there
are some tramps there, which is possible, they might take a notion to
shoot at us first and ask questions as to our peaceable intentions
afterward--when it would be too late."

"Nonsense!" exclaimed Tom. "There aren't any tramps there and, if there
were, they wouldn't dare shoot. I'm going to see what the mystery
is--if there is one."

But there was no sign of life, and, taking this as an indication that
their advance would not be disputed, Jackson followed Tom. The latter
advanced until he could take in all the details of the shack. It was
made of logs, and once had been chinked with mud or clay. Some of this
had fallen out, leaving spaces between the tree trunks.

"It wasn't a bad little shack at one time," decided Tom. "Maybe it was
a place where some one camped out during the summer. But it hasn't been
used of late. I never knew there was such a place around here, and I
thought I knew this locality pretty well."

"I never heard of it, either," said Jackson. "Let's give a shout and
see if there's any one around. They may be asleep. Hello, there!" he
called in sufficiently vigorous tones to have awakened an ordinary
sleeper.

Put there was no answer, and as the shadows of the night began to fall,
the place took on a most lonely aspect.

"Let's go up and knock--or go in if the door's open," suggested Tom.
"We can't lose any more time, if we're to get out of here before night."

"Go ahead," said Jackson, and together they went to the cabin door.

"Locked!" exclaimed Tom, as he saw a padlock attached to a chain. It
appeared to be fastened through two staples, driven one into the door
and the other into the jamb, at right angles to one another and
overlapping.

"Knock!" suggested Jackson. But when Tom had done so, and there was no
answer, the machinist took hold of the lock. To his own surprise and
that of Tom, one of the staples pulled out and the door swung open. The
place had evidently been forced before, and the lock had not been
opened by a key. The staple had been pulled out and replaced loosely in
the holes.

For a moment nothing could be made out in the dark interior of the
shack. But as their eyes became used to the gloom, Tom and his
companion were able to see that the shack consisted of two rooms.

In the first one there was a rusty stove, a table, and some chairs, and
it was evident, from pans and skillets hanging on the wall, as well as
from a small cupboard built on one side, that this w