Hal Kenyon Disappears

at had become

enture, and connected with it wa

itory that was being covered. As they finished the search on their divisions they met at the lower waterfall. The

words. "I don't believe anybody'll ever find it. I bet it

e a little piece of ground over there along the river bank.

there and hunt,

ght. Co

here took off their shoes and waded over. Arrived on the opposite sid

to walk along this steep place when we can't see plain. Let's

ht," agr

nding it necessary to hold onto a bush or a rock in order to keep from slipping or losing their balanc

was close to the fall, which proved even more magnificent from this side than from the other. The rocks were piled high and

out their voices. So they had to content themselves with gazing and pointing their fingers and nodding their heads eagerly.

ook behind. Hal's notice was first to be attracted to this peculiarity. Soon he was standing as clo

d looked over his shoulder. Then Hal put his

's a cave b

gly, and Hal continued in

the cave? It looks like a leather bag

houted in Hal's ear. "

uge projecting rock j

at and glanced off throu

o run back and inform Dr. Byrd, but a boyish ambition made him hesitate, and that hesitation was p

oys?" The idea was so tempting that he was unable to give it up. The ledge behind the fall was about nine feet from the edge of the flat rocky precipice on which th

to discover the very article he was wishing for. Projecting from a thicket near by was the end of a piece

t the first to find this place. Somebody else is using that ca

he heavy piece of lumber in the bushes. At least it would serve the desired purpose, and

ady to help him. The plank was heavy, but Hal was strong, and with a

s over," he screamed into Frank's e

and placed his hands on the plank. There really was no need of this, but it was a natural reque

ved by any of the other members of the searching company. However, the view of most of them was shut off by the high bluffs and ro

He was thinking of the glory that Hal was winning and he was losing. Why should they not share the glory alike? As soon as his companion reached

ly. "How the other kids'd look at me. And if any of

not what the youthful terrorizer would have wished. He was half kneeling, half sitting in an awkward and crampin

n into the chasm. And Bad almost went with it, but he caught himself at the edge of the precipice. For a moment he lay t

his feet; then with one terrified look behind him, he started on

ve killed Hal! Oh, what will I do? W

ped down and pulled off his shoes and stockings. As he

now he meant me. He could look right through me. I always felt

ther. Nobody saw us. I won't tell. I'll kee

thering a few hundred feet away. Mr. Porter had called them a few

ee his face plainly, or they would have noticed how pale he was. As a rule he was talkative, but now he did not speak at all, except to give the

ind much of the time, as if tired, in order that he might not be forced t

speak to the doctor or Mr. Frankland. He might have taken one of the boys aside and told his story to him, but Frank could not remember one of his schoolmates whom he had not threatened to "clean up" or "cl

m and then into the dining room and ate his supper in silence. His face was not so pale now, but his peculiar manner was observed by severa

slept in the dormitory, but on this occasion Mrs. Byrd and the matronly cook superintended affairs. Once or twice Frank a

n constructing the buildings of this mountain school, and for every

each, all on the first floor, so that it would

the same cause that made him sleepy. As for Frank, he never was more wide awake and had no idea of sleeping. He sat down on a chair and began to undress slowly, but there was a reason

that he was fast asleep, and the young watcher drew on his trousers again. He worked rapidly now, drawing on his stockings and shoe

r the window sill and dropped to the ground, a distance of only a few feet.

of balsam poplars along the east edge of the campus. After leaving the shadow of these, he found

a small animal shot out from a clump of junipers and darted across his path just behind him. Believing it to be a w

er. Like a scary horse he shied at every large rock

ool, even in the summer, and he did not become overheated. A few times he was forced to stop and walk for want of breath

the lost boy. On he ran, and as he neared the party ahead, he realized tremblingly that they were near the fatal waterfall. Now he began to wonder what he should do. He had had no plan in mind when h

ently the doctor and his companions moved away from the cataract and stopped within a few feet of the bushes, and there the boy heard their excited discu

intensely thrilled

added a new element of fear to the situation. But as he heard the strange

s place of concealment and started toward the waterfall. A dozen paces from the men he stopped, fearful