The Strange Cabin on Catamount Island

e the last of the excited Bandy-legs' complaint had sounded, five shivering

in after it, than from any great expectation of finding a use for the weapon. And then again, its appearance would go far

erhaps induce it to flare up, so as to give them more light; but it seemed that the other was

his novel weapon after the manner of a baseball club, should a vicious bobcat emerge

he camp fire, so that when it blazed up, which immediately happened, there was no longer darknes

ked Max, turning on Band

on me like a flash, and grabbed me by the leg. Seemed like he was changed into a big striped tiger, then and there, for he started to drag me away, like he meant to eat me up. I got hold of the leg of the table, and held on

piece of skin as big as a fifty-cent piece below my elbow, I'll be glad, believe me. Bet you I'll be black and blue for a week of

d you," remarked Toby, "he s-s-s

ling up the sleeve of his pajamas to see what the damage might really be. "If he's going to dream about cats going mad, and bust

ou see. Somethin' did grab me by the leg, and try to pull me out of the tent! If I'd been scared

ard to convince, "talk is c

ll, t

loose pajamas. He did so with a certain amount of confidence, as though he felt positive t

t?" demanded Bandy

variety of exclamations attested to the fact th

as anything!" commen

tim, energetically, determined to clinch matter

they are," Max

of my pajamas," suggested Bandy-legs, satisfied to have cleared himself of the charge o

ued, "but it looks like something had had hold of

x. Say, didn't I tell you that if there was anybody goin' to be e

u know we've got a good rope along, and if you only choose to take the trouble

. He made Bandy-legs show him just where he had been lying, and as it was between the other pair, it

ntern, which Owen had lighted, and seemed to be tryi

remarked, "but we've moved about so much

catamount?" asked B

an tracks!"

that gripped hold of Bandy-legs, and tried to yank him out of the tent, I'd be willing to wag

mystery of the night assault seemed to give the victim more or less comfort. He could stand being made an object of attack on

ore sleep?" asked Steve, who was shivering; because the air seemed

onceived a notion that he would feel ever so much safer if awake, and dressed, than ly

of day," and he pointed to the east as he spoke, where, upon looking, the others could see a f

ole night's gone!" decla

nto the tent to get some of his ordinary garments,

g before the camp began to assume a busy app

tion for breakfast, all of them owning up to being hungry for the ham

lly come, Max seemed to

with this, Owen," he remarked. "I'l

to where the canoes lay up on the beach, and launching one of the smaller canvas ones, paddle off. And as he saw Max move along close to the

s given, Max returned, and drew the little

ur himself a tin cup of coffee, his platter having been already

even stopped eating, hungry as they were, to

e the best way I could, for signs of some boat, or to see where one had landed last night, but I didn't get a glimpse of

ed Shafter was such a good wood

contents, that tasted better than anything he ever got at home, where they had thick cream, and del

looked wo

ad been an animal after all, what about those six other nights he would hav

g to do about it?" dema

blessed old island looks like. And perhaps we might find out a few things before dark comes on again. As I said a while ago, o

outed Steve,

o stick it out!" a

ching some cold biscuits they had fetched

aces of his chums. It made considerable difference, too, now that the bright dayli

f bein' chawed up by savage tomcats that roam about here. But, Max, if we go nosing around to-day, I want to keep close to you, and

anything, when we once get the hang of things. Ain't it always that way, Max? Didn't it look easy to the old feller

; and I'm glad to see how

ore gun. He carried in his hand a ferocious-looking fish spear, which he had mounted on a pole about ten feet long. Owen had the hatchet; Toby the long-bladed knife which they used to cut

see what the island with the bad name contained. If they happened to run against some w

e saw his chums lined u

at the lot of weapons we carry, you'd think we expected to have a battle for the possess

such things makes a fellow fe

if you keep on trying to poke that blooming four-pronged stabber into my eyes, like you've been doing,

. Somehow, no one seemed to consider the possibility of their camp being invaded during their absence. The eatables had been hung up, so that hungry wild-cats mig

n let alone by mankind, Nature had kept on increasing the wild tangle of vines, bushes and saplings that filled the spaces between the larger trees

Squirrels abounded, and even a raccoon was sighted, while Max declared that he felt sure he had a

of a few harmless small snakes the island seemed to hardly deserve the terribly bad name it had gained as a breeding spot

often tripped over roots, or found themselves twisted up in vines that hung down from the trees, when Max, who led the van, turned

cks forward in the endeavor to learn just what it was tha