“Too bad the bird will go free, while these eggs do a stretch in the pen,” commented the policeman. “You can depend on it though, they’ll never do the smart thing and turn him in.”
“Oh, wouldn’t we?” growled Hod. “He was no pal o’ ourn!”
“Would it git us a lighter stretch if we was to turn him in?” asked Coon craftily.
“It might.”
“His name’s Ike Glanzy and he stays mostly at the Devon Club in Hartwell City,” Hod volunteered.
“We’ll pick him up,” said the policeman. “Depend on it, he’ll be behind bars before another twenty-four hours. Now let’s get out of here!”
As the boats began to load for the return trip through the swamp, Penny glanced anxiously about the tiny clearing.
“Where’s Tony?” she asked.
No one had seen the Italian lad in the last few minutes. Unnoticed, he had slipped away into the interior of the island.
“We can’t leave without Tony!” Penny protested. “He’s afraid he’ll be sent back to Italy, so he’s run off somewhere!”