As the boys were unarmed, discretion was the better part of valor, so, calling to Don, they doubled behind a couple of huge rocks and made for a cave that they had come across on one of their scouting expeditions a few days before.
Meanwhile Don had sprung at the man nearest him, who happened to be Lavine, and had caught him by the leg. Lifting his cudgel high in the air, the man would have felled him if he had not heard Jack’s command to the dog to “come along.” Quickly the dog dodged and started off in the direction his master had taken. By that time the second ex-lumberjack, O’Brien, had caught sight of the boys and had started off hotly in pursuit. Don knew that the boys’ safety depended on the time they had to get away, so he raced off after O’Brien. When he reached him, he snapped at his legs and hands, while the man, cursing and swearing horribly, aimed blow after blow at his tormentor’s head. Dodging the blows easily, Don watched the boys until they disappeared through the trees.
As Lavine came running up—Don’s teeth had only gone through his trousers—the faithful dog thought it was about time he left, so he made off as fast as his legs could carry him in the direction of the camp.
The cave that the boys were bound for had all the characteristics of some wild animal’s home. When the Scouts had come across it first they had been impressed by the fetid odor that filled it and the bones of small creatures that were strewn all over the floor. Now, as the boys rushed along, their one thought was whether or not the animal would be there.
Running, slipping, sliding and stumbling, they made their way down the steep ravine, dodged behind a boulder and came in sight of the bushes that hid the entrance to the cave.
“Quick!” Jack hissed, pulling aside the bushes. “I don’t think there’s anything in there, but if there is, we’ll have to take our chance!”
In less time than it takes to tell, the boys were inside and the bushes were once more in place. With hearts threatening to jump out of their mouths, they listened for the sound of footsteps outside the cave. Pretty soon they came. Heavy, ponderous footsteps they were, and they seemed to be nearing the mouth of the cave.
“I don’t see where the young deevils could have gone,” they heard the Frenchman say, “yet zey have disappear as if ze earth is open an’ swallow zem up.”
“I wish it had!” the Irishman replied, grimly. “More be taken if Oi could oncet get ahold of the spalpeens it wouldn’t be so very long before they’d be kivered with airth.”
The boys shuddered as they thought of the murderous attack they had so narrowly escaped, and it was with a long sigh of relief that they finally realized that their pursuers knew nothing of their hiding-place. After a short time spent in fruitless search, Lavine and O’Brien started off, grumbling and cursing, to scour the surrounding woods.