arding its romantic history.

"Look out for signs of a high wall on the left, boys," he finally
told them. "It may be almost hidden by vines and scrub trees by now,
I was warned. It surrounds the whole place, though here and there
it may be broken down. Few people after dark want to pass this place
except in a hurry, and although it's only a mile and a half from the
railroad, I don't believe tramps ever think of coming here. You see,
most of them know the stories told about Randall's Folly, and they
steer clear of the place."

A short time afterwards Hugh's keen eyes made a discovery.

"I think the wall you mentioned lies over yonder where all that wild
tangle can be seen," he remarked, whereupon there was a hurried movement
in that direction, followed by various exclamations to the effect that
the scout master's announcement was indeed true.

"Seems as if the castle must be perched on a high piece of ground,
commanding a pretty good view of the country around," observed Arthur,
as they sought for a broken place in the crumbling wall so as to gain
an entrance to the grounds beyond.

"The story goes that Judge Randall built it that way so he could keep
watch, and know if any of his wife's former suitors were heading this
way," Alec explained.

"Why, he must have been a regular old Bluebeard!" gurgled Billy.

"He was demented on that one subject," confessed Alec, "and the disease
kept getting a stronger grip on him until finally---but hello! here's
the hole in the wall we wanted to find, so let's crawl over the
broken-down stones and enter."

"Hold on," snapped Hugh just then, "I thought you said, Alec, no one
was bold enough to trespass here! If you look down to where I point
you'll see part of a footprint in mud, showing that a man must have
come across this broken wall not half an hour or so ago!"

CHAPTER II

CREATING A PANIC

When Hugh gave utterance to this really startling announcement, he
naturally lowered, his voice. The others came crowding up, and stared
at the tell-tale mark. As their scout education had long since passed
far beyond the novice range they had no difficulty in seeing that Hugh
had stated the truth.

"A whopping big foot made that mark," whispered Billy.

"And see there," added Alec, hastily, also in a low tone, "here's
a second one not so big. Two fellows crossed this hole in the wall,
and only a short time ago, because the mud is as fresh as it can be."

That c