The Strange Cabin on Catamount Island

nson dared you,

hat he di

n Catamoun

we did have nerve enough to make the try, he'd g

th a while ago by some silly noise they thought was a ghost, they

t's what the

ick it out, do they? What did you tell Herb?

the chums, my cousin, Owen Hastings, Toby

he dare. Why, I'd start this bles

hey all call you 'Touch-and-go Steve Dowdy.' But come along, and let's get

can we be ready to go,

other boys are willing, I guess we might get off at noon to-morrow. It wouldn't take long to lay

se of having a chum whose daddy is the leading grocer in Carson if he can't look after the suppli

d, as he kept pace with his ne

r, you know, Max. Gee! I hated like everything to let my motorcycle go; but the folks put their foot down hard, after that second accident to our chum, Bandy-legs;

ats," was the sensible way the other put it. "Here's Ordway's drug

evening when the two boys met down in front of the hardware store, where a brilliant light burned all night long

could talk as well as any one of his four chums; then again, especially when excited, he would have a serious lapse, being compelled to resort to his ol

ther had left quite a little fortune for him when of age; until Mr. Hastings took hold of the case, had the court depose Unc

other. "Say, can't you hike down t

his voice beginning to

n get there," was

pet now, tell me, Max?"

drug store. We've got a scheme for a little outing in our canoes, and

-b-be there!" ex

use he knew Toby would hold him indefinitely if once he go

de, the boys understood there must be something out of the common on tap, and their curiosity was therefore excited. They would have been at the place of meeting, even though they fo

had been brought to the 'phone and asked to join the rest fo

oth, "and hustle around to the little boathouse my splendid dad bought for u

y walked out of the store. "I reckon all t

ings up. Why, just as like as not even poor old Bandy-legs is tumbl

hum going than Bandy-legs Griffin. In a pinch he'd stand by you to the limit, no matter what happened. But hurry, Max; as we did the callin

s coat sleeve. "Rome wasn't built in a day, you know. We'll get there jus

ahead there, I think," su

ause every fellow has a key, and if any one got in ahead o

the other; "but as there wasn't any answer, I g

ut here we are at the door now, and as

when Max had started a couple of lamps to burning the prospect was cheery enough. Several canoes were ranged in racks along one

ned it to admit a panting boy, whose short lower extremities had a positive inclination to pattern

fellow, looking very like his cousin Max;

eathers means?" demanded Owen, as the five gathere

on, and in this place during the next winter keep all their magazines

arson boys, had challenged them to spend a certain length of time on Catamount Islan

n, and early fall, had conceived the notion that perhaps the mussels, or fresh-water clams, that could be found, particularly along the Big

with which they enjoyed a few runs. Then, as Steve had remarked so forlornly, Bandy-legs being so clumsy with his mount as to have a few accidents, which, however, had not been serious, the

eir perfect willingness to take up the dare, if only to show Herb that there was a

e seemed to simply let the others do the talking, though when a vote was taken upon whether or not they should accept

demanded the impetuous Steve, quick to notice that the other was no

r pluck up the nerve to stay a night on that blooming island. Why, ever since I c'n remember I've heard the tallest yarns about it. Some say it's just a

t believe there's any truth in it, any more'n that story about ghosts, and queer

you just like a red flag does on a bull. But it's

addle up there in five ho

for the stuttering boy was to be his mate in the double canoe, which could ho

se," the other managed

current is pretty strong in places, and the island lies a good many miles off. Everybody be on hand early to

, when passing a house where a light gleamed from a window, this figure came for just a second in the shaft of light; so that had any one of the five