The Strange Cabin on Catamount Island

that was?" demanded Bandy

ly, as if trying to recall just what he had read about th

ked Toby, actually forgettin

e, turning on the boy he addressed; for

I'm nearly as much in the dark as the rest

now what sort of racket a bobcat makes when he'

g sure to move still closer to the blaze; for he suddenly recollected th

t have much of a chance to make up my mind," Max went on; "but

ouragingly, "I guess we

ridges or quail, since summer was the off season for such things. And when Steve became excited he looked very warlike indeed. Why, Bandy-legs began to f

x; we're ready to hear

anything else I can think of!" was what

ve, making a move as though ready to spring aw

ve chum; "we'd like to know why you try to run off, when I remarked

away, but finally giving up the effort, "because I just know who it is

-rest of us'd l-l-like to know

, to leave us here without the gun, while you lost yourself i

little consci

eagerly. "And likewise silly in the bargain, because in this pitch darkness I'd like as not only stub my to

us yet who you believe it was made all that noise?

the other, stoutly; "because the fel

Shafter!" echoed B

gedly nodding his stubborn head up and down, as though the idea had s

ents of sudden need, it was noticeable how the

think that bunch of fellows'd take the trouble

" was the reply Max made. "The only question in my mind is, whether they'd have the n

l about what we expecte

der way. Then again either Shack, or some other boy in his crowd, must have managed to get into our clubhouse las

as boats in the bargain," commented Touch-and-go S

uld have been up in arms, and somebody might tell on them, which'd mean t

rop back into the comfortable position he had occupied at the time that

llowed the example of his campmates, by picking out a good place near the cr

cry to be repeated, or some other event come to pass. But as the minutes glided by without anything unusual happenin

he origin of the sound. Bandy-legs in particular was forever springing questions

nthers around here, M

mmodatingly. "Time was, of course, when they need to roam all about this region; yes, and

way out West on the plains, where they used to be seen in great big droves, before Buffalo Bill c

d in Kentucky you can read of them hunting buffalo. Seems they went in pairs or small droves at that time. Why, they used to get them for meat in the mountains

ted Bandy-legs, frankly. "I'm afraid of cats of all kinds the worst ever

feller all the sooner, and end the agony. But Max says he don't belie

some new question in connection with that shriek, which he would fire at Max, and demand an answer. When Steve trie

if we had to make a bolt for it, you've got running legs, and could put out at a whoopin' lick; but how about poor me? Woul

ame cropping up from time to time, and were mentioned, to be commented on. And never before had a blazing fire seemed more delightful than just the

tting sleepy. None of them had slept any too well on the preceding night, simply be

he began to fear lest Bandy-legs in particular would disloc

hile Max and Toby, taking a lot of the stuff along, had to sleep in the other, wasn't that it?" remarked Owen,

-what it was,

egs, as if relieved to know that he would have a companion o

, he'll have some trouble picking y

that in times gone by the other had spoken more than once of the strange fear he from childhood had

d Steve, who could say sharp things, a

boys knew just how to go to work in order to make themselves c

the night grew cooler. Besides, each boy had a rubber poncho in which the blanket could be wrapped during the day, to keep it from getting wet while in the canoes. This was always first

ir fire after the manner of a woodsman, so that it would burn for hours,

asked, feeling his o

ere the three chums lay; evidently Toby and Band

settled himself down to securing some of

n the range of his vision, he was not annoyed by its flickering. Now and then the flames would spring up, and t

lay down. Many pleasant things flitted through his mind, for the most part connected with past events in which he had fi

lamor, such as had possibly given Herb and his crowd their scare. Hence, being on the watch for some such alarm, Max was not al

tent. I'd have been a goner only I grabbed Steve here, and held on. Get a li