s face, as though he would give considerable if
only Jack felt disposed to explain the whole matter. But Jack held his
peace; apparently nothing could induce him to betray the confidence of
the lady who had trusted him. When the right time arrived, he would
divulge the secret; but until then both his chums must content
themselves with taking it out in speculations.

Finally, Jack began to collect his photographic paraphernalia as though
about to get ready to start forth on his tramp. Steve had meanwhile
looked after a "light lunch," which he facetiously called a "snack";
though it filled two of his coat pockets, and Jack had some difficulty
in stowing away his portion.

Toby eyed these amazing preparations with something akin to awe.

"Say, do you really expect to come back tonight, or are you figuring on
staying out a whole week?" he asked plaintively; at which Jack, taking
compassion on him, hastened to assure Toby there was no cause for worry.

"You know Steve's weakness," he went on to say aside, "and of course he
is always in deadly fear of starving to death. That's why he loads
himself down so with grub on the least provocation. But never expect to
see a crumb come back, for that would be against Steve's principles, you
know. He thinks it a shame to waste food; and so he'd stuff himself
until he could hardly breathe rather than throw anything away. We may be
a little late in the afternoon, but we'll bob up serenely long before
dark comes."

So they set out, Toby waving them goodbye with his dish towel, for he
had started in to do the breakfast things.

For a whole they walked along, observing everything that seemed worth
their attention. Then Steve took note of a certain fact which he deemed
significant. This was that Jack was heading in an almost straight line,
as though he had arranged a plan of campaign for that day; and also that
if they kept along that course, sooner or later they were bound to fetch
up in the neighborhood of the place where that strange booming sound had
originated.

This fact agitated Steve, and made him think many things. He even found
himself speculating upon the chances of their running across the
stranger who was taking such a deep interest in their presence in the
Pontico Hills country.

Jack did not make any pretense at hurrying. He was taking his time, it
seemed, and enjoying the scenery around him. A thousand things called
for exclamation of delight, for the woods looked es