“i suppose we might as well go to bed.”
it was shortly after eleven o’clock and jack turned down the light as he made the statement.
“we’ll wait till twelve,” bob yawned.
the minutes passed slowly. they were all, with the possible exception of kernertok and sicum, tired after their long tramp and both bob and jack were nearly asleep in their chairs, when the half hour struck. but a moment after they were wide awake enough, for the spot had appeared on the wall. at the same time raps were heard from behind the head of bob’s bed.
“come on,” bob cried as he leaped from his chair.
kernertok already had snapped a long leash to sicum’s collar and was the first out of the cabin.
“go find um,” he ordered.
there was no sign of the spot on the wall as bob, the last to leave the room, turned his head for a glance back.
the dog, as though understanding exactly what was expected of him, put his nose to the ground and made a complete circle of the cabin. this he repeated again and again, each time widening the circle until he was at the edge of the woods. but he had failed to pick up the scent and announced the failure by a low whine.
“try um in woods,” his master ordered.
the dog led the way about thirty feet into the forest and then started off to the right. he had gone but a few yards, however, when he uttered a low deep growl.
“he got um,” the indian grunted. “go get um, sicum.”
with a sharp bark of eagerness the dog bounded off in the direction of the hill only a few rods distant and kernertok had his hands full holding on to the leash. the boys followed close behind using their flash light freely.
straight up over the hill the dog led them without a pause and down the other side. a little way from the foot of the hill they struck a small brook and the dog stopped with a whine.
“he take to water,” kernertok explained. “no smell um.”
they crossed to the other side and kernertok ordered the dog to go up stream. they pressed on for the better part of a half mile but sicum failed to again pick up the trail.
“maybe he went down stream,” bob suggested as they stopped for a short rest.
“we go back, try um down brook?”
“do whatever you think best.”
“we try um little more,” the indian decided after a short pause.
it was fortunate that he did so for in less than five minutes the dog had regained the scent.
“good dog,” bob declared as the low growl announced his success.
through the thick woods the dog led them, tugging at the leash as though fearful that his quarry would escape him. at times the way led through thickets where they had to literally force their way while, in other places it was more open and they were enabled to make good progress.
“hope he gets there soon,” jack panted.
“same here,” bob agreed. “my legs are beginning to get tired.”
it must have been nearly two hours from the time they started and bob judged that they had covered fully five miles when they reached the end of the hunt. sicum stopped in front of what looked like a huge rock but the light from the flash showed that it was a small hill. the dog was sniffing at an opening, in the side of the hill, which looked to be barely large enough for a man to crawl into.
“he’s got a cave in that hill,” bob announced.
“looks like it,” jack agreed.
“him there,” kernertok grunted.
“then the next thing’s to get him out,” jack proposed.
“suppose you invite him,” bob suggested.
“i will. hello, in there. you might as well come out. we’ve got you trapped,” he shouted.
there was no reply and, after waiting a moment bob said:
“he or it doesn’t seem much inclined to accept your invitation. guess i’ll have to go in after him.”
“yes you will, not.”
“if not why not?”
“because it’s too risky, that’s why.”
“injun go in,” kernertok grunted getting down on his hands and knees.
“nothing doing,” bob declared sharply catching him by the shoulder.
they had been speaking in whispers but now bob said in a loud voice:
“let’s go back and come and dig him out in the morning when we can see.”
“i guess that’ll be the best way,” jack agreed quick to grasp his brother’s plan.
in a low whisper bob explained his idea to the indian who grunted a low assent. but sicum did not so readily fall in with the plan and it took the indian some time to convince him that he knew what was best. the dog knew that his quarry was in that hole and he could not understand why he should leave it. but finally he allowed his master to lead him off into the woods but not without many a backward look and many a low protesting whine. it was a new experience to him, this giving up and it was plain that he did not approve of it.
“never mind, old fellow, we’ll get him,” bob said stroking the gray head.
they made much noise as they left but, after going only a short distance they crept softly back until they were only a few feet away from the hole, where they crouched behind a thick clump of bushes. sicum, as though realizing that, after all, the game was not up, had ceased his whining and seemed content.
“we’ll probably have to wait till day light,” bob whispered, “so i’ll watch here and you can get back a bit and get some sleep.”
“what’s the matter with you getting some sleep?” jack asked.
“i spoke first.”
“injun watch. him no sleepy. white boys go get sleep.”
they refused at first but finally, seeing that the old indian really wished them to consent, they yielded, but only after he had promised to call them in two hours.
they crept back a few yards and found a soft spot beneath the limbs of a huge pine and in less than a minute both were fast asleep. it seemed to bob that he had just closed his eyes when he was awakened by a touch on his arm.
“two hours gone,” kernertok whispered.
