uring previous scoutings about the point had
seen Murky, though they did not know who or what he was until Slider
enlightened them.

The general conclusion was that the voices heard inside the house were
more than apt to have indicated the presence of Murky and Grandall,
still on trail of stolen money that must have, in some way, slipped into
unknown hands. Still nothing was sure or settled in their minds except
that Chip was a good fellow and Murky a bad one from almost any point of
view one might take.

Another point occurred to Phil Way, the oldest and the leader of the Auto
Boys; not one of suspicion against Chip, but for general enlightenment.

A recent visit to their camp when all the boys were away had occurred.
Things had been taken, including provisions, bedding and dishes. Perhaps
young Slider, more familiar with the woods life nearby, might have some
knowledge that would lead to the perpetrator.

Taken all round, the camp thought itself rather in luck that Paul had met
this strange homeless lad in the way and under the circumstances he did.

Nels Anderson, the giant Swede, had also been seen under suspicious
circumstances by some of the boys. Taken altogether, the whole matter
was attractive enough to foster certain ambitions inside the lads, who
were too apt to fancy themselves amateur detectives, a vocation they
knew little or nothing about, rather than young woodsmen, hunters, or
anglers, pursuits they really did have some knowledge of and also some
skill.

CHAPTER II

A QUIET, TRANQUIL SUNDAY

A great bull-frog whose hoarse croaking could always be heard above
other sounds about the lake, "beginning at exactly eleven o'clock
each night"--at least so Paul Jones positively stated--had started his
unmelodious serenade a long time before the Auto Boys and their visitor
prepared for bed. Paul's adventure, Chip Slider's whole story and the
combined information thus afforded had proved a most fruitful field for
speculation and conversation.

A bed for Slider was contrived by spreading over some hemlock boughs a
tarpaulin used on the car for covering baggage. A bucket-seat cushion from
the car served quite nicely as a pillow. Indeed Chip had not for a long
while had so comfortable a resting place, crude as it was.

The plans for the night's sleeping arrangements were seized upon by
Phil as an opportunity of finding out whether the strange boy had any
knowledge of the recent robbery of the camp