CHAPTER VII At Bronson's Cabin
Kent stirred and sat up in his sleeping bag. In the dimness of the tenthe saw that Barry was not there. He heard the twins move and saysomething in the next tent. Then Kent seemed to remember that someonehad spoken.
"Where are you, Barry?"
"Out here," came the answer. "Somebody has been in the camp."
Kent and the twins joined him as soon as possible. Barry was heapingmore wood on the fire.
"You say somebody was in the camp?" Kent asked.
Barry pointed to the spot where the man had stood. "A man was standingthere when I just came out to put more wood on the fire. I couldn't makehis face out very well, but he was a short, stocky fellow, and I justtook it that he was the Frenchman you boys saw."
"I'll bet it was," Tim answered. "Any of our things missing?"
Barry shook his head. "I believe not--at least I can't see that anythingis. It looked to me as if he had just arrived. What time is it, anyway?"
Mac tugged his watch out of his pocket and looked at the dial by thelight of the fire. "Ten minutes past three a. m.," he announced.
"I suppose they have broken camp and are on their way," said Tim. "Theymay have just stopped by to take a look at us. You didn't see thewoman?"
"No, and I can't even be sure that the man was that Frenchman. Did hehave on brown corduroy pants and a checked Mackinaw?"
"Yes," the twins nodded.
"Then that's who it was. I could see that much by the feeble light ofthe fire, though I couldn't see his face. Think we ought to go back tobed?"
"I'm too sleepy to sit up for any Frenchman," Kent yawned.
"I don't believe that he'll come back," Mac said. "I'm freezing aroundhere, so I'm on my way back to the bed. Call me for breakfast!"
"Call you nothing!" cried Kent. "Barry and I cooked supper, so youfellows are billed to provide the breakfast."
The others went back to their sleeping bags, and Barry built the fire upbefore seeking his. When he did crawl back into the soft, warm interiorof the bag he did not go to sleep at once. For a long time he laylistening, but no sound broke the stillness, and at last he dozed offand slept soundly. He was awakened by Kent stirring around and crawlingover him.
"Let's go see what these twins have for us," his companion invited, andBarry followed as quickly as he could get dressed. The Ford brotherswere already on the job, and bacon was curling in the pan. The day wasgray and overcast, and it looked as though it might snow.
"I guess our French friend didn't come back," Mac said, forking outbacon on the tin plates. "Everything is about ready to eat. Come and getit."
Breakfast was soon dispatched, and then they put the camp in order.Before long they were on the river again, skating along rapidly, inorder to warm up. They had gone scarcely a mile when bodies were warmand blood tingling.
"I hope it doesn't snow until we get to the cabin," Kent said.
"So do I," Barry agreed. "A big fall would work against us."
They had planned to eat one more outdoor meal, but they arrived close toFox Point around the noon hour, so they had dinner in the country storethere, eating sandwiches and drinking hot cocoa at a little table closeto the round iron stove that threw out a splendid heat. They bought thecoffee that they lacked and then started once more. At last they skatedout on the broad expanse of ice that marked Lake Arrowtip.
"Here we are at last," Mac whooped. "Let's have a race down the lake tothe cabin."
"You can't do it," Barry objected. "See how that snow is spread out? Yougo a little way and then you have to walk across a snow bar and strikethe ice on the other side. You just can't keep going."
"That's all the better," spoke up Kent. "It will be an obstacle race.Skate on the ice, run across the snow, and skate some more. Let's lineup and go!"
"I'm pulling the sled," Barry reminded them. "But you fellows go to itand I'll follow on. Are you ready? Get set. Go!"
The three racers were off like a shot, striking out across the clear iceof Lake Arrowtip. Coming to the soft snow that spread across their path,they leaped into it and ran through as fast as their skates would allowthem to. Again they were out on clear ice, and for a time they skatedfuriously, with Mac slightly in the lead. Then another and longer islandof snow slowed them down, and Tim tipped over, tumbling in the path ofKent, who had to swerve to avoid going down. By the time that Kent goton the ice again, Mac was far ahead and turned around in a swift circleand gave the race up, waiting for the others to catch up with him.
Barry skated on in a more leisurely manner, drawing the sled after himand taking in the beauty of Lake Arrowtip. He had visited the place inthe spring and summer, but had never seen it in the grip of the NewEngland winter. It presented now the picture of a broad flooring of ice,with the dark lines of pine and hemlock ringing it around. From the lakethe hills ran up sharply, flowing into the mountains, blanketed with athick white carpet of snow. Out in the middle of the lake stood RakeIsland, a rugged little thumb of land covered with brush and timber andrough rocks.
Behind them the lake was broad, but before them it narrowed. Barry couldnow see the Bronson cabin and beyond it the roof of the lodge. His heartbeat faster, and unconsciously he skated on with increased speed. Theywere close to the scene of the mysterious events that had interested himso much.
He joined the others, and they were soon at the bank before the Bronsoncabin. Taking off their skates, they walked up the slope to this plainlittle log house, but their eyes were on the big hunting lodge. It stoodon a bluff and could be approached only in a roundabout way from thelake, up the sides of the slopes and not from the front.
"There it is, the house of mystery," cried Tim, as they took in thelength of the low log lodge building.
"It looks cold and deserted," Mac offered. "Doesn't look as though ithas any spooks around it at this time of year. Bet you a doughnut wedon't learn a thing."
"That's a mighty poor spirit to start our hunt with," Barry objected, ashe felt in his pocket for the key to the Bronson cabin.
Up to the moment they had paid no attention to the cabin in which theywere going to live, but now, as Barry unlocked the door, they scanned itwith interest. It was nearly square and was made of rough hewed logs. Itappeared to be very old, and there was only one small window to the leftof the door. A rock chimney pushed its way through the roof.
"We'll like this place when we get used to it," Kent predicted.
Barry pushed the door open, and they entered. There was a large generalroom, and a small lean-to which served as a kitchen. A single bed withsooty covers was pushed up against the wall on one side of the room. Awide fireplace with rusty andirons in it showed at the back of the cabinroom. Everything was dirty and dreary-looking.
"Hasn't been used for some time," Tim commented, as they stood andlooked around.
"No," Barry admitted. "Dad said it hadn't. We'll have a lot of cleaningand fixing to do. Also, we'll have to sleep on the floor in our sleepingbags, as there is only one bed in the place, and it doesn't look veryinviting. Well, how about it? Shall we go to work?"
The others were entirely agreeable, and they set to with a will. Therewas an abundance of work for everyone, and so the afternoon hours spedaway. Just before dark they united their efforts and cut enough wood forthe winter evening. It was dark when they had gathered enough, and thenthey turned their attention to supper. There was a rusty iron stove inthe lean-to, and between that and the open fireplace they managedwithout any trouble. Supper was a happy affair, and when the wind rose alittle later, they congratulated themselves that they had a warm cabinto camp in.
"And it looks a heap cleaner than it did when we came here," Macremarked, looking around with satisfaction.
They spent the long evening chatting around the fireplace and at lastsought their sleeping bags on the log floor before the fire. Barryopened the door to throw out some wash water and stood for a moment, hiseyes fixed on the darker m
ass of the lodge building.
"Tomorrow we'll look into that place," he reflected. "I wonder what thesecret of it is, anyway? Well, I hope we'll be lucky enough to find out.Maybe the haunt will be around tonight to look us over!"