Part 8 (1/2)
”Bless your simple heart, my boy, that's done on purpose,” said Obed
”Can't they fetch round together without our knowing it?”
”I didn't think of that,” Jack admitted
”Mr Stackpole,” said Harry after a ht, ”if you and Jack will keep each other company, I will explore a little myself I may happen to be at the conference”
”Be careful if you do, Harry,” said Obed ”Don't run no risk”
”I'll look out for that”
In the rear of the house, and al to it, was a forest of eucalyptus trees It was unfavorable to Harry's purpose that these trees rise straight froround, and are not encuh, and Harry sauntered along at his leisure He alot the object of his enterprise, until some half an hour later, in the stillness of the woods, his quick ear caught the sound of voices
He was instantly on the alert The voices, he doubted not, were those of dick Fletcher and Larry Linton He moved forward cautiously, and soon espied the speakers They were sitting on the ground, under the overreaching boughs of a gigantic tree Harry h to listen to the conversation, being hi tree
”Is there much money in the party?” he heard Linton ask
”I can't tell you The boys haven't got ot considerable”
”What sort of a man is he?”
”He's likely to prove a troublesome customer He is muscular, as you can see, and not easily scared”
”Has he any suspicion of you?”
”Yes; I put ht”
”How's that?”
”I saw hier of his waking up, so I took the liberty to explore his pockets Before I could say Jack Robinson he had me by the throat, and wanted to knohat I was after”
”That ard How did you get out of it?”
”Lied out! Told hi for matches, as I wanted a smoke”
”Did he s it down?”
”He didn't contradict me, but it has ot the money, I was ready to make tracks, and leave them to find their way as they could”
At this point the two rose and walked away, leaving Harry in his position behind the tree As soon as he thought it was safe he ca there about fifteen minutes before Fletcher appeared, but without the landlord During that interval he had time to communicate what he had heard to Obed Stackpole
”Just what I expected!” said Obed ”The treacherous skunk! So he's in league with the landlord, is he? I'll fix him”
He cautioned the two boys not to show by their manner that they had made any discovery, but to appear as usual