ection of the noise."

"And run straight into the hard, swift punch that is behind that
noise!" muttered Danny Grin, with one of those facial contortions
that had earned him his nickname.

"Whoever starts to playing with a boy's curiosity must be ready
to abide by the consequences," chuckled Prescott. "Now, if anyone
has started something against us, then we'll run the rascal to
the earth."

"You don't suppose it's Dodge's work?" whispered Greg.

Before Dick could answer Darrin broke in with an emphatic:

"Not much! The lake mystery affair is one of too large calibre
for Bert Dodge's poor, anaemic brain. There's something bigger
and smarter than a mere Dodge behind the doings of this night."

"It's one o'clock, fellows," said Dick, after walking over to
the lantern for a glimpse at his watch. "Tom, Greg and I will
stay up until three o'clock and be ready to jump out together
at the first sign of anything happening. The rest of you turn
in and get some sleep. We'll call you at three o'clock and then
take our turn at the pillow."

"You'll call us, of course, if anything happens?" asked Dave.

"If another powder mill blows up," chuckled Tom, "you won't need
to be called. You'll be out here on the jump."

Dave, Dan and Harry thereupon turned in. Knowing that others
were on watch the trio in the tent were all sound asleep within
five minutes.

Only the sighing of the wind through the trees, the occasional
splash of a leaping fish in the lake, and the subdued, musical
hum of tiny night insects came to the ears of Dick and his fellow
watchers.

Greg was soon yawning. Tom, for want of something better to do,
began describing all over again the strange apparition he and
Dalzell had seen that afternoon. Greg, finding the "creeps" in
Tom's narration to be stronger than the interest, shivered and
withdrew to a spot beyond the reach of Tom's whispers.

Not long after Greg, his back propped against a tree trunk, was
sound asleep.

Tom liked to talk. Prescott was a good listener, putting in a
question now and then.

So at least another hour passed. Then-----

Boo-oom!

That crash was so close at hand that it seemed as though the earth
must open.

Tom's first startled glance was at the sky. Then, with a whisking
sound, several fragments of something passed over their heads.

"We're being bombarded?" gasped Tom inquiringly.

"This is getting too noisy to be interesting," protested Greg,
waking an