NEW QUARTERS.
Until nearly daylight the boys remained awake, laughing over Newcombe's
credulity, or congratulating each other on the success of that night's
work, and then Bob, who for half an hour had been studying some plan,
said:
"It isn't best for us to spend all our time laughing at Newcombe, or we
may find out that he's smarter than we give him credit of being. If we
expect to shoot any more wells in this vicinity, we must change our
quarters, for we can safely count on this being watched."
"What if it is?" cried Dick, their success having made him very bold.
"Wasn't it watched to-night, and didn't we shoot the Hoxie well in spite
of them all?"
"Yes, we fooled Newcombe well; but we might find it difficult to do so
the second time. Then again, all our work would not be as convenient to
the hut as this was, and if it had been necessary for us to get our
horses out, you must admit that Newcombe had us very foul."
And Bob, while he felt thoroughly elated by their victory, did not want
that his partners should come to believe that all difficulties could be
surmounted as readily.
"But what do you mean about changing our quarters?" asked Jim, who
looked upon their hut as something particularly convenient and well
located.
"I mean that we have got to build another shanty somewhere, if we can't
find one ready-made."
"Nonsense! there's no more use of our leaving this place than there is
of our trying to fly!" said Dick. "I ain't afraid that Newcombe will
come here again very soon."
"But I _know_ he will," persisted Bob. "Just as soon as he suspects that
we are about to do any work, he will have so many men around here that
we can't show our noses out of doors without being seen. You think I'm
right, don't you, Harnett?"
"Well, now, see here," replied George, with a laugh, "I think Ralph and
I have had all the moonlighting that is good for us, without going still
further by aiding and abetting you with advice."
"But you can tell us what you think," persisted Bob.
"Well, I suppose I may venture that far, after having participated in
the shooting of the Hoxie well. I don't think that this place is safe
for you any longer, and if I was a member of this firm, I should move
everything from here as soon as possible."
It was plain to be seen that Dick and Jim had great faith in Harnett's
advice on any subject, for as soon as he had spoken all argument was at
an end, and, after a brief pause, Dick asked:
"But where could we go?"
"I think I know of a place as good as this, about five miles up the
valley, where by working a couple of days we could fix things up as well
as we have them here."
"Then let's see to it at once," said Jim, who thought, if they were
obliged to move, the sooner the disagreeable job was over the better.
"I'm ready to start now, if George and Gurney will help us," replied
Bob, quietly.
"If we will help you!" echoed George. "You believe in using your friends
for your benefit, don't you?"
"Well, in this case, it seems as if you might be of great assistance to
us, and yet not do very much violence to your own feelings. You know as
well as I do that the chances are Newcombe or his men are or will be
scouring the country to-day for those who shot Hoxie's well. Now, if
Dick, Jim and I start out alone, and they see us driving about the
country where we presumably have no business, they will follow us, and
good-by to our chances of getting settled very soon. But if you and
Gurney will take your fishing-tackle, Pete and I will go with you in our
double wagon, and while he and I are attending to work, I will show you
as good trout fishing as you ever saw."
It was a skillfully-prepared bait, as he intended it should be, for he
knew that the two friends were fond of fishing, and they knew that he
was an authority on the subject of trout streams.
At first George attempted to excuse himself on the score of having
business to attend to, but it was easy to see that he wanted to go, and
equally plain that Ralph had forgotten all the unpleasant experiences of
the night, in his desire for sport.
"You see, you won't be doing anything in the way of moonlighting," said
Bob, persuasively, "for you will honestly be going out fishing. You need
know nothing whatever about what Pete and I are doing, and since we have
a supply of food sufficient to last at least two days longer, you will
have no better chance than this."
Whether George really had any work to which he should have attended or
not, he evidently put all consideration of everything save sport aside,
for he asked:
"Well, what do you think of it, Ralph?"
"I think it is just as Bob says. We shan't be doing anything but that
which we have a perfect right to do, and if you can remain away from
your business so long, I say let's go."
Bob waited only long enough to hear this decision, and then he went at
once to the stable, where he ordered Pete to harness his horses into the
double wagon, in which they carried their materials when out on
professional business.
The old negro did not hesitate to tell his employer all that Newcombe
had said to him. The detective had offered him ten dollars if he would
answer certain questions, and, understanding that he did not know
anything which could compromise those who hired him, had not thought it
a breach of confidence to take the money.
Newcombe had asked who were in the hut, and Pete had told him, for he
knew the detective was quite as well informed as he was; but when
Newcombe questioned him as to what the boys were about to do, where or
when they were going, he was truly unable to give the desired
information.
This was all the detective had received for his expenditure of ten
dollars, and the old darkey chuckled greatly over the ease with which he
had earned the money.
