woodsman, and believed he could easily discover any imprint of
padded feet such as would indicate the presence of a tiger. But in spite
of going over every yard of the soil as much as three times, Max was
finally obliged to admit that there did not seem to be any clue. He
could not find any track such as would tell of an animal having been
there on the previous night.

This set him to thinking along another line. Apparently then the beast
must have entered the tree from another one close by. It was reasonable,
and he saw it could have been easily done by even a gray squirrel, for
the branches interlocked in several places.

This seemed the more convincing when Max remembered that the ham had
been flung bodily out of another tree, showing that the thief was making
off without touching the ground at the time.

"Well, seems like it's going to keep right on being a mystery," Max told
himself as he gave the quest up; "just as that roaring sound last night
may never be solved. Perhaps there are a number of strange wild beasts
at large up here; and that our little outing is going to be an exciting
one after all."

"Yes," added Steve, who had come out of the tent in time to hear Max say
the last of this, "and don't it beat all how things do come around our
way, to give us a grand time? When you look back for the time we've been
chumming together you can see heaps of happenings that other fellows
would give most anything to have cross their trail. But we've got nearly
a whole week up here to ourselves, Max; and I say it will be mighty
funny if we can't guess the answer to a silly little question like this:
Who killed Cock Robin? Or take it the other way, Who tried to knock my
brains out with half a ham! And listen here, another night I'm meaning
to sit up and see if I can't get a crack at the miserable old thief with
my Marlin gun. He'll be sorry the rest of his natural life if he comes
nosing around here again."

Steve meant every word he spoke, and Max could see that he had been
considerably worked up by what had happened.

Of course they would have numerous other things to engage their
attention during this, their first day in camp; but nevertheless from
time to time their thoughts must go out toward the little mystery by
which they were confronted; and this was apt to start fresh talk about
solving the same.

CHAPTER IX

"MILLIONS FOR DEFENSE!"

That was indeed a busy day for all of the boys in camp.

T