By this time several more of the boys, who were members of the Highpoint Patrol, had joined them and began to ply the object of their search with questions.
"Hold on a minute," said one of them. "Say, Pepper, ain't you hungry?"
"Well, I had a bite," he confessed; "but that was a good while ago, and I want to get on with this message."
"I guess you have got there," said the boy, with a laugh. "I am
Jack Dudley, the Leader; you can give it to me."
"All right," replied Pepper, with a sigh of relief; "I got it to you, anyhow."
"You certainly did," said Jack. "Lucky we brought along a day's rations. We didn't know how long we might be out. Now," as the boys got out their supplies from their knapsacks and spread them out on the rocks, "tell us how you got here." Whereupon Pepper related the story of his adventures.
"My goodness!" exclaimed Tom, when the story was finished, "I don't believe it is safe for you to be out alone. What do you say, boys, don't you think we ought to see him safe home?"
"Sure," agreed the others.
"It's getting dark now," continued Tom, "and there is no telling what he will find on the road."
So, in spite of Pepper's protests that he was all right and that once put upon the right road he could take care of himself, the boys insisted upon escorting him to the outskirts of Creston, which they reached without further misadventure.