The Strange Cabin on Catamount Island

eve; and from the manner in which he said this, it was evident t

ingular relief when they discovered that

em tricky fellers ain't gone and bored more auger holes in my little cedar dinky! You never can tell. 'Pearances are often deceitful, remember, we used to wri

arently paying the least attention to him. They had hurried along, eager to get

stood there, with the little burgees flapping idly in the morning breeze. Possibly a wandering 'coon or a curious fox may have dropped in to i

scovery that set them to quiveri

'm dead sure I fastened it tight behind me; and I was

s!" whooped St

the state of affairs; and immediately a chorus of indignant ou

in here!" called out Steve, fr

at the stuff scattered around, would

other, and must have been frightened off by hear

just to their satisfaction. Max was always a fellow of few words; and as for Toby, he never could express himself intelligen

thing was thrown about, helter-skelter. Indeed, it looked as though the unknown thief must have been gathering together pretty much all their supplies in the shape of foodstuff, with the evident intent

ince no damage had been done to the precious canoes. And if it came to the worst, one of the campers could easily be dispatched to the home town to buy more pr

ain what the extent of the damages might be. And loud were the wailings of Bandy-legs when he heard that among the missing things was the splendid strip of bacon, on which he had cast

ile of provisions lying in the open center, where the eager intruder had thrown them. "He meant to just clean us out, that's what

e fact; but he did look queerly at Bandy-legs when he said this last

of canned goods, that ham that was only partly cut, and a number of packages con

only one, had an appetite that would beat Bandy-legs here all holler,

question, satisfied that if the truth cou

much as he could grab up in a big hurry when he heard us. Now, his first intention was to scoop in the whole business; you can see how he piled the

Max," remarked Owen, nodd

o excited to get his vocal cords in decent working order. He k

ickest to understand what the stammering boy

ve him just a week ago on his birthday. And he left it hanging there on that old n

his tent, as we were going off, that same sweater fell down off the nail. I stopped long enoug

; and in his case this was not a mere figure of speec

and see if there are a

and both the others nodded their head

esignated to handle the matter. His chums believed him capable of discover

e beginning that the task would be a difficult one, and

l like any made by their own shoes, seemed to tell where the

boys," he announced, afte

o you think, M

hefty one, too," replied the oth

ut ever once gettin' sight of the felle

it, that a big man'd wear shoes ever so much longer than a little man, or a kid? Well, look at th

er did see a bigger shoe print, honest now. And, boys, it ain't the nicest th

s?" demanded Steve. "How d'ye know but

at landin' anywhere along the shore. Fact is, the island is so rough that boats would find it pretty hard to land anywhere, but on this little beach right

ix more

one of his campmates thought it at all strange to hear him say these words calmly and evenly. Toby had been wrestling wi

more to find out how the others felt tha

after accepting that dare, a dozen critters like this one we haven't ever

oy was absolutely afraid of nothing that walked, flew, or crawled. He was as bold as a lion, but very indiscreet. He often reminded Max of

ut if it took all summer, Steve," he rem

body tell me what that big thief wanted with me last night, when he grabbed my leg, and started to haul me out of the tent? That's what

Steve, flippantly, as he pointed to Bandy-legs' rather plump lowe

ling. How could he ever go to sleep peacefully when expecting to be aroused suddenly by a terrible tug, and f

ve just got to come to tying myself to the tent pole every night Then if he drags me off,

-legs?" suggested Steve, just to te

rest of yer c'n stand havin' that sort of business goin' on, reckon I ought to hold out. But I

st what's gone!" called out Max, who believed in looking things sq

ore the visit of the unknown forager, who seemed destined to occ