The Strange Cabin on Catamount Island

they felt so much confidence, spoke those surprising

ing a finger gingerly into the little pile of gray ashes. Even Bandy-legs w

his hand, and commenced to blow the ends of his fingers. "Anyhow, I guess

ing that we didn't be

sting like fun," grumbled Bandy-legs,

hey must have made a little fire about dawn, to fry a part of a partridge by. And if that's be

e thing," ventu

ree fingers scorched; i

oys; I didn't believe much of it when they said it was ghosts u

u know it, Bandy

r to cook with, or else keep warm? Still, that awful howl w

hat subject while sitting around the camp fire on the previous evening, before

this," suggested S

declared Toby, spea

ing a clew that might tell us something about this queer old place, an

ned remarked, with a shade of disappointment in his voice; fo

s some tracks outsi

reat success there; because, when we came in I noticed that the ground was kind of poor for

closely examining the ground; again looking up at the swaying limbs of the overhanging

eve, presently; for he had been frettin

ng his back on the strange cabin with i

eased that they were going to make a move

able spot on all that island, and regretted ever having left it; though they could never ha

done this far, I should think," Max replied; "still, I'm ready to do whatever t

exclaimed T

re," fro

for whatever Max thought right, his cous

I don't just like being the only one on

we'll keep on to the upper end of the islan

en something!" cried Ba

groane

n't say a word; because he keeps turning the thing around so that a fellow don't dare call his life his own. See

ouble," remarked Bandy-legs, sweetly, as he suffered Steve to take the long pole out of his hands, place it on

Steve went on to say; "there's no telling what you might do, if you got excited al

aking their way slowly onward. At times they could not even see the sun that they knew: was shining above the l

le compass he carried all the time nowadays; for having been lost once upo

now his way in the forest. I can tell from the bark on these trees which is north; then the green moss on the trunks tells me the same thing; and even the general way the trees l

through the woods, and the things a fellow is apt to meet up with there. The more I hear you tell, th

hich was that in his opinion boys, or men either for that matter, who are hasty and impetuous by nature, never make clever

upper end of the island,"

im helplessly, as if he really expected to see signposts to th

e through the upper branches here, and we couldn't do that before. Besides, I've been keeping tabs on the distance we came, measured by paces

admiringly on Owen from that moment, as though he might be sh

he river it was easy to see where the stream became narrow again, afte

to go back that same way,"

tter keep right along the beach here, boys, and get back to camp as soon as we can. I reckon we've been gone m

e that way till you mentioned it, Max. Yes, let's lose no more time, but get a move on

nice for them, though?" commented Owen. "If we're lucky enough to get off scot

uch a thing would be in the nature of a terrible calamity

at himself for having made this slip, when the others all seeme

it to keep up with his more nimble companions; and came puffing along in the rear, sometimes

ust above where they had fixed their camp, and thus came in sight of the beach