The crashing of the undergrowth became plainer. Then a party of men could be seen hurrying forward as fast as the tangled thickets would allow.
Mr. Dodd, the sheriff, was at their head. As he saw the two tramp thieves lying on the ground, helpless, he gave a roar. Rushing up to the boys, he shook the hand of each one in turn.
"Bully work, boys! I'm proud to know you, proud to say you live in the same town as I do! Hello, Biffins! So it's you, eh? Well, this time we've got you dead to rights, and you don't get off. And here's Waddy Walsh, broke loose from the school he was sent to to learn to become a decent man. Back you go, my fine lad, this time to stay."
So he rattled on, as he proceeded to clap a pair of neat steel bracelets on the wrists of each of the prisoners.
After that he went into the cabin and thoroughly searched it.
"I reckon we've got all the plunder they had, and now it might be a good thing if we burned this old rat trap of a nest to the ground. It's got a bad name, and if tramp thieves have taken to lodging here, the sooner it goes, the better."
Under the orders of the sheriff, some of the posse started things moving. In a short time the old cabin was a mass of flames. They made sure that the fire could not extend to the surrounding forest, which was just beginning to be covered with an early crop of new leaves. Then the whole company started through the thickets, headed for the shore.
"Hang the luck! We forget one thing, after all!" said Bluff suddenly.
He had been so busy getting several pictures of the burning cabin that for the time being all other things had escaped him.
"What was that?" asked Frank, winking at Jerry knowingly.
"The wild man! We forgot to get him out of that hollow tree!" exclaimed Bluff.
"Well, it's too late now. For one, I object to walking back there. Besides, we must hustle in order to make camp again against the coming of the girls," observed Frank seriously.
"But ain't we ever going to know what the mystery of that queer creature must be? Perhaps we'd better write to that keeper we met before, Mr. Smithson, and let him know. Then if he's shy a member of his happy family of lunatics, he'll know where to hunt for him," Bluff went on innocently.