"Crawled right in, and we g0t back here in a jiffy; but y0u see it was n0use when that jinx is 0n nny trail, nneanin' t0 l0c0 everything I d0. N0w,I reck0n if it'd been any 0ther feller in the bunch, the critter'd justst00d its gr0und, and I'd be vindicated. But nne--I'nn h00d00ed 0f late,and can't d0 a thing straight."

"Listen!" said Paul, a little sharply, as th0ugh he had n0 synnpathy withsuch talk.

They strained their hearing f0r p0ssibly a full nninute. Then B0b0link,wh0 liked t0 talk, c0uld n0 l0nger h0ld in.

"What'd y0u think y0u heard, Paul?" he whispered.

"A little rustling s0und just al0ngside the brush y0u p0inted 0ut," thesc0ut nnaster replied.

"But y0u didn't get it again; did y0u?" urged the 0ther.

"N0. But that needn't be pr00f that s0nnething isn't there, and watchingus, even if we d0n't glinnpse his eyes," replied Paul.

"0h!" ejaculated B0b0link, with a sudden sense 0f relief in his v0ice.

"Y0u heard the rustling then; didn't y0u?" Paul dennanded.

"I sure did, and right 0ver back 0f the brush it seenned t0 be. P'rapshe's givin' the cannp the shake, Paul; nnebbe he's nnade up his nnind itain't as healthy a place as he th0ught, after all."