“I sartin will, and soon at that.  Glad ye thought ’bout the ole lone trapper, boys.  Come agin, soon, an’ any time.  An’, Bill, when ye git them picters printed remember I’m in one, an’ that pelt thief, too.”

“I’ll see you get copies of both.  Good-by!” called out Will.

They trudged back with less ambition to make time than when on the morning tramp, for all of them were feeling a little stiff.  As they came in sight of the home camp, Jerry broke out with: 

“Say, she looks some nice, with the two tents standing there, and old Toby working around.”

“Do you see Bluff?” asked Frank, a trifle uneasily.

“Why, no, but what makes you say that?”

“I’ve got a suspicion about him, that’s all Hello, Toby, everything all right?”

“Sho, Marse Frank, eberything am lubly an’ de goose hangs high.”

“How about Bluff—­where is he?”

“Don’t no nuffin’ ‘bout dat boy; he went off in de mornin’ an’ ain’t kim back.”

“Just what I feared, fellows,” said Frank.  “That silly chap has gone hunting up the camp of the Lasher crowd, and like as not got himself in trouble.”

CHAPTER IX

JERRY TAKES CHANCES

The announcement of Frank stunned both the others for a moment.

“Do you really believe that?” asked Will, uneasily, at length.

“It would be just like Bluff to take chances.  He never counts the cost.  Yes, sir, I just wager he started for that camp before we had been gone half an hour.”

“But how would he know where to find those fellows?” asked Will.

“Oh! he knew, all right.  We talked it over last night when you were busy with your camera, after we chased around for the stone-thrower; and agreed that since Andy and his mates couldn’t get this camp-site, the next best place for them to go would be that little cabin up near the shore of the lake,” said Jerry.

“You mean the one the charcoal burners used to live in long ago?”

“Yes.  And as Bluff has been around this section more than once, he must have known how to get there.  Five to one he burst right into the camp and demanded his gun.”

“Do you think so?” said Jerry, uneasily.

“That is his way.  And you can just guess that he got into hot water before half a minute had gone,” returned Frank.

“Would they hurt Bluff?” asked Will, beginning to show unexpected feeling.

“Well, they might, especially if he accused them of stealing his gun.  Besides, if he happened to see it there I wouldn’t put it past Bluff to tackle the whole bunch in the effort to get his property,” Frank went on.

Jerry had thrown his gun down as if ready to drop over himself.  He now stooped and picked it up again.

“Come on, fellows; there’s only one thing for us to do,” he said.

“And that’s to hike over to that shanty and find out if they’ve got our chum there a prisoner,” finished Frank.