Pete did stop barking after a few more excited yips, but canine caution kept him from going closer to the cave. In vain the two men tried to coax him into the cavern. Pete lay flat on his belly on the path and whined.
Finally, they abandoned the effort to get him inside, and themselves moved back out of view in the darkness.
For a long while, Judy and Kathleen remained motionless, afraid to stir lest they disclose their presence. Both were convinced that the two men in the cave were the hi-jackers, and that they merely were waiting there until they safely could move out their truck and stolen cargo.
“We can’t stay here,” Judy finally whispered to her chum. “Let’s make a break for it. If we’re seen, we’ll have to run for our lives.”
Moving stealthily, the girls slipped from their hiding place.
Pete saw them go and cocked his head attentively. But to their intense relief, he did not bark or try to follow them.
Safely, the girls retraced their way to the private road.
Once there, Judy anxiously looked up the slope for a glimpse of her aunt or the assistance which she hoped would come.
“I guess we’ll have to hide in the bushes again,” Kathleen proposed. “Pete may ferret us out too.”
As the girls debated what action to take, Judy saw that a green coupe had turned down the private road.