"If he's able," added Dave Darrin significantly.

"Oh, what's the use of making a fuss, this time?" demanded Tom
Reade good-humoredly. "For once we have so much meat that we
could spare a hungry man two hundred pounds and not miss it."

"It's the principle of the thing," muttered Dick, who was studying
the ground intently. "That big, hulking fellow doesn't care a
rap whether we have plenty, or whether he takes all we have.
We've got to suppress him. We must catch him, and put a stop
to his thieving. See! Here's where he went off through the woods.
Come on! We'll trail him!"

"And, if we find him?" asked Greg.

"We'll try to reason with the fellow," responded Prescott rather
grimly.

Just as the boys started off on the trail that Prescott had discovered,
other figures appeared on the scene.

"Now, may I ask what you girls are doing here?" asked Tom, his
tone more agreeable than his words.

"We want to see the fun, whatever is going to happen," declared
Susie Sharp.

"Oh, there will be plenty of that, I promise you, if we can find
the fellow," asserted Darry bluntly.