"And now it looks like we might have these 'varmints,' as old Jesse Wilc.o.x, the trapper, calls them, on our hands, as well as the wonderful ghost mystery to solve."

"The more, the merrier, Will. Give me excitement all the time when out in the forest. It's quiet enough at home, and in school. Me for the merry life, and plenty of thrills," sang Bluff.

After getting old Peter harnessed up they resumed the interrupted journey. When noon came they were within a couple of miles of the place for which they were headed, and it was determined not to make a halt, but keep on until their goal had been gained.

The Sunset Mountains proved to be of considerable dimensions when one approached close to the foothills known as Oak Ridge, on account of the forest that covered the slopes. The scenery was quite wild, and all of the boys decided that they had missed it in not coming here on one of their former outings.

They allowed Frank to select a camping spot. His knowledge of such things was of great value to the chums while afloat in the wilderness.

Experience is ten times better than all the book learning one can muster.

As the day was pretty well spent by the time things had been arranged to suit the particular head of the expedition, none of the boys felt like wandering far from the cozy fireside that afternoon.

"To-morrow we can take up the game in earnest, fellows. I went to see Caleb, at the lock, and he told me about his adventure. Wait till I get a chance, and I'll only too gladly let you hear it. But be ready to tie down your caps, for as sure as you live it's bound to make your hair try to stand on end like the quills on the back of a fretful porcupine,"

observed Jerry while they were busily engaged in the first preparations for supper.

"Wow! That tickles me!" announced Bluff. "After our experiences over on old Wildcat Island, I seem to just hanker after thrills. I wonder----"

And instead of finishing his story he cast a loving glance toward his gun, which happened to be leaning up against an adjacent tree at the time, and within arm's length of the proud owner.

"There you go again, you bloodthirsty savage, wondering if this poor, inoffensive ghost, which hasn't hurt anybody, that I've heard, could stand up before that Gatling gun of yours. Be careful, my boy. This may be another Prince Bismarck, who believes that his mission in life is to play Hamlet's ghost scene. You might be sorry if you fired first, and investigated afterward."

Will's remark was caused by the fact that while in camp above the lake, in the preceding fall, they had come in contact with an eccentric character who had escaped from the asylum at Merrick, and who persisted in believing himself to be the one great Bismarck, carrying out the part with wonderful fidelity.

The supper progressed fairly well under the joint care of Bluff and Jerry, who had insisted upon showing what they had learned since the time the four chums sat around a glowing campfire on their previous outing.

Will was busily engaged tinkering with his camera, and dreaming of the new pictures he hoped to get on this trip, to add to the alb.u.m containing the records of the club's outings.

Frank lounged in a comfortable place, idly watching the busy workers at the fire, and smiling at several things they did which long experience told him would have to be rectified ere they could hope to call themselves veterans in the art of getting up a camp dinner that a Maine guide might envy.

The heat of the fire was not unpleasant just then, for, as has been said before, the weather was singularly cool for early July. Frank felt a trifle drowsy. He allowed his eyes to droop several times, only to open them again as one of the cooks dropped enough of his pride to sing out and ask how a certain thing should be done.

Once, however, Frank found his eyes wide open, and without a query from either Jerry or Bluff, who had their heads together, tasting something they were concocting, and with which they meant to surprise their comrades.

Frank had chanced to be looking at the bark of a tree as he sat there, when, to his surprise, something began to project from the same. Even as he stared, a stick that was thrust out speared the loaf of bread that chanced to lie close by, and after it was raised from the ground it began to quickly vanish around the tree!

CHAPTER V

JED, THE RUNAWAY BOUND BOY

"Say, fellows, there goes your bread! I bet the ghost has got away with it!" sang out Will, at that juncture, proving that he had also seen the disappearing act.

Frank was already on his feet, filled with indignation. Once before had he known a supper to vanish mysteriously, when a couple of hoboes let down a rope over a little bluff, and by dexterously working a hook at the end of the same, caught up a kettle of stew, which was thereupon drawn up to satisfy their appet.i.tes.

"Hold him, Frank, ghost or no ghost. I'm with you!" bellowed Jerry, as he started after the other, while Bluff made a dive for his gun, that being the one thing ever uppermost in his mind when trouble came.

Frank appeared in view, and not alone.

He carried the loaf of bread under his arm, but his other hand was twisted in the shirt collar of a small boy, writhing and twisting in his grasp.

"Say, he's got him!" shrieked Will in delight. "Oh! if you would only let me get my camera out and snap you off that way, Frank!"

"Talk to me about quick action!" sang out Jerry. "That pard of mine has them all beat to a frazzle. Lightning isn't in it with him, fellows."

Frank came forward with his unwilling captive. It was noticed that he made no attempt toward hurting the boy, save that he held him in a grip that nothing could break.

"How's this?" exclaimed Jerry, looking again. "Don't appear to be any of that measly crowd Pet Peters trains with. Can this be the terrible ghost of Oak Ridge?"

Bluff burst out into a roar.

"Say, I know that shaver, all right! It's Jed Prouty!" he declared.

"And who might he be when at home?" asked Frank, still holding onto his prize.

"Know old Farmer Dobson, Jerry? Well, this is his bound boy. I saw him working when I went out to carry a message from dad, and I felt sorry for any chap who had to knuckle down under that old skinflint and tyrant. Say, I bet you he's run away!"

"And he must have been awful hungry, in the bargain, for he was tearing at our loaf of bread when I caught up with him," said Frank, causing the other to be seated, after which he removed his clutch.

The boy had a small, weazened face. He looked frightened as he crouched there, his eyes turning from one of his captors to another. There was also something of pleading in his gaze that touched Bluff.

"Look here, Jed, we ain't going to hurt you. Why didn't you come straight into camp and tell us, if you were hungry? Think we would give you over to the tender mercies of that red-faced farmer, eh? That ain't our way. Supper's just ready, and we invite you to stay and share it, eh, fellows?" he said heartily.

"Them's my sentiments," declared Jerry, with more emphasis than grammar.

"Of course he's quite welcome. After he's had enough to eat he can tell us his story, and we'll try and advise him whether to go back home or stay away," said Frank kindly.

"Ain't got no home. Wouldn't run away if I did. Looky here what he done to me," and eagerly the little fellow threw himself out of the ragged cotton shirt he was wearing.

"Wow! That's fierce!" cried Jerry as he saw the red welts on the bare back of the fugitive bound boy.

"It's an outrage, and the big brute should be made to answer for it in a law court. No matter if this boy is bound out to him, the law will protect him. You know that, Jerry. Your father is a lawyer, too,"

observed Frank, quite as filled with horror as his chum, though not as demonstrative.

"And I'm going to put it up to him. Dad will stand back of this poor chap, and see he has his rights. He must be taken away from old Dobson and put in the care of a decent farmer, who will treat him white,"

continued Jerry, waxing enthusiastic over the situation.

The boy sprang over to him, and his whole expression was one of grat.i.tude.

"Thank you! Oh! thank you! That is all I want. I mean to do the right thing, but I'm only a poor, weak boy, and he wants me to do a man's work. I don't get enough to eat to make me strong. Oh! I've been wishing I could die, but now, somehow, I feel different. If you could only take me away from him. He beats me, and I'm awful sore!" he exclaimed.

"That's all right, Jed. Don't worry any more about it. We're going to stand back of you after this," said Jerry soothingly.

"But he's somewhere up here, looking for me. I saw him only to-day, and his big foreman, too. They carried blacksnake whips, the kind that cuts so bad. They will come here and take me away, and laugh at you, no matter what you say. Give me something to eat, and let me run away into the mountains, even if I starve to death."

Bluff laughed aloud.

"Oh, they will, eh? Well, let 'em try it. They'll find that two can play at a game like that, and that guns are much better to win with than whips," and he pointed to his beloved weapon as he spoke.