ment. He had cautioned her
that he could receive no letters without revealing where he was, and she
could not write or telegraph. So with many instructions as to secrecy
she sent the old family gardener, Daddy O'Lear, to tell all that had
occurred.

The well-meaning old fellow left the train at a town to the north of
Opal Lake, as told to do. He became quite confused and lost in the woods
as he sought the clubhouse, and when he chanced to learn from MacLester
that he had actually reached Opal Lake, though quite without knowing
it, he was greatly alarmed. He feared the nature of his errand would be
discovered by the young campers.

On the pretext of going for his baggage he walked back into the forest,
MacLester accompanying him, instead of crossing over to the boys' camp.
He wanted to gain time to think and plan. He finally decided that, a long
way into the woods, he would give MacLester the slip and later reach the
clubhouse and Mr. Beckley secretly, by walking around the lake to the
other side.

This plan might have been more successful had "Daddy" not lost himself
more hopelessly than ever, before he was ready to put it into execution.
And if it had not been for Dave serving as his guide, at last, the
good-natured Irishman never would have found his way to the lake again
at all. This he freely admitted.

"I was satisfied that the stream we found must lead to the lake, or to
some larger stream that would do so," MacLester explained. "We were a long
time getting here, but when I saw the fire burning so terribly I didn't
know whether to be glad or sorry we had saved ourselves. Then I saw the
raft, and--_believe me_!"

Very soon after reaching his friends MacLester had learned of the loss
of the automobile. Naturally thoughts of the car were in the mind of
every one of the boys, even in the midst of all they had lately passed
through. But no word of complaint or grief was spoken. Possibly Mr.
Beckley noticed this for his own thoughts were not idle.

The rain still fell in torrents, hissing and steaming in the smoldering
ruins of the great fire. But the heat was almost gone now. The shore could
be approached without inconvenience. Mentioning this, the golfing man
suggested that it would now be possible to see if the general suspicion
concerning the suit-case Grandall had thrown to the water's edge was
correct.

The skiff was moored to the raft. Dave and Phil entered the boat and rowed
up past the rotting and now