“all right,” he answered sleepily, “but don’t wake jack. there’s no need of both of us being awake.”
kernertok grunted approval and threw himself on the ground while bob crept forward until he was lying behind the bush. it was not absolutely dark for the sky was filled with stars although there was no moon. he could barely make out the outline of the hill as he peered through the bush. slowly the minutes passed and he found it hard work to keep awake. but he knew that it would be only a little more than an hour to dawn and he resolutely fought off the desire to sleep. once he thought he heard a movement near the cave but, although he strained his eyes, he could see nothing suspicious and he concluded that he had been mistaken. of course he did not dare to use his flash light.
in spite of his resolve to keep awake he must have dozed off for suddenly he realized that the darkness had nearly gone.
“i’m a good one to put on watch,” he thought thoroughly angered at himself.
although it was not yet fully light he could see the hole in the hill plainly enough and, all desire for sleep now gone, he watched eagerly.
“if he’s got away i’ll never forgive myself,” he thought.
slowly the light increased until a beam of sunlight touched the top of the hill. he was about to creep back and awake the others when a sound caught his ears and, in another moment, he saw a face framed in the hole. it was not a wicked face but rather grotesque. the nose was long and humped sharply while the eyes were small and set so closely together that the nose seemed crowded between them. the mouth was enormous and the skin looked more like leather than skin.
although the eyes were small they looked strangely keen and he drew back fearing that they would penetrate his hiding place. after a long glance around the owner of the eyes slowly drew his body out and finally stood in front of the opening. he was a small man, almost a dwarf in fact and bob could hardly repress a desire to laugh. his arms, abnormally long, hung well below his knees and his legs were so thin that it seemed impossible that they were strong enough to support the body. but what impressed the boy most of all were the massive shoulders, all out of proportion to the rest of his body. he was dressed in an old black sweater torn in many places and a pair of corduroy trousers which reached only to the knees. his feet were bare.
“what a wild man of borneo he’d make,” bob thought. “but i’d sure hate to tackle him. i’ll bet he’s stronger than an ox.”
for several minutes the strange creature stood looking about and then, to the consternation of the boy, he darted directly toward him. so sudden was the movement that before bob had time to even rise the creature was upon him. he tried to defend himself but he quickly realized that his estimate of his strength was far too low. those arms, though ridiculously thin, were like hands of steel and one of them wrapped around him held him helpless while the other hand sought his throat. but before the long fingers could close about it he had let out a wild shout for help.
fortunately for him help was close at hand. the huge hand had closed on his wind pipe and everything was beginning to go black when, with a loud shout of encouragement, jack landed fairly on the diminutive monster’s back and forced him to break his hold. but so great was the strength of the dwarf that it is doubtful if they could have overcome him without kernertok’s help for he fought with a fury such as they had never encountered. those long arms seemed absolutely tireless and their strength almost superhuman, and for a time he threw them about as though they were children. but at last the exertion began to tell on him and suddenly, as though realizing that his was a losing fight, he sank down on the ground and, burying his face in his hands, began to whimper for all the world like a whipped dog.
even kernertok was panting as the battle ended and both boys were gasping for breath. bob had two long scratches on one cheek and one of jack’s eyes was rapidly closing, while their clothes were torn in many places.
“whew!” jack gasped holding one hand over his swollen eye. “what is it, a man or a cyclone?”
“anyhow, he’s some scrapper,” bob panted.
“him heap big little fighter,” kernertok added.
“you said something,” jack agreed.
the dwarf was still whining and now bob went close to him and spoke kindly.
“we are not going to hurt you if you behave yourself.”
at the sound of his voice the dwarf glanced timidly up at him.
“me crazy dan: me no hurt nobody,” he whined.
“what would have happened to us if he had been in an angry mood?” jack grinned as he heard the words.
“all right, dan, suppose you stop whining and we’ll talk it over,” bob said as he took hold of the dwarf’s shoulder and pulled him up to a sitting position. “there that’s better.”
“who you?” the man asked.
“we’ll be your friends if you’ll let us.”
“crazy dan no got friend.”
“then it’s time you had some,” bob assured him kindly.
“what for you hunt after old dan, eh?”
“well, you see, it’s like this,” bob began. “there’s been a lot of things happening over at the camp and we’ve been trying to find out who was at the bottom of it. you understand?”
“me know. me did it.”
“but why? what did you want to scare away all the people who came there for?”
for a moment the dwarf hesitated.
“they catch all the fish out the lake. be no more left for dan,” he said finally.
“that’s all bosh,” jack broke in but bob hushed him.
“but don’t you know that they breed faster than they’re caught out?” he asked.
dan shook his head.
“they catch um fast,” he muttered.
“do you live in that hole?” he asked changing the subject and pointing to the hill.
the dwarf nodded his head.
“in the winter time too?”
again he nodded assent.
“i should think you’d freeze,” bob said.
“got good stove in dar. keep plenty warm.”
“well, dan, we don’t want to do anything to harm you but that camp belongs to a friend of ours and he’s lost a lot of money because you scared away all his guests and i guess it’s up to us to take you to jail unless you promise that you won’t do it any more. how about it?”
the dwarf’s eyes were filled with terror as he heard bob mention the jail.
