g that attracted my attention, as I began to look
about me was the fact that the grass was trampled down over a
considerable area. I examined it carefully and while doing so found this
notebook in the grass. It didn't take me long after that to reach the
conclusion that Cousin Alvin had been attacked by somebody and in the
struggle lost this notebook out of his pocket."

"It was probably the four ugly looking men he said were coming ashore
when he sent his last distress message to us," Cub inferred.

"I wonder why he didn't tell us the truth," Bud put in. "Why didn't he
tell us he was being hazed by some college boys?"

"He explains that in his diary," Hal replied. "Now listen and I'll read
the first entry."

Hal's injunction being met with quiet, eager attention, he read as
follows:

"Friday, June 9, 1922. Last night while I was walking through the grove
of trees near the campus of Edwards College, I was attacked and
overpowered by several sophomores, who slipped a bag over my head and
carried me to a motor-boat moored a short distance away. They tried to
conceal their identity, but I recognized the voices of Jerry Kerry and
Buck Hardmaster. They kept me a helpless prisoner, with arms and legs
bound and eyes bandaged, in the cabin for several hours, during which I
could feel the boat constantly on the move. About 3 o'clock in the
morning I was carried ashore on this island. My hands were untied, and
then I could hear my captors hurrying away. I removed the bandage from my
eyes and with my pocket-knife cut the rope around my ankles. It was too
dark yet to see anything distinctly, so I had to wait for break of day
before doing anything. An hour later I discovered near the landing place
a considerable layout of supplies and equipment most of which I
recognized as my own property. Then I recalled that one of my captors had
thrust something into one of my pockets just before they took me ashore
and I put my hand into that pocket and drew out an envelope that I knew I
had not put there. In the envelope I found a typewritten note, which read
as follows:

"'Alvin Baker, you have succeeded during all of your freshman year to
date in frustrating every attempt to haze you and have boasted that there
was no "gang" of boys at Edwards smart enough to do the trick. We are now
performing the trick in a manner that ought to convince you that such a
boast is the freshest of freshman folly. We raided your room and took
therefrom y