"Bully for you, my boy! That's the ticket."
While he was speaking Thad drew the small package from his inside pocket, where he had been carefully keeping it since leaving the boat, and with one quick nervous movement thrust the same out of sight under the convenient root.
No sign remained of his action, and he was fain to believe that no human eyes save his own and those of Maurice could have witnessed the act.
But it was not so.
"Say, they're coming on the jump!" exclaimed Maurice, who had remained on his feet while the other squatted, the better to carry out the process of secreting the precious packet.
"How many?" asked Thad, between quick breaths, induced by the tremendous excitement of the occasion.
"Don't know, but a whole lot of 'em. And every mother's son seems to be armed with some sort of gun. A fine chance we'd have against such a husky bunch, if we showed signs of fight. Yet it does go hard against the grain to give up without striking a blow."
Maurice gnashed his teeth and frowned while speaking, fingering the lock of his Marlin nervously.
By this time Thad had risen to his knees, an overwhelming sense of curiosity urging him on.
"Why, Maurice, that's funny!" he exclaimed, immediately