we stay here much longer von of dem snakes comes and eats us up alretty, ain't it!"
"The telegrams came yesterday, but I waited until this morning to come here," said Jack Ness. "Your father left for Cedarville on the first train today."
"We'll pack right up and get back," answered Dick.
Although he tried not to show it, he was greatly excited. He was sure that the Stanhope fortune had in some manner fallen into the hands of Tad Sobber, and he wondered if that rascal would be able to get away with it.
"If he does it will be a sad blow to both the Stanhopes and the Lanings," he said to his brothers. "They were planning to get much good out of that money."
"It will be especially hard on the Lanings," said Tom, soberly. "For they are not as wealthy as the Stanhopes."
All of the boys worked with a will, and Jack Ness and the man who had rowed him to camp aided as much as they could. As a consequence in less than an hour the tent was down and packed, and the rest of the camping outfit placed aboard the sailboat. Then the journey for home was begun.
The wind was in their favor, so those in the
