the property. He easily could have set the place on fire though.”
“Say, when do we eat?” demanded Midge, impatiently. “The sun’s getting low.”
“We can stop anywhere,” Mr. Hatfield said. “Look for a suitable place.”
“How about the one we used last time?” suggested Chips. “It will save us clearing the ground.”
The other Cubs shared Chip’s impatience, so a little farther on, a halt was called. While Brad and Dan built a fire, Mr. Hatfield set up a reflector oven which he had made from a square five-gallon oil can.
“Pretty fancy, aren’t we?” Red said admiringly. “What are we eating?”
“Biscuits, fried eggs and bacon. How does it sound?”