"What do you suppose it could be?" asked his chum, relying as always
upon the ability of Paul to solve the puzzles.

"Oh! well, that isn't hard to guess," returned the scout leader.
"Somebody was moving about with a lantern, as sure as you live. The
question that bothers me is to say who the fellow can be."

"There's Ted and his squad; we happen to know they're roaming around
these regions somewhere," suggested Jack, quickly.

"That's true," said Paul, thoughtfully; "and it may be one of that
crowd; but somehow I doubt it. In the first place I don't believe they
were smart enough to fetch even a lantern along. You know they brag
about how they can go into the woods with only a hatchet and a few
cooking things, and enjoy life. But we didn't come up here to endure
things."

"Not much," declared Jack; "we want all the comforts of a well managed
camp. And in the line of fun we've got a string of things laid out that
will keep us doing stunts every hour of the time. But if not Ted's
toadies, then who could be wandering about up there? Can you give a
guess, Paul?"

Paul could; but then he debated with himself whether he ought to take
Jack fully into his confidence. He decided that as they had been chums
so long, and shared each other's confidences, he ought to speak.
Besides, Joe had shown no intention of confiding anything in him.

So in low tones he told about the queer actions of Joe Clausin when that
man in the vehicle had gone by; and the few words he had heard the boy
scout mutter. After that he related the incident of his interview with
Joe.

"Say, that is mighty funny," observed Jack, after he had listened to the
whole story.

"Don't you think the same as I do, and that Joe recognized that man?"

"It looks that way to me. And he seemed to guess something that was
anything but pleasant to him," replied his chum.

"Speak plainly, Jack," said Paul, eagerly, catching the other's eye,
"you mean that he must have connected the presence of that man here
with the robbery of his father the other night? Is that it?"

"I reckon that was what flashed into Joe's mind," remarked Jack; "he
thought this man was at the other side of the world, he said, did he?
Well, the very fact that he had turned up here at such a time looks
mighty suspicious. Paul, what if we happened to run across him while we
were in camp here; wouldn't it be a great thing if we found that old tin
box for Mr. Clausin?"

"I was thinking about som