p."

"Remember," added Will, with a grin, "it's only returning the old
gentleman's visit of last night, you know. We want to be neighborly,
of course."

There was no hurry, since they had the whole afternoon ahead of them.
Will, however, urged a start because he had hopes that they might
return by a long, roundabout course, and possibly pick up some
interesting views on the way.

"There are some clouds passing overhead," remarked Frank, "and we may
get a little thunder shower while away; so we'd better fix things here
shipshape."

This was easily done, though of course they did not think to fasten
the door in any way. The other two boys might get back before they
did, and it would be foolish to bar them out of the cabin. Besides,
what reason had they to fear any invasion from tramps up in this
lonely section of country?

Once started, Will seemed very happy. Frank on his part had no great
difficulty in following the dimly seen trail. From time to time he
would show his companion the marks of footprints both going and
coming, and which were other than those left by himself and Bluff on
the preceding day.

"That proves we guessed right when we said it was old Aaron who ran
against the string of your flashlight trap," Frank explained; "and I'd
give a cooky to know why he was making for the cabin at the time."

"You told the housekeeper, didn't you, Frank, that we had bunked in
the cabin on the point jutting out into the bay?"

"Yes, and she may have informed him," Frank mused. "Even if he's kept
himself up here away from everybody for so long, buried in his books,
old Aaron might have enough curiosity to walk down over this trail
that he knows so well, just to take a look at us."

"If he's half as gruff as they say," suggested Will, "he may have
meant to order us to vacate the ranch. Then that awful flash came and
frightened it all out of him."

Other things cropping up caused them to change the subject. And in due
course of time they sighted the high board fence with which the
strange hermit had surrounded his estate, thus warning strollers to
keep out.

Will was interested in everything connected with the isolated home of
the rich and mysterious recluse.

"Of course," he remarked, reflectively, "we could climb over that
fence if we went to a lot of trouble, even if it has got a barbed wire
strand along the top; but it would take more or less time. And you
said there was an opening we could use, didn't yo