When the team was ready, Dick and Jim started out for the purpose of
having their horses harnessed, since they had no idea but that they were
to accompany the expedition, but such was not a portion of Bob's plan.
"You must stay here and get the traps ready to be moved," he said, "for
if we should all go, it would be quite as bad, if we were seen, as if we
hadn't George and Ralph with us. Besides, your horses must be fresh for
to-night, for we will hitch them into the torpedo wagon, and it is
necessary that they should be able to get away from anything on the
road, in case Newcombe should take it into his head to chase us."
Both the boys knew Bob was right, and, much as they disliked remaining
at the hut while the others were enjoying themselves fishing, they
quietly submitted to what could not be avoided.
Pete put a few tools into the wagon, Bob added enough in the way of
eatables to last the party twenty-four hours, and, just as the sun was
rising, the real and pretended fishermen started.
The road led directly back through Sawyer, and on the opposite side of
the creek, a fact which showed how necessary it was for Bob to have some
one with him who would give to the journey the semblance of sport,
rather than business.
The horses were driven at a brisk trot, despite the roughness of the
roads, and in less than an hour from the time of leaving the hut Bob
turned his horse into what apparently was the thick woods, but in which
a road, that was hardly more than a path, could just be discerned after
the thicket by the side of the highway had been passed through.
Over logs, stumps and brushwood Bob drove, with a calm disregard to the
difficulties of the way, or to the comfort of himself and his
companions, until a small hut, or, rather, shanty, was reached, when he
announced that they were at the end of their journey.
"Well," said George, as he alighted from the wagon, "so far as being
hidden from view goes, this is a good place; but I fancy it will be
quite a different matter when you try to bring a load of glycerine here.
It would be a job that I should hesitate to undertake."
"We can make the road all right with a few hours' work, and then we will
put up some kind of a shelter for a stable. But just now fishing, not a
roadway for torpedo wagons, is your aim, and, if you and Ralph will
follow right up on this path, you will come to a stream, from which you
can catch as many trout as you want."
Taking a generous lunch with them, and wishing Bob success in his work,
George and Ralph set out for a day's fishing, believing that their
connection with the moonlighters was very nearly at an end.
After leaving Bob, neither of the boys had very much to say about their
adventure of the previous night, for it had terminated so happily that
it no longer worried them, and the thought of the enjoyment they were to
have drove everything else from their minds.
The stream was as promising a one as the most ardent disciple of Walton
could have desired, and but little time was spent, after they arrived at
its banks, before they had made their first cast.
The fish were as plenty as Bob had promised, and, when the time came for
their noon-day lunch, they had nearly full baskets of speckled beauties,
that would weigh from a quarter to three-quarters of a pound each.
During the forenoon they had fished up stream, and, when their lunch was
finished, they started down with the idea that they would reach the path
they had started from just about the time Bob would be ready to return
to the other hut.
On the way down, there was no necessity that they should fish in
company; therefore, each went along as he chose, with the understanding
that the one who reached the path first should wait for the other.
Ralph walked on ahead of George, dropping his line at every
promising-looking place in the stream, but meeting with very poor luck,
as compared with the forenoon's work. He only succeeded in catching
four while returning, when he had captured fully thirty on the way up,
and, owing to the absence of fish, or their disinclination to bite at
his hook, he arrived at the point from which he had started, fully two
hours before he had expected to be there.
But early as he was, he found Bob impatiently awaiting his arrival, and
the moonlighter's first inquiry was for the absent engineer.
"We agreed to fish leisurely down stream, expecting to be here about
sunset," replied Ralph. "I fancy he is meeting with better luck than I
did, and that it will be some time before he gets here."
"Well, we can't wait for him," said Bob, quickly. "We have got
everything so that we can move in to-night, and I want to be off. It
won't do for me to show myself without at least one of you, so we will
send Pete back here to wait for George, and you and I will go on."
"But how shall I meet him?" asked Ralph, not by any means pleased at
this idea of leaving his friend.
"That's easy enough to manage. Go back with me, get Harnett's team, come
back here behind us, get him and drive home to Kenniston's. You will be
there by ten o'clock, and we shall see you at breakfast time."
"But I don't like to leave George, for I promised him I would wait for
him here."
"Ah, that will be all right, for Pete will explain matters to him."
And, as he spoke, Bob dragged Ralph along, regardless alike of his
remonstrances or his struggles.
On arriving at the shanty the old negro was given his instructions, and
without further delay the two started, Ralph feeling decidedly
uncomfortable, for it seemed to him that, in some way, he had no idea
how, he was being forced to take part in another of Bob's schemes.