ck he had cut. Thus they reached
the doorway, which was wide open. Shep looked in, shielding his
head with one arm, for he did not know but what he might become
the target for anything the strange creature living there should
have in hand.

The place was pitch dark inside, and for the moment the doctor's
son could see nothing. But as his eyes grew accustomed to the
gloom he saw a broken table and an old bench, and several discarded
articles of culinary ware.

"Do yo---you se---see him?" whispered Giant. He was so agitated he
could scarcely frame the words.

Shep shook his head, and, growing still bolder, stepped into the
lonely cabin. With added caution his two chums followed. They
tiptoed their way through the two rooms and back again.

"He must have gone out," said Snap at last.

"Shall I make a light?" And as the others assented he struck
a match and lit the pocket lantern he had brought along.

The rays of the small light revealed a curious scene to them. In a
corner, where it had been hurled, lay Shep's gun. It had been
discharged and the buckshot had gone through one sleeve of the
shirt that had been stolen and which likewise lay in the corner.
There was some blood on the shirt, and bloodstains led across
the floor to the doorway and outside.

"Must have shot himself," was Snap's comment.

"Yes; and ran away after he did it," returned Giant.

"See anything of my watch?" asked Shep.

"No; and I don't see my belt or my camera, either," answered Snap.

"Or my sock," put in Giant.

The inner room of the cabin was littered up with a variety of things,
the wings of birds, feathers of chickens, shells of eggs, bones,
bits of tree branches, an old iron chain, a tiny square looking-glass,
badly cracked, some stale bread and cake, cores of apples and pears,
and a great mass of other trash.

"He's a regular pig," was Snap's comment.

"Wonder if he'll come back to-night?" was Giant's question.

"Perhaps, unless he was fatally wounded," answered Shep.

They made a thorough search for the missing watch, camera, and
other things, but without success. Shep would not touch the shirt,
and left it where it was. But he took the gun, and after examining
it proceeded to load up the empty barrel.

"We'll go into camp near here," said the doctor's son. "And keep
watch for the missing person, whoever he is."

They got supper and went into camp close to the rear of the cabin.
They took turns at watching