Just let me handle him---and I'll do it by talking alone.
We mustn't use our fists."
"You've changed your tune wonderfully within the last few minutes,"
muttered Dave.
"If I have," Dick answered impressively, "it's because I know
something now that I didn't know a little while ago."
"And what's that?" asked Tom eagerly.
"I'll tell all hands presently," Dick answered mysteriously.
"Oh, fudge!" growled Darry, under his breath, for he was fully
as curious as Tom Reade had been.
But Dick walked on as briskly as his almost winded condition would
permit. So they returned to the place where Harry and Dan awaited
them. To these two Dick repeated his instructions in the unlikely
case of their meeting the thief during their walk back to camp.
Nothing was seen of the fugitive, however, and the boys picked
up Greg Holmes close to the little swimming pool.
"I knew I could not catch up with you fellows," explained Holmes,
"so I took the girls back to camp and then put in my time prowling
about here and trying to locate the marrow bones that the sneak
stole."
"Dick doesn't want us to hurt the fellow, if we run across him,"
said Dave grimly.
"Why not?" asked Greg, opening his eyes very wide.
"I don't know," sighed Dave.
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