took long strides that carried him in advance of the others.
Dick Prescott was mostly silent, yet in his eyes there was a steady
light, and a grim look about his mouth, that bespoke the possibility
of some inconvenience to Bert Dodge and his friend, should that
pair fall into the hands of Dick & Co. within the next hour.

At noon Dick & Co. halted. Under the shade of a group of trees,
close to a roadside spring, they built two small fires. Over
one they made coffee; over the other, they fried bacon and eggs.
This, with bread, constituted the meal. A brief rest, then on
they went once more.

It was toward five o'clock when Dick and Tom, who knew the road
from having tramped over it before, announced that they were less
than half a mile from the point where they would turn in to go
to the second lake.

At this time Greg and Dan were managing the push cart. Tom and
Dick strode on ahead, watching for the first sign of the path
that should lead down to their intended camp site.

Suddenly, however, Prescott seized Reade by the arm, halting him.

"What's the matter?" asked Tom.

"Sh!---" Dick piloted his friend in behind a line of bushes, then
went cautiously ahead.

"Look over there!" whispered Dick.