. With this in view his
remarks about a scarcity of blankets and his inquiries as to where Chip
had been managing to find accommodations were adroitly framed. Quite
perfectly he succeeded in gaining the knowledge desired, nor did Slider
ever suspect that the Auto Boys' suspicions might very easily have been
directed toward him.

It was truly pitiable to hear Chip tell how in the night he had stood off
a distance in the woods, taking note of the bright campfire of the four
friends; how he had smelled their frying bacon when all he had to eat was
a little dry bread; how he had been tempted to apply at the camp for food
and shelter, but was afraid; how he had spent one whole evening within
sight of the cheerful light about the shack, because it was a kind of
company for him, and he slipped away and made his bed in the dead leaves
beside a log when at last the campfire had quite died down.

Yet very interesting, too, was all that Chip told. One certain fact made
clear was that he had nothing to do with the theft of provisions and other
items from the camp. When this was fairly plain Phil Way ventured the
remark that Murky had possibly fared better in the woods than Slider had
done.

"No denyin' it," Chip assented. "I found his hang-out only yesterday. It
would put you in mind of a bear's den, most, to see it."

"Tell all about it," urged Phil. "I'd like to smoke him out, like we would
a woodchuck," he added with bitter earnestness.

"Nothin' much to it," answered Slider, but he went on promptly to report
what he had seen and the manner of his discovery. He had been in search
of berries, or whatever he could find for food, he said, for his slender
store of provisions was nearly gone.

As he approached a marshy place where he thought he might find
huckleberries, or blueberries, he discovered Murky there ahead of him. He
had known the evil fellow was in the woods. He had watched him
frequently, believing he might learn something of the stolen payroll
money or at least what was going on so secretly about the old clubhouse.

Carefully keeping himself out of sight, Chip had followed when Murky left
the marsh. The latter walked directly to a thicket on a knoll, went in
among the bushes and disappeared. Then for a long time Slider patiently
waited. He wondered if the treasure he was seeking might not be hidden
in the copse.

Toward evening Murky left the thicket and slipped away in the direction of
the point of land occupi