“I am afraid that this tent is going to be dangerous for me,” said Stubbs, slowly.  “I shall remain here no longer.”

“What!  Not going to leave us, Stubbs?” exclaimed Chester.

“Yes,” returned the little man quietly.  “If I remain here I’m liable to wake up dead some morning, and I wouldn’t like that.  There’s an expression in New York that hits me just right.  ‘Safety first!’ I’m going to get out of this tent, and I’m going to get out right now, while I’m all together.”

He hurried to the far side of the tent and got his belongings together.  Then he moved toward the door.  There he paused a moment, as if undecided, then walked up to Hal and extended a hand.

“Good-bye, Hal,” he said quietly.  “I may not see you for some time and then again it may be soon.”

Hal took the hand as he said: 

“Look here, Stubbs, we don’t like to lose you.”

“I know, I know,” said the little man, “but it will be better for all concerned.”

He approached Chester and extended a hand to him also.

“Come now, Stubbs,” said Chester.  “Drop those things back down there and go to bed.”

“Not much,” replied Stubbs grimly.  “I’m going to hunt a safer spot than this.”

He released Chester’s hand and made his way to the door.  There, just before moving away, he turned and spoke.

“Boys,” he said, “we’ve been pretty good friends, the three of us, haven’t we?”

“You bet we have, Stubbs,” returned Chester warmly.

“We certainly have, Mr. Stubbs,” Hal agreed.

“All right, then,” said the little man.  “You both have been good enough to tell me once or twice that I have been of some service to you.”

“You certainly have, Mr. Stubbs,” declared Hal, “and anything we can do to repay you—­”

“Never mind that,” said Stubbs with a wave of the hand.  “All I want to say is this:  If, at any time, within a day or two or within a month or two, I do anything you don’t like, anything that puts you to some inconvenience—­you will know that I am doing it for your own good—­because I am fond of both of you and don’t want to see you get in trouble.”

“Say, Stubbs, what on earth are you talking about?” asked Chester in great surprise.

“Never mind what I’m talking about,” returned Stubbs, half angrily.  “I just want you to remember what I am saying.”

“We’ll remember, if that will do you any good,” said Chester, “but I wish you would tell me what it is all about.”

“I may not be talking about anything, and then I may be talking about a whole lot,” was Stubbs’ enigmatical response.  “Time will tell.”

“Time will tell what, Mr. Stubbs?” demanded Hal.

“Oh, rats!” said Stubbs.  “I haven’t time to stay here and talk to you fellows all night.  Just remember what I said.  That’s all.”

He stepped out the tent and was gone.

Hal and Chester gazed at one another in the utmost surprise.