Mr. Barker did not venture any advice, possibly because he feared it might not be safe to have too many guests at his house for the villagers to gossip about. "What about the house in the woods?" Bob finally asked. "Two fellows from Albany stayed there a couple of days, and then got tired of waiting. They took the train home last night." "Did they find anything?" "No; I went up to the big oak this morning, and there were no signs the ground had been disturbed since we left." Again Bob was silent, and when he finally spoke Jet was considerably surprised. "This part of the country is getting too hot for me, and I'm goin' to make a jump." "Where?" "Almost any place is better than layin' around so near. What do you say to a hunting trip in the Adirondacks, Sam?" "It would suit me. How much cash have you got?" "Enough to see us through." "Then I'm ready any time." "When can we leave here, Jabe?" "I don't reckon you want to go through Albany?" "Of course not, you fool." "Then at five to-morrow morning you'll get a train from here to Schenectady, and there are plenty out of there to take you into the mountains." "I don't fancy running around those big towns," Sam said, hesitatingly. "Very well, stay behind if you choose; I'm going," and Bob terminated the interview by walking toward the house. "It's something besides shoving the queer that's crawling on him now," Jabe said, as the short man passed out of hearing. "I reckon so; but at the same time I'm bound to be with him, for if there is a man in this country who can steer clear of trouble he is the one, and I don't care to be pulled on a charge of counterfeiting." Jabe made no reply, and a few seconds later the two followed their friend into the house, leaving Jet to ponder upon the magnitude of the task he felt bound to undertake. Not until everything was quiet did the boy venture to come down from his hiding-place, and then his plans were formed. "Between now and to-morrow morning I can walk fifteen miles," he said to himself when he had gained the highway once more, "and then I should be mighty near the junction. There I shall be able to telegraph at any hour, and have everything ready to board this five o'clock train when it comes along. But if we should reach the Adirondacks, and those fellows ever got hold of me there, it would be all up with Jet Lewis." It was, indeed, a desperate undertaking for him to follow these men into the wilderness where he could not call upon his friend for assistance; but never for a moment did he think of shirking the responsibility. His first move was to see the manager, and represent that he was going down the road a short distance, in order to prevent anything being said to the constable before the two men should leave. "I'll most likely meet you at the next town," he said, cheerily, as he went up stairs apparently to retire, and half an hour later he had slipped out of the house without being recognized by any one he knew.