"And we must think of that first."

"I understand."

"We will make a long trip tonight--clear across the lake."

"Suppose you get a sight of the Drifter?"

"Then we'll know that it is really here, won't we?"

"Yes, but are you going to jog right into them and capture them?"

"Hardly," laughed Dave. "I hope if we do come across the Drifter,
that we can follow it or keep it company, or find out where it is
hidden away in the daytime. We will have to run across it before we
can decide what circumstances will lead us to do."

"They're an ugly crowd--the Dawsons, and probably the fellows with
them, too."

"I realize that. Mr. Price insisted on my taking these," and Dave
began opening a boxlike package he had brought with him in the
skiff.

"Hello," cried Hiram, as two good sized weapons and some boxes of
cartridges were disclosed. "Do we have to use them?"

"I hope not," replied Dave, "but Mr. Price said we might come to a
pinch where we could use them to show we were not unprotected, and
to scare any crowd that tried to interfere with us."