the
eating line."

"But it looks as if he came here alone, Elmer, seeing we can find only
one set of footprints," remarked Lil Artha.

"Oh! mercy! I certainly hope now he hasn't done anything _ter_rible to
our chum, Hen Condit," quavered Landy, in a panic.

"There's no reason why we should believe such a thing," announced
Elmer, decidedly; "we've already agreed that he possesses some sort of
strange power over poor Hen, and I suppose the boy is waiting in their
camp away from here, for the man to come back with provisions."

They walked back and the fire was revived, for since no one felt just
like trying to sleep again they concluded to sit up a while and talk it
all over. This attempted visit on the part of the unknown man had
apparently put a new face on the whole matter. It might change their
plans considerably, too, some of the scouts feared.

"I don't see why that should be," Elmer explained. "Of course, after
this we'll have to keep a watch every night, so as to hold him up if he
tries to get away with any of our stuff. It may hurry things along in
the end. If they have little to eat, and the man is really afraid to
go outside of the swamp thinking the police are waiting to arrest him,
he may make up his mind to surrender to us."

"Then you believe he knows why we're here, do you, Elmer?" demanded
Toby.

"It seems possible, although, of course, we have to jump at
conclusions, because we really don't know," came the answer.

"Whew! but this is all a dark mystery," confessed Landy; "and I never
was much account at guessing the answer to riddles. Who is this man;
what is he holding over Hen Condit's head; why should our chum do that
awful thing, and then leave such a silly letter behind to convict
himself? I'm all in a whirl, and if anybody can straighten me out I'd
be a heap obliged."

Apparently, nobody could, at least there was no effort made in that
direction. In fact, to tell the truth, all the boys felt that they
were groping in the gloom, and even their best guesses had only a
slender foundation.

"We've enlisted in the war, though," said Lil Artha, grimly, "and we
won't be kept back by any little thing. If that chap comes snooping
around any more he stands a mighty good chance of getting hurt, that's
all I'm going to say about it."

"And we'll run across Hen, sooner or later, you can put that in your
pipe and smoke it," asserted Toby Jones, firmly.

When they had discussed the subj