ll had found signs of
some one's having been in the old cabin on the point between the time
they had left it and their late return on that morning.

CHAPTER XV

DAYS OF REAL SPORT

"You're dead sure nothing was taken, are you, Frank?" Bluff demanded
first of all, his suspicions running in the direction of a sneak
thief.

"We looked, but couldn't find the first trace of anything having been
stolen," he was assured. "Things seemed knocked around a bit, and the
door was ajar, though we left it tightly closed, but that was all."

"It surely is a deep mystery," admitted Jerry, with a puzzled
expression on his face. Jerry had never been remarkably clever at
finding out hidden things, and the whiff of a mystery generally
confused him.

"I'd be inclined to think it must have been some sort of animal,"
ventured Bluff, "only you feel certain you fastened the door, so a dog
or a wildcat couldn't get inside."

"Besides," spoke up Will, "if it had been any sort of animal bent on
getting something to eat, wouldn't we see signs of his nosing around
in the cabin?"

"That's a fact," admitted Bluff, immediately, "there's that shank of
our ham lying right on the table where we left it. I said we'd boil
the same the first chance we got, so as to get the pickings. Any dog
would have pulled that on to the floor and gnawed at it."

"Oh, well, what's the use guessing when we haven't got a single clue
to go on?" remarked Jerry. "Let's change the subject and talk of
something pleasant."

"One thing I know," said Will, with a happy smile.

"Then tell us, won't you?" asked Bluff.

"I'm going to set my little trap again to-night for Br'er 'Coon,"
continued the enthusiastic amateur photographer.

"Huh! wonder what you'll spot next time?" observed Bluff. "You nailed
an old fellow that you tell us is Aaron Dennison himself. I hope the
next crack won't give us a picture of the Old Nick himself, horns,
split hoofs, forked tail and all! Ugh!"

"Well," muttered Jerry, "seems to me when you set one of those
flashlight traps right in the woods of nights you never can tell what
kind of a job you're going to get away with."

Will laughed as though amused.

"Why," he went on to say, "don't you understand that's part of the
game? The uncertainty of the thing adds to the charm. You never do
know exactly what you're going to strike."

"Well," Jerry continued, shaking his head in a contrary fashion as
though far from convinced, "I n