THE WARNING
"So this is the way you keep your word, is it, boy?" demanded Mr.
Dennison, as he glared at Frank, who, however, managed to keep cool
and collected, because he could easily understand how the old
gentleman might deem their presence there very suspicious.
"But what I promised you, sir," said Frank, "was that we would not
trespass on your enclosed property again, and we have done nothing of
the sort, sir."
"Then why do I find you here, alongside this fence that was
constructed to keep such curious people as you from intruding on my
privacy? I believe even now it was your intention to enter again by
that loose board, which, however, I had nailed fast in order to keep
lawless prowlers out."
"You wrong us, Mr. Dennison," declared Frank; while Bluff could be
heard muttering his indignation. "Just how we happen to be here is
easily explained."
"Of course. And you expect me to believe any kind of silly story you
may make up, I suppose?" snarled the angry owner of the property.
"After we left you the other day, sir, my chum and I walked many miles
into the woods, to see the country, and find some views, for you
remember he is a photographer. We were caught unawares by that storm,
and had to spend the night under a rocky shelf. Our comrades were
naturally curious to see the queer place that had been of such great
use to us, and so to-day we took a trip up there."
"Here is a picture of the rock ledge, Mr. Dennison, so you can see we
are telling you the truth," and Will eagerly held up one of his proofs
as he spoke, which he had hastily taken from his pocket in order to
convince the obstinate old gentleman.
"But that does not explain your presence here," objected the other,
though he had deigned to glance at the really excellent sun print, for
Will of course had remembered hearing him say that he, too, took a
great interest in photography.
"Having set our faces toward home," explained Frank, "it was only
natural, sir, that we should make for a trail we had been over before.
That brought us out close to your place, and we are at this very
minute making for the corner below, where I remember we can find what
we are looking for, the trail to Cabin Point."
Mr. Dennison looked doubtfully at Frank. Few people could resist
believing anything the boy said, for his manner was convincing; but
apparently there was some unknown reason for Mr. Dennison's being
unusually suspicious.
He shut his teeth hard together as though repressing some sign of
weakening.
"Whether you are telling the truth or not, boy," he said sternly, "I
want you to understand once for all that you must not come up here
again. I shall instruct my men to keep a constant watch for
trespassers, and deal severely with them. This place is posted, and
any one who dares to enter does so at his own risk. I hope you
understand that, for I should not like to have anything unpleasant
happen to boys."
"Yes, sir, we understand what you say," replied Frank, "and I give you
my word of honor again that none of us will trespass on your grounds.
If ever we enter there again it will have to be on invitation from the
owner. I can safely speak for my chums as well as myself."
This last was really meant for impulsive Jerry, just to notify him
that under no conditions must he dream of making Frank's promise void.
"Then see to it that you keep away from here," said Mr. Dennison, as
unyielding as ever. "Even now you are camping on my property, and I
could order you away if I chose to be harsh. But I have not forgotten
that I too was once a boy. You can stay at Cabin Point unmolested by
my men, but only on condition that you avoid this region up here."
With that he stepped suddenly back and closed the gap in the board
fence by pulling the door