At Whispering Pine Lodge

ade this clear enough, for each of the trio before starting "on the jump," as Bandy-legs descr

lots of things besides a hanging bee." On his part Toby had stooped down and possessed himself of the camp hatchet; if it proved that Steve was being attacked by a bobcat he fancie

l came, louder than ever, every fellow was straining his vision to be the first t

the object of their solicitude. He seemed to be standing nearly waist-

s, "he's only struck a mud turtle, or something like that, and wants us to come

-w-woppin' b-b-big fi

ped Max. "He needs help

see no savage animal attacking their comrade; nor was there any vast disturbance in the water, as though some marine monster m

to keep up that violent exertion just to please some silly whim on the part of the fisherman, w

you see how deep he's in? Pretty

silly has gone and waded deeper than he meant to,

t!" Max told him

ered Toby, thrilled by this new myster

ip on him," cried Max, "and he

quicksand, then!" e

g about out there in the little stream, both boys could easily see that May evidently spoke the truth. So those

stream. Steve out there, with the shallow water coming now up

eems like I've gone and got into a nasty pic

to instantly start forward wh

only get yourself in the same boat, if you stood there and tried t

u. Every time I try to get one foot up t' other goes down three inches further, because I have to bear all my weight on it. This is no laughing ma

u were sinking you had thrown yourself sideways, and started to crawl or roll, regardless of how wet you got, you might have made it, for in that way you'd have presented more of your body to

" pleaded the

"because there's positively no

you mean to do, Ma

olding up the article in question. "It's going to save time, too, because one of us would hav

ing me down I guess in less'n a quarter of an hour the water would be up to my chin. And then, oh! fe

by a movement on the part of the one o

reassuringly. "Once I get above you and we'll make good use of this rope of mine. The limb will act as a lever, and

tched operations anxiously. Despite the positive assurance conveyed in these words from his chums, the terrible grip of that clinging sand made him cold with apprehension. He imagined all sorts of th

nimble boy could do, he quickly fashioned a slip-noose at one end of the rope. This he lowered until Ste

he knot around so it will be exactly in front. Then, when I give the word for the boys to commence heaving, you work both legs as hard as ever you can. It's going to help, m

o, Max, I sur

he fortitude he could command. Afterwards perhaps Steve might sometime or other even laugh, as he remem

rybody?" ca

reply from three pairs of

u'll hurt Steve more than is necessary. Steady there, Bandy-legs, n

ht think he was practicing swimming lessons. It must have given him more or less physical pain to feel

gs!" called out Max. "How about it

other. "Please get busy again right away.

the team ashore started in. Now their task seemed lighter, as though, having succeeded in dragging their chum up

the water. He gave this a last suggestive kick and then

t you can easily hunch along like I do, and get to the main trunk. It's all over but the shouting, Steve;

d the other, carrying out the suggestion, and thus freeing

ms each gravely shook hands with him. Steve was already ge

un that I just stood too long in one place, catching them and tossing the beauties ashore; and so when I tried to move, why, I couldn't to save my life. It felt like a gi

time of their arrival; but not wishing to harrow his feelings any further just then they kept this to

r that they had quite enough for a meal; consequently Steve announced

would be necessary to construct some such brush shanty shelter every night unless they could find a convenient ledge under which a camp could be made. But

finished, and pronounced equal to any they had ever built before. It might not prove wholly rain-proof, but as for keeping

eed, Max and his companions were far from being green to the ways of the woods. They had learned heaps through their many camping experien

to the Adirondacks. Bandy-legs could not seem to get over his bel

l be, and continue to exist. "All we know is that when this boy, Roland Chase, left Sagamere, almost two years back, he was a sickly, white-faced chap, and with only one decent trait about him, which was his love for outdoors; th

per Jim in the

unken old guide named Shanks somewhere around Mount Tom district. And now we've come up this way in the hope of crossing his trail. Not that I've got much expectation myself that we'll be sure to find this sa

ll be the first time on record that we've really been stumped. I don't believe in hard-luck stories. As a rule success comes o

ms to go wrong. Even Bandy-legs took on a more cheerful air, and brightened up after hearing Max say this. They had more or less reason to feel proud of the record they had made in the past, so far as accomplis

ffect that never had a higher price been paid for a mess of fish than he offered up when he found himself made a prisoner of the unseen giant residing under the quicksands; but

tisfied, as is usually the case, when the appetite has been taken

ions of the other. "Think you see a ghost; or was it a 'coon whisked

and as usual when excited made

e's s-s-somebody-oh! look for yourselves and

s ungovernable vocal organs that he would get angry

hope that the newcomer would prove to be the very boy whom they had come so far to find; but if this were so he must have almost immediately discovered his mistake, for the other was a sun-b