“dan be good you let him be,” he promised eagerly.
“you’re sure?”
“hope die.”
“all right then, we’ll give you a chance but mind, if there’s any more of that ghost business, you’ll go to jail,” bob assured him.
“no more,” dan reiterated.
“now, dan,” bob said after a moment’s pause, “there’s two or three things i want you to explain. how about that spot of light? how did you manage it?”
for a moment the dwarf hesitated as though undecided whether to tell or to refuse, but finally he drew from his pocket a burning lens about two inches across.
“it easy wid dis and a dark lantern,” he said with a broad grin.
“of course,” bob agreed. “but how about the raps?”
“dan throw stones so dey hit one place. throw dem mighty fast.”
“i’ll say you must have,” jack broke in.
“and how did it happen that you never got caught in the traps we set?” bob asked next.
a smile lighted up the face of the dwarf as he replied.
“dan too smart,” he chuckled.
“but we fixed them so that no one could tell they were there,” bob insisted.
“you good trap setter, but dan see you set ’em.”
“you did?”
“dan hide up in big pine tree, see you set ’em all.”
“well, dan, you’re smart, mighty smart, but remember your promise,” bob told him as he turned to the others. “guess we might as well be getting back to camp unless you want to ask some more questions.”
they all shook hands with the dwarf who now seemed very friendly and, after again reminding him of his promise to be good, started off through the woods, sicum leading the way.
“what do you think of him?” bob asked as soon as they were out of hearing.
“i think he’s a slick one all right, but he’s no more crazy than i am,” jack replied and kernertok grunted assent.
“my idea exactly,” bob agreed. “i believe that part was all assumed, but what was his real reason then?”
“don’t know but i’ll bet that, whatever it is, he’ll do no more ghost business.”
“i think you’re right,” bob agreed as they started on again.
“and now, everything is cleared up with one exception,” jack said as he followed close behind.
“and that is—”
“the sleepers,” jack finished.
“exactly. and the chances are we’ll never know, but it really doesn’t matter so far as we’re concerned, now that they’ve gone.”
the breakfast horn sounded just as they reached the edge of the clearing and never had it seemed more welcome for they were all very hungry.
“shall we tell jacques?” bob asked as they were washing.
“might’s well, i guess. perhaps he knows something about the fellow. anyhow i don’t see how it can do any harm.”
the meal was over before they broached the subject as they were too busy stowing away the food jacques had provided, but as they pushed back their chairs, bob asked:
“by the way, jacques, do you know anybody around here called crazy dan?”
“oui, me know him, but heem no crazy. heem mak’ folks tink so,” jacques replied after a moment’s pause. “you see heem?”
“yes, we’ve seen him and what’s more, we’ve settled this ghost business, that is, i guess we have.” and he told him all about their adventure of the night.
jacques was plainly surprised and shook his head as though doubtful but finally he agreed that dan must have been guilty.
“i allys know heem ver’ sharp, but no thot heem so sharp lik’ dat.”
just then a loud hail was heard from out on the lake.
“someone’s coming,” bob cried as he rushed for the door closely followed by jack.
as they came out onto the porch they saw a canoe with two men in it headed for the wharf and almost in.
“it’s rex,” jack yelled and started on the run for the wharf.
“and it’s mr. stokes with him,” bob added close at his heels.
they reached the end of the wharf just as the canoe touched and in another instant they were all shaking hands.
“how, in the world, did you get up here at this time of day?” bob asked as soon as the first greetings were over.
“we got up as far as the dam late last night and the man there put us up over night. we would have been up in time to have got here for supper but the fellow who drove us up from greenville had engine trouble and it was nearly eleven o’clock when we got to the dam,” rex explained.
“well, come along and get breakfast. i guess jacques can scare up something. we’ve just finished,” bob said as he led the way.
nothing was said about business until they had eaten, then rex said:
“and how’s the ghost business?”
“if you had asked that question yesterday at this time i’d have been obliged to reply, about the same, thanks. but now, thank goodness, i can say there ain’t no such animal any more, if you’ll excuse the grammar,” bob laughed.
“you mean that you’ve solved the mystery?” mr. stokes asked eagerly.
“i think so,” bob replied and, for the next half hour, he was busy telling them all about their adventures.
“good boys,” mr. stokes declared when the story was finished. “where can i get a phone? i was going to have one put in here this summer.”
“there’s none nearer than the dam, i’m afraid,” bob told him.
“then i’ll have to get down there sometime during the day and send a wire to my secretary. you see,” he explained, “i was so sure that you were going to succeed that i had a lot of letters written to the people who have been here, and they are on my desk all ready to mail. i’ll bet we’ll have a crowd up here before the summer is over.”
“suppose you let jack and me take the message down,” bob proposed, but mr. stokes declared that there was no reason why they shouldn’t all go down in the motor boat.
“i’m mighty glad that jacques wasn’t mixed up in it,” he whispered to bob a little later when they were ready to start.
