The Chums of Scranton High on the Cinder Path

wing, boys, believe

stantly. "If you asked me right to my face I'd m

quarry, where there hasn't been a stroke of work done th

gh he, too, found himself exceedingly puzzled; "but I'm not in a positi

y!" assented

it perfectly awful!

who, it must be confessed, was trembling all over; of course, not with fear

along, I don't wonder some of them have been nearly scared out of their wits. It was bad enough in broad da

ne of the same. They had a great time breaking me of it, too. Even now I sometimes dream of queer things when I've got the nightmare, after eating too big a Thanksgiving dinner

e can continue our journey along this tough old road; or do you want to get

ch silly business. I came up here to get walnuts and such; and I'm meaning to stick close to

rd that sound," Hugh went on to remark;

in baseball, I reckon it's three times and out. Whatever it was let out t

ted to take a prowl around, and find out if I could what all the row

tio. "If you put it to a vote I don't believe anybody in this bunch would seem wild to back you up

ed to reply, so that there could be

, although the latter shrugg

a night there, and actually captured the ghost, who turned out to be just an ordinary man, living on a place adjoining the haunted estate. He owned up to being the pallid specter that had been giving the house such a bad name; and said he wanted to buy the pro

laughed at such a

ike that, K. K. But you might as well start on. We're only losing time here, and it

's what they call a song of the dying swan excuse me from ever listening to a

had once, no doubt, been kept in repair, when the heavy wagons carried out the bu

n. They could now see the cliff rising up alongside. It looked strangely bleak, for, of all things, there can hardly be a

g unrolled before their eyes. They noted how in places there seemed to be deep fissures along the abrupt face of the

, although, as a rule, he needed all his attention riveted on the rough road he was trying to fo

told him; "because the doctors in Scranton would have broken arms and legs ga

O

hat he must have pinched the other. At any rate, Horatio gave a jump, and turned white; just

away. "Think you're a ghost, Julius, and feel like bitin

gasped the said Julius, not deigning to qu

aring hard at the quarry, which t

ome on over. You needn't laugh, Steve Mullane, I tell you I saw it plainly right over yonder where that big clump of Canada t

an excited imagination, and that those who believe in uncanny objects seld

on the spot mentioned by Julius until the first clump of trees shut

ee move. Guess you've got a return of your old malady, Julius, and you

move, it was only a long, feathery plume of grass, nodding and bowing in the wind. I've been fooled by the same sort of object many a time. But let it pass, boys. We've turned our back on the old quarry now, and

"I hope never to set e

to time himself, and learn just what he can save by cutting across country in the big race. And I wouldn't be surprised if he put

other fellows go all the way around by road, that same thing may give Scranton High the clinching of the prize. It's all fair and square, too, for the conditions only demand

again. I haven't lost any quarry, that I know of; and Scranton is a good enough place for me to do my athletic exercises in. But, Hugh, if y

resent, my only concern is to gain time by this cut-off, and so win the big event

etours in order to navigate around some obstacle which could not be surmounted; for time had not de

the main highway leading down to Scranton must be close at hand. His words turned out to be true, and so

hat it was to be the exit, and not the entrance, to the short-cut, in