"That's fine!" exclaimed Bill Wickford, as the tune came to an end. "I wish we had one of those at our camp."
"It might interfere with the seven-up tournament," observed Mr. Cameron, drily.
"Oh, we'd have time for that," said Sam. "But I guess we'd better be getting back. It's late."
"Don't be in a hurry," urged Dick, hospitably.
"Well, we may be over to see you again. We didn't know we had any neighbors so close by."
"You might come over and see us," added Bill, somewhat awkwardly. "We can't offer you much in the way of entertainment, but we'll do our best."
"Thanks," answered Dick. "We may come, but we're going to pull out of this to-morrow, I hope. As soon as we can get out of this sand bog we'll travel."
"We struck one of those places," volunteered Sam, "and we had quite a time of it. Well, so-long," and he and his companion seemed to hover around Mr. Cameron as though they were afraid he would let out something of the secret that had already been told, had they only known it.
Good-nights were said, and the three disappeared in the darkness. The chums stood for a moment silent about their dying camp fire.
"Well, what do you know about that?" asked Paul.
"Those men are just like guards," said Dick. "Uncle Ezra, or his agents, must be afraid Mr. Cameron will go back on his promise."
"If it was a promise given under misrepresentation then he is released from it--that holds in law," said Paul.
"I believe it does," agreed our hero. "I hope I get a chance to speak to him to-morrow. The idea of hiding him away out in this desert to prevent him from going to court. It's outrageous."
"Do you think he'll testify for Mr. Wardell if you show him the facts?" asked Paul.
"I sure do. Well, let's turn in. To-morrow will be another day. There's a lot of hard work ahead of us."
They were up early the next morning, the night having passed without incident, though Grit growled several times as though intruders--human or otherwise--were about the camp. But he gave no decided alarm, and the boys did not pay much attention.
Soon after breakfast they resumed work on getting the auto out of the clinging sand, by using the canvas strips. While they were engaged on this, Mr. Cameron and his two guards came up.