cedar thicket, and an
expression of surprise came over his face as he saw the first prisoner;
but Jet did not intend to allow them an opportunity to communicate with
each other even by signs.

Bob was made fast to a tree at the farther end of the encampment, where
he could not see his former companion, and then Jet went to the first
prisoner as he said:

"If you will promise not to speak, I'll take the gag out of your mouth
for a while, because we shall likely be here a long time."

There was an expression of deepest thankfulness in the fellow's eyes,
and the amateur detective felt reasonably certain that he would not
attempt to make any disturbance.

"Now, if I hear you so much as whisper, back it goes," he said, as he
removed the uncomfortable preventive of speech.

"You needn't be afraid," was the meek reply. "I'll do anything rather
than have that thing put in my mouth agin. How did you get hold of
Bob?"

"Took him unawares, as we did you."

"Well, all I can say is, you fellers are corkers!"

This in a tone of admiration. "If any one had told me that a couple of
boys could get the best of him, I'd said it was a lie, an' here you
sneak off an' bring him in when you get ready."

"We shouldn't have done it if you'd found them."

"That's a fact; but you can't expect that a feller wouldn't help his
pals."

"That's all right, since no harm has been done," Jet replied, feeling
very magnanimous now he had been so successful.

The boy had every reason to feel proud of what had been accomplished.
He had acted as Harvey wished, and, in addition, arrested the man so
particularly wanted, with one of his companions.

Now if he could transfer them to the charge of an officer his triumph
would be complete, and the detective have good reason to keep his
promise relative to employing him as an assistant.

It was the fact of his having been successful, more than anything else,
that caused Jet to fear the third attempt at capturing a man would be
attended with signal failure, and several times during the day was he
tempted to bundle the two into the boat, instead of waiting to make
prisoners of all three.

He even went so far as to suggest this to Jim, saying:

"We could get up to the village with these fellows before morning, and
I'm not sure it wouldn't be the best plan, for if Sam downs us these
will be set free. Then all this work counts for nothing."

"Let's go the whole hog or nothing," the small guide r