same time elevating both hands above his head, in which l

me it could be seen that they appeared more or less surprised on account of discove

nge of a sneer in his voice. "If so I want to

e two men in uniform, who seemed to be huffed over something, perhaps the

ked Hugh, as pleasantly as he could, for he realized that these men must represent s

, and Hugh saw that he had better address himself to this per

e idea of being forced to keep his hands elevated in such a fashion, just as

a couple of days camping out. Besides that one of us has been commissioned to take some pictures of an old deserted mansion not far away from he

o impress him very favorably, for the expression of distrust quickly fade

to his companion. "These young chaps don't look like they'd have a hand in

e Billy's eyes were like small editions of sa

up there, and he managed to escape by the aid of his money and the help of some friends outside. Men are searching the whole country over for signs of him. We

eing that Billy for one was getting very red in the

produce proofs that you're what you claim. Then if everything is O.K. p'raps now you might invite a couple of hungry and tired guards to hang around a w

he pangs of hunger. "Sure, we'll invite you to stay with us to lunch. Luckily my policy of alwa

f suspicion he had at first entertained toward Hugh and his chums. In fact, he even stood

been a little startled when the demand was first made that they should surrender, an

come. Billy, however, seemed to consider it always in order to think of such an important subject as "preserving life"; for that was what he was pleased to call eating. No one ever heard

e watched these preparations going on. He also aske

mething about a batch of Oakvale scouts that helped the people over in La

any particulars of what had happened in the imperiled town at the time of their visit, though those boys from Oakvale

ek in Chester they were talking about how some scouts had helped fight the for

st out his left hand

, I got that up there fighting the fire on the mountain tha

in the temporary camp. "I'd like to wager that there must have been some tall doings when you got busy with the water pails. I've been on the

though a sudden suspicion might have struck him, "it doesn't hap

Billy, as he comprehended the nature of the idea

wever, shook his h

to the asylum. Then his folks tried every way they knew how to get him free. At last a scheme was hatched up so he could make a break for liberty. Well, their plans have succeeded. He's

!" said Alec

y loud in a case like

o enjoy it. Billy in particular seemed very m

ense amount of food the generous fat scout had cooked. "This is the first time, however, we've had for guests a couple of gentlemen guard

s companion, "wouldn't mind if a prisoner managed to break away every day in

ssertion, though his mouth being so full at the ti

ir everlasting regret, they felt compelled to bid the friendly scouts good-bye

They had another clue that was worth following up, for those who were fortunate enough to recapture the escaped prisoner would be in lin

ed himself with his development tank, anxious t

at seemed to come from

how to stow stuff away, and then not half try. Why, they acted as if they were hollow clean down to th

to see people eat heartily all the time? We've alway

men--they were cannibals, regular human graveyards, I should say, by the way the stuff disappeared down their throats. If they drop around again to-night I reckon ou

ey would be miles away long before night set in. T

e conversation to c

r did; and my stars, but that lens does cut fine! It was a lucky day for me when Aunt Susan got tr

s, since it would save Alec the troub

idday meal, as he felt he had earned a rest. At the

inst raiding tramps, mewing owls, ghosts in the night, and guards hunting for an escaped insane criminal. Besides, there are still a few more hours left for a new batch of e