The Strange Cabin on Catamount Island

passed

ges on the island could not lure Max. They had stirred up quite a number while making that little hike toward the upper end of the place; and every time a bird was flush

find that an unknown prowler had paid them a visit in thei

ying themselves hugely. Why, even Bandy-legs tried to forget all the dreadful

along, to just naturally gravitate toward th

e water; and as his knowledge of such things lay in the form of book learning, while his cousin had had considerable expe

in, Max proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that a raccoon had crept up to the edge of the water at a place where an old log thrust o

Max pronounced the trail of a sly mink; which, with the fisher, is pe

the rod and line to some advantage. Perched on the end of another convenient trunk of a fallen tree that projected out over t

f losing a heap of sleep on the preceding night; and as there was no telling what the

a lead pencil; and seemed to be so wrapped up in whatever he was doing that he did not notice Max silently

a story, founded on that strange cabin, with its lichen-covered walls

nough for Max. With a broad grin he quietly laid it down, gave the industrious wri

een spread across that page, in letters that wer

ng six more days to be sp

l his troubles by laying out the m

attested to the fact that, impatient as he was in nearly everything else, at the same time he seemed to be a pretty fa

that he was cons

fisherman; "did the biggest get away, like it always does? Well, we'll believe you, never fear; especia

e deposited his catch on the ground, to be admired by Bandy-legs im

"There are four of us here, and we ought to be able to do th

did not lose his loo

" he remarked, "and never once remembered

ss of their chum could not be based on anyt

sing, all right, Steve. You must have seen som

limpse of several times to come up and get hold of my hook, when I happened to look across to the shore at just the wides

s left ankle, where those scratches still proved the truth of his story that so

ing I saw; and then a second appeared right at his elbow. They seemed to be mighty much interested in this here islan

ve, were they men or bo

Herb Benson; or it might be that t

visit from one or t'other of them crowds, p'r'ap

ight. Couldn't make it out first, and then all of a sudden it broke in on me that they had a pair of field glasses, and must be examining this island. That m

and wanted to keep out

asses, fellows? I might lie around, and keep tabs on that shore for a spell. Who kno

he tent, and came out with th

r they looked like men or boys?" he a

"but 'peared to me they were men, all right. And they seemed to be dre

iver. This is the time of year for the first brood to be big enough for shooting. The law opens for a short spel

uns that I saw," observed Steve

wo men could be, and just why they seemed to take such an interest in Catamount Island, were questions that the b

any success in his latest mission. Even the delightful odor of his freshly caught bass, cooking in the fryi

and fools rush in where brave men hesitate to tread"; which, however, must not be taken to me

case containing the glasses up in i

rmation, Steve, who was really brimming over with a desire to

e that it could have been any of

s accustomed to call his "cooking stove," these four resting on solid foundation of stones o

t?" he asked, slowly, as though the answer m

," replied St

l you several reasons for saying that. In the first place there would have been three if it was the Ted Shafte

remarked Owen, who w

en by the river in a boat they couldn't make it short of two hours; and traveling at night along the rapid Big Sunflower would be a ticklish job

the talk was wholly confined to the subject of the two mysterious men. Who were they, and why did they seem to be so greatly int

had much to do with his condition, for he shuddered every time he felt that scratched ankle give him a twinge. For Bandy-legs feared that he was a marke

noes lay upon the sandy strip, as though the desire to again examine

, for they happened just then to have started an argument alon

ambled to their feet, half expecting to find that some fearful shape had