athletic track team that
expected to compete with the other schools, happened to be the best
short distance runner in Mechanicsburg. Thus it would be most of all to
his interest to have Colon fail to take part in the meet. Fred bore this
in mind when trying to figure out whether the problem could be solved in
this way.

Meanwhile Wagner came on, still whistling merrily. He did not look like
a guilty conspirator, Fred thought; but then it is not always safe to
figure on appearances in such a matter.

Now the boy was almost directly opposite the place where Fred and his
four chums lay concealed. If they expected to surround him, there was no
more time to be lost.

"Hello! Wagner!"

With the words Fred jumped out from the sheltering bushes. The others
were just as spry, and almost before Wagner knew it they had formed a
complete cordon around him. Had he thought of running, it was now too
late, for retreat was cut off. But Wagner just stood there and stared at
them, his face showing signs of either real or cleverly assumed wonder.

CHAPTER XI

THE HAUNTED MILL

"Well, this is a surprise!" remarked Felix Wagner, as he continued to
stare at the five Riverport fellows who had leaped out so suddenly from
the brush alongside the road, and completely surrounded him.

Fred was keeping his eyes on the other's face. He had expected to see
Felix appear confused; but, strange to say, he was nothing of the sort.

"You just believe me, it is a surprise, all right!" exclaimed Bristles,
half elevating one of his clenched hands menacingly.

Wagner observed the threatening gesture. He looked from Bristles to the
rest of the group by which he was encircled. Then a grim smile broke
over his face.

"Hello!" he said, briskly; "seems to be catching don't it? Our new
doctor over in Mechanicsburg says one disease can be cured by a dose of
the same sort of trouble. He's different from the old fashioned kind of
doctors. I heard about what happened to your friend, Colon; a man in a
car that I knew, stopped me about a mile up the road and asked me if I'd
seen anything of him. Then he told me about how he had disappeared in
the queerest way ever. And now it looks like you wanted to put me in the
cooler, so there wouldn't be any sprinting at all to-morrow. Well,
you've got me, boys. Now, what do you want?"

"Sounds pretty nice, Felix, but it won't wash," grunted Corney, shaking
his head as if to indicate that he did not believe o