Part 17 (1/2)
”How far are we from there now?” inquired Ned.
”How far, Eagle-eye?”
”Two suns.”
”Two days, eh. We could make it while Eagle-eye was going there and back. I move that we wait until to-morrow. Perhaps we may find Tad some time to-day. I believe he will return, as I said before. If he does, we can start right on. Some of us will have to walk, but that doesn't matter. We are pretty well used to doing that, I guess.”
”Master Ned, your suggestion is a good one. We shall adopt it. I presume the other animals are safe. The thieves certainly will not have the a.s.surance to come back again.”
”No come more,” affirmed the guide.
”After you have finished your breakfast I want you to start in and look for Master Butler. You'll have to find a way to get down there, even if you have to wade in the stream--”
”Spirits git um boy.”
”We will leave that out of the question. You find him, that's all.”
”He won't go down there,” said Ned. ”He may say he will, but he won't.”
”I'll see that he does,” replied the Professor, with a firm closing of the lips. ”I have trifled long enough. Now we shall do something.
I--”
”Well, what's all the excitement about?” demanded a cheery voice behind them.
”Tad! It's Tad!” shouted the boys in chorus.
With yells of delight they pounced upon him and for a moment there was a regular football scrimmage, with Tad Butler at the bottom of the heap, the others mauling him about with shouts of glee.
It was the Pony Rider Boys' way of showing their delight at the return of their companion. But Tad did not mind it at all. Throwing them off with a prodigious effort he scrambled to his feet, dust-covered, hatless and with hair in a sad state of disorder.
Professor Zepplin had thrust the other boys aside and was gripping Tad's hands.
”It's the last time you ever get me to consent to your taking such a chance,” he said. ”How did you get out? You certainly did not climb up the side of the mountain.”
”Oh, no,” laughed Tad. ”I knew there must be some way out, for I found a moccasin track down there in the sand before I turned in last night.”
”You must have pretty good eyes to find a moccasin track in the dark,”
laughed Ned.
”I did not say it was dark. I made the discovery before that.”
”Tell us about it,” urged Walter.
”You didn't find any of Eagle-eye's evil spirits down there, did you?”
asked Ned.
”No. I wish I had. I should have been glad of company of any kind.”
”We want to hear how you got out,” spoke up Chunky. ”I--I came pretty near falling in after you, too.”