gone, but he was not in sight. They listened to hear if he

arth," spoke Fenn. "But never mind. His keepers

ed Ned. "We had better be on the lookout f

, and, in the excitement of hauling out a number of fish,

rank, after a silence of half an hour foll

" ask

ng of P

all about it. What makes

nk, so solemnly that his chums

ever heard of a crazy person being loose in these woods before, and there's no lu

n Bart. "I read of one, once, that escaped, and was

fish?" asked Ned somewhat sharply. "If we're going to

added Fenn. "Let's fi

d gather wild flowers with so

as talking about a cra

ejaculated Ned, and he pull

ted Ned on his luck. Several other large-sized fish were pu

nty?" asked Frank.

cancy just beneath my belt," and he patted th

ng around the sandwiches there was a noise in the bushes behind where the lads were seated. They started, thinking it might be the

Jim," ca

o speak. "Bait?" he asked, with a motion toward his

started off fishing and depended on finding some one

ded, which the boys construed into a request that the bait can be passed

et it. The bait fell a little out of the lazy lad's reach. Instead of getting up for it he looked

little club until he could get his fingers on it, which took several minutes. Once it was in his hands

e direction of the river. The hook struck just on the edge of the bank on which Jim reclined, but he could not see this and

tch anything, Ji

t in, and I'm tired," res

o it for you

m, that probably

nce in a while Jim would turn his head and look at them

o his companions, and then

to the end of his fishing pole and then, moving silently through the

until the latter was poised right over Jim's head. Then he slowly

azy folks," observed

d unaware of its presence. Ned could not understand

boy opened his eyes, and saw the choice bit of cake directly over his mouth. It was coming right down to him, after the

me fun," wh

A happy look came over his face. He had his lips on th

ook on his face made the other boys burst into a roar of laughte

too lazy to get mad. Then

companions, all of them

aught something," suggested Fe

spoke Ned, and F

it. He fastened something to it and then gave the line a sudden yank. Jim had the pole tied to his wris

. The line came up with a suddenness that surprised him, as Fenn let go, and an old

it was. Then, with a disgusted look at the pl

ellow like that?" asked N

will pass him on the road, thinking Jim has already

putting away their tackle and adding some fresh wet grass to the

ut," suggested Frank. "

Ned. "I nearly got los

I can pic

e than a mile along the half-discernable path before

nake?" a

" was Frank's answer. "I wonder if I am on the wro

half hidden among the trees, was a small log cabin. It looked as though it ha

g painted over th

e, in brilliant red l

OF PA