crowd we scared away from the
cabin would come sneaking back to spy on us, or try to steal any of our
things?" he asked, trying to appear as though such an idea was furthest
from his own thoughts.

"Well, I hadn't bothered with such a thing as that, Lub, but now that
you mention the same I can't see why they should. We haven't got
anything along worth stealing; and if they are afraid of the officers of
the law, as counterfeiters, or game poachers, why, they'd want to get as
far away as they could. So I wouldn't let that keep me from sleeping a
wink."

"Oh! I don't mean to," Lub hastened to exclaim, stoutly; but all the
same as he followed Ethan back through the cabin doorway the very last
thing he did was to take a parting survey of the forest fringe, and
shrug his fat shoulders.

"Seems like it was getting right noisy out there, Ethan," remarked
X-Ray, when Lub had carefully pushed the door shut, and both of those
who had just entered found places again in the half circle before the
red embers of the fire.

The interior was only dimly lighted, because they only had a single
lantern to do duty. But then it served them amply, because no one meant
to try and read; and whenever a fresh lot of wood was thrown on the
coals it flashed up brilliantly.

That firelight was a part of the charm of the whole thing. They could
have lamps, gas, or even electric light at home any time they wanted;
but only under such conditions as these was it possible to enjoy the
mystic firelight.

"Why, yes," Ethan replied, "I guess the woods folks are waking up. You
can hear crickets a fiddling away for dear life, and other sorts of
insects besides. Then there's a pair of screech owls calling to each
other; a whip-poor-will whooping things up; and most of all the frogs
have started in to get busy with their chorus. And say, I'm going to
promise you a feast to-morrow night."

"Frogs'-legs, you mean, I take it, Ethan." Phil quickly exclaimed,
looking pleased at the prospect.

"Yes, because there's some corkers out there; and leave it to me to get
'em. I'm an authority on frogs'-legs, you know. And when they fetch a
dollar a pound every time, you c'n see that they ought to be reckoned a
treat."

"A dollar a pound, did you say?" demanded X-Ray, as if he fancied he had
not heard aright; whereat he had his shins kicked by Lub, who happened
to sit next to him, as a warning that he was treading on perilous
ground.

"Why, yes, that's the pr