le the other boys had been raised there.

"Seems to me I've seen him before," exclaimed Bluff. "Why, yes, it's Mr.
Smithson. He lives in Centerville--that is, his family does, because he
isn't home much. You see he's one of the wardens over at the State insane
asylum at Merrick."

"What?" cried Frank, startled; "then perhaps he may not be hunting wild
animals after all. Suppose one of the mad inmates of that institution
escaped, and is up here roaming through the woods?"

"Jewhittaker!" exclaimed Will, turning a trifle pale, and hugging
his camera closer to his breast, as though his first fear concerned
its safety.

"If that's so, I hope Jerry didn't run across him, that's all,"
remarked Bluff.

"Come on, hurry. You've given me a little shock now, and we must learn
the truth immediately. Call out to him, Bluff--there, he sees us, and is
coming this way."

As Frank said, the keeper was hurrying toward them now, an anxious look
on his face. He nodded to Bluff as he came up.

"Camping up here, are you, boys? That's fine. Used to like to do it
myself when I was younger. Say, you didn't happen to see anything of a
wild-looking chap anywhere around, did you?" he asked, glancing at
each in turn.

"Sorry to say we haven't, Mr. Smithson. Has one of your charges
got away?"

"That's just what has happened, and I've been chasing him all over the
country. Got track of him yesterday just before the beastly old storm hit
me. He's somewhere around this section right now. Where's your camp,
boys? He'll be pretty sharp set with hunger by now, and can scent grub a
long ways off?" continued the keeper.

The three lads looked at each other.

"What shall we do, fellows? Doesn't seem just right to be chasing off
this way in a bunch, and leaving that poor old innocent alone in camp.
What if this crazy man drops in on Toby while we're gone? Had we better
turn back, and later on, if Jerry doesn't show up, organize another
expedition, dividing our forces?"

Frank always put things so clearly that he seldom met with any
opposition.

"That strikes me as sensible," observed Will, quickly.

"Turn back it is, then. Will you go with us, Mr. Smithson? We can give
you a good cup of hot coffee, and some breakfast, if you're hungry?"
said Bluff.

"I accept your offer, boys, and glad to meet you. Now, lead the way,
please, because somehow, I seem to feel it in my bones that Bismarck will
gravitate toward some place where there is an odo