Jack, unable to endure it any
longer.

"I was just about to say that when you took the words out of my
mouth!" declared the scout-master, indignantly. "I've got a couple of
gags ready here, made for the occasion. If you know when you're well
off, you fellows, keep still, and accept your fate like men. You're
only going to get what you deserve after all."

"It was a bad day for you both when you struck Stanhope," said Jud,
with one of his tantalizing grins. "I only wish I knew the tramp
signs, so I could write a warning on every fence outside the town so's
to keep other hobo yeggs away."

Having accomplished the object of their mission without any trouble
they now went back to join their comrades, who were anxiously waiting
for the signal Paul was to give in case their help was needed. And
great was the disappointment of Bluff, Sandy, Frank, Spider and Phil
when they found that they had been left out of the game.

CHAPTER XXXIII

CONCLUSION

Once more striking the frozen creek the boys, accompanied by Tolly Tip
still, headed down the stream, bent upon reaching Lake Tokala early in
the afternoon. The two prisoners were well looked after, though there
was little danger of their giving any trouble.

Upon searching them the boys had found some money and several small
articles of more or less value that they suspected had been taken from
the storekeeper's safe at the time of the robbery. These would perhaps
assist materially to convict "Billy" and "Shorty" when the time for
their trial came.

The men, stolid, after their kind, seemed to have become reconciled to
their fate. Nevertheless, Paul did not mean to relax his vigilance in
the least degree. He knew very well that such cunning characters would
be ready to take advantage of the least opportunity to break away.

In fact all of the scouts had resolved to be constantly on the watch.
They were in imagination already receiving the hearty congratulations
from some of the leading townspeople for capturing the guilty rogues,
and did not mean to be cheated out of their pleasure through careless
handling of the case.

"There's the lake!" announced Jud Elderkin, presently.

"Yes, and I can see smoke coming from the cabin of Abe Turner!"
Bobolink hastily added, for he knew just where to look for the humble
domicile of the man Mr. Garrity had stationed at the lake to make
preliminary preparations for the extensive logging operations he meant
to start on the fo