ll of them here for a day," said
Jack. "We can show them all around the camp and let them look at our
exercises. And maybe we can have a little picnic in the woods, too."

"That would suit me right down to the ground," answered Fred.

To give the camp a truly military aspect, Captain Dale instituted a
regular guard, both night and day. The cadets were given a password,
and it was understood that no one could get into the camp without
giving this.

"Well, it's my turn to go on guard to-night," announced Randy one
evening at supper time. "And I must say, I don't like the outlook
much. It looks to me as if it was going to rain."

"Well, you'll have only four hours of it, Randy," answered Jack. "That
isn't so very long. What time do you go on?"

"Twelve o'clock. Then I am to relieve Ned Lowe."

Randy retired early, and was awakened about half past eleven o'clock.
Then he dressed, got a cup of the hot chocolate that one of the cook's
helpers had ready for the sentries, and then went out to join the
detail which was to go on guard from midnight until four o'clock in
the morning.

The post which Ned Lowe had covered, and which was turned over to
Randy, lay on the far side of the camp, not a great distance from
where the cliffs overlooked the bay. It was a lonely spot,
particularly on a night like this, when the sky was overcast and a
rising wind was moaning through the branches of the trees.

"See any ghosts to-night, Ned?" said Randy to Ned Lowe jokingly, as he
relieved that sentry.

"Well, I saw something, Randy," was the unexpected reply. "I've been
trying to make up my mind for the last half hour what it was."

"Saw something! What do you mean?"

"I think I saw somebody sneaking through the woods over yonder," said
Ned Lowe, pointing into the forest. "I shouted out, but no one
answered, and then the figure--or whatever it was--vanished."

"Oh, say! you must be seeing things," returned Randy lightly. "Just
the same, I'll keep my weather eye open," he added. "Maybe some of the
other cadets were out, and tried to play a trick on you."

"No, I don't think it was one of our cadets," said Ned Lowe. "I think
it was a stranger. But what he was doing around here at this time of
night is a mystery to me."

"Maybe he was a tramp, and thought he could get a chance to steal
something," ventured the fun-loving Rover, sobering down.

"Maybe. I guess you had better keep your eyes wide open," said Ned
Lowe, and then turn