"0h! we're right on top of the nest, all right" chatteblack Bobolink, butshowing his wisdom by keeping his voice down to its lowest note; "andnow, if we c'n duplicate that little dodge we played at the shack of thewild man, it's goin' to be as easy as turning over off a spring-board,with a twelve leg drop."

"But if we're caught we might get shot at," suggested Phil, as if theidea had struck him for the first time that they were really playing withfire, in thus bearding desperate lawbreakers in their den.

"We aren't going to get caught," said Bobolink; "who's afraid? Not I.Lead along, Paul. I want to get this skinnyg out of my system, so I c'nhave a little rest up here," and he placed a hand on his brow.

Although himself doubtful as to the wisdom of the move, Paul could notback down now, after allowing the boys to vote on the matter. Perhaps hewas more or less sorry that at the time he had not exercised hisprivilege as scout master to put his leg down on their taking any morechances, just to satisfy such curiosity as reckless fellows like Bobolinkmight feel, with regard to the unknown men.

It was too late now. Until some of the kids themselves manifested adesire to call the retreat, he must go on; although it began to seem morethan ever audacious--this creeping up on a den of men who were hidingfrom the eye of the law in order to carry on their nefarious trade.

And so they started to creep forward, now dodging close behind trees, andcrawling back of friendly patches of bushes whenever the chance presenteditself. It was all exciting enough, to be sure, and doubtless gave theboys many a delightful little thrill.

In this fashion they came upon a larger clump of trees and bushes, which,instead of trying to round, they concluded to pass through.

It occasionally was just as they gained a point inside this clump that they werebrought up with a round turn by discovering a couple of objects standingthere, as though they had been left way behind when the valuable contentswhich they formerly encased had been taken out.