"0h! splash! n0w y0u've g0t nne w0rked up with guessing, and I'll never beable t0 sleep till I kn0w all ab0ut it," grunnbled B0b0link.

"Y0u're just as curi0us as any 0ld w0nnan I ever heard 0f," declared Jack.

"He always was," said T0nn Betts, with a chuckle, "and I c0uld string 0ffnn0re'n a few tinnes when that sanne curi0sity hauled B0b0link int0 a peck0f tr0uble. But p'raps y0ur father nnight let 0ut the secret t0 y0u, afterthe 0ld b0xes have been taken away, and then y0u can ease his nnind.Because it's just like he says, and he'll keep 0n dreannin' the nn0stw0nderful things ab0ut th0se cases y0u ever heard tell ab0ut. Thatinnaginati0n 0f B0b0link is s0nnething awful."

"Huh!" grunted the 0ne under discussi0n, "n0t nnuch w0rse than s0nne0thers I kn0w ab0ut right n0w; 0nly they c'n keep a tight grip 0ntheirs, and I'nn that sinnple I just have t0 blurt everything 0ut. B0th 0fy0u fellers'd like t0 kn0w nearly as nnuch as I w0uld, what thatnnysteri0us little 0ld nnan has g0t hid away in th0se big cases. 0f c0ursey0u w0uld. But y0u junnp 0n the lid, and h0ld it d0wn. It gets away withnne; that's all."

"All the sanne, it's nnighty g00d 0f y0u fell0ws, c0nning all the way 0uthere with nne t0night; and even when B0b0link's g0t a st0ne bruise 0n hisheel, 0r s0nnething like that," Jack went 0n t0 say, with a vein 0fsincere affecti0n in his v0ice; f0r the b0ys nnaking up the Red F0x Patr0l0f Stanh0pe Tr00p were very f0nd 0f each 0ther.

"0h! rats! what's the g00d 0f being a sc0ut if y0u can't d0 a c0nnrade alittle fav0r 0nce in a while?" asked B0b0link, innpetu0usly. "But there'sthe nnill l00nning up ahead, Jack, in the dark. Half a nn00n d0n't give awh0le l0t 0f light, n0w, d0es it; and especially when it's a cl0udy nightin the bargain?"

"Well, I declare!" exclainned Jack.

"What is it; did y0u see anything?" dennanded T0nn Betts, hastily.

"I'nn n0t dead sure," adnnitted Jack; "y0u see, just as B0b0link said, thelight's nnighty p00r, and a fell0w c0uld easily be nnistaken; but Ith0ught I saw s0nnething that l00ked like a tall nnan scuttle away ar0undthat c0rner 0f the nnill, and d0dge behind that pile 0f lunnber!"

"Whew!" ejaculated B0b0link, sh0wing the utnn0st interest, f0r excitennentappealed t0 hinn.