Ned pushed his chum to the side of the car and pointed outside where Buck and his helper were at work.
"No. At the tramp who won't wash his face, who has a gentleman's underclothes and who is so anxious to work for us!"
"Haven't you ever seen those sharp eyes before?"
"I do. If that isn't Bob Russell, the Comet reporter, I'm a goat."
It was a time for quick and fast thinking, and Ned and Alan did it. Alan's instant suggestion that they denounce the disguised tramp was almost as quickly voted down.
"So long as we didn't know who he was he had the advantage of us. Now that we know--" and neither of them now doubted the fact for an instant. "We have the advantage of him," argued Ned. "Let's turn that knowledge to profit. We can easily guess what he is trying to do. Major Honeywell's message says our real object is not known. This reporter has learned something, and I suspect he could have found quite a lot from the train crew. On that he has written a good enough story to attract attention. That shows he is no fool. And he wouldn't come out here unless he had been sent. Who would send him? Why, his paper, of course, to discover our real mission."
"What can we do to head him off?" mused Alan.
"There are two ways," suggested Ned, "and we've got to make one of them effective. I don't know how he has guessed but he must not have another guess. And he's seen a good deal."
"We might have him arrested," suggested Alan.
"I'll tell you, Alan," he said finally. "The young men of the press to-day may write fanciful stories, and they may even 'fake' where it injures no one, but personally they won't lie. Let's call our tramp in here, confront him with his imposture and give him his choice of writing nothing or of being drummed out of town."
"Marshal Jack Jellup wouldn't need two suggestions on that score. And more, he'd see that the order was obeyed. I don't like to do it, but I think we're justified. He's taking that chance."
Again the thing was gone over, with arguments for and against, and then Elmer was hastily dispatched to find Jellup and bring him to the car.
"And Buck will lose his helper," laughed Alan.
"Better that than a second expedition on our heels," answered Ned
"Gus!" he called, throwing open a window. "Come in here!"