As yet it was manifest that neither party of approaching men had become aware of the coming of the others.

“There they go!” exclaimed George excitedly when Zeke and his companion disappeared from sight.  “Maybe they won’t be back here until after the other fellows have left.”

“Don’t you worry,” spoke up Fred.  “The other fellows aren’t going to leave and that’s the worst of it.  What shall we do?”

“We shan’t do anything until we have to,” said Grant.  “It will be money in our pockets to keep silent in seven languages.”

“There they are now!” exclaimed Fred in a low voice as the two white men approached the camping place.

“We’re hungry,” explained the man with the scar.  “Give us something to eat.”

“You haven’t eaten all there was in that pack already, have you?” demanded Fred.

“What are you talking about?  What pack do you mean?  We haven’t got any pack,” replied the visitor.

“You haven’t now.  What did you do with it?”

“You’ll have to explain what you mean.  You ’re talking in riddles, as the poet says,” sneered the stranger.  “All we want is something to eat and I’m thinking you’ll cook it for us pretty quick.”

“I understand it’s the law of the desert,” spoke up Grant, “that any one who comes into your camp has to be fed.”

“Sure it is,” said the man glibly.

“But there isn’t anything in that law,” continued Grant, “which says what kind of stuff we’ve got to feed you.  My advice to you is to keep right on your way and not stop here.”

“That’s just what we’re not going to do,” laughed the other man loudly.  “We’re hungry and you’re going to feed us.”

“Is that so?” retorted Fred.  “Perhaps you’ll tell us when we’re going to get the meal.”

“You ’re going to get it now and there isn’t going to be any fooling about it either.”

“Do you want your ice cream before your dinner or after?” inquired Fred mockingly.  “How about your coffee?” he added.  “Will you have a demitasse or a bowl?”

For a moment the man stared blankly at Fred and then apparently convinced that his demand was not to be complied with he advanced savagely upon the Go Ahead Boy as he said, “We don’t want no more fooling.  You get us something to eat.”

At that moment Grant nodded positively to Fred, an action which was not seen by their visitors.  Puzzled by the direction of Grant, Fred hesitated a moment and then without a further word began hasty preparations for a meal.

A fire was kindled, although all the wood in the camp was required for the purpose and in a brief time he poured into the boiling water the remaining contents of a broken box of cereal.

It was plain that the visitors both were as hungry as they declared themselves to be.  They were watching the actions of the boys so keenly that they were neither of them aware of the approach of Zeke or Thomas Jefferson.