skilfully. If it was, as I suspect, we might as well give it up,"
concluded Butler.

"Oh, I kissed that ham good-by a long time ago," piped Stacy solemnly.

"I don't agree with any of you," said Ned. "I think the ham, unable to
endure Chunky's singing, took wings and flew away. Either that or it was
afraid he would kiss it again. He said he had kissed it good-by."

"You are wrong," declared Walter. "If Stacy had got that close to the
ham he would have eaten it."

"You're right," agreed the Professor with an emphatic nod.

"I've got a bone to pick with you, too, Walt Perkins," warned Stacy.

"A ham-bone?" twinkled Tad.

"No, a drumstick."

"The probability is that we shall never know any more about the affair
than we do now," decided the Professor. "Break camp as soon as we have
finished breakfast and we will get under way. Have you looked to see
which way the trail leads from this point, Tad?"

"Yes, sir. That way," replied Tad, pointing.

"Northwest?"

"Yes, sir."

Camp was broken in short order and within an hour they were on their
way. Though the country was very rough and rugged and the going awful,
they found the trail narrow and perilous only in spots. Generally they
found it perfectly safe. That night they camped in a pass through which
flowed a rushing glacial stream. Tall cottonwoods lined the stream and
giant arborvitae was thick and almost impassable a short distance back
from the stream. The Professor explained that this arborvitae was
ordinarily found about glaciers, and in cool, dim fiords.

Determined not to be robbed of their provisions again, Tad led a string
through the loops made in tying the meats to the provision line. He
carried one end of the string into his tent and when he turned in he
tied the end to his wrist.

Long after midnight he felt a jolt at his wrist that brought him to his
feet in an instant. Another jolt followed.

The boy slipped the twine from his wrist and hurried out. The night was
not so dark but that he could make out objects distinctly. There was
nothing of an alarming nature in sight. He examined the provisions. None
had been tampered with.

Considerably mystified, Tad returned to his tent, after rearranging his
burglar alarm, and lay down. He had just dozed off when there came
another tug more violent than the others.

"Hang it! Something is at those provisions," he muttered.

Tad once more slipped out. This time he remained out for a long time. He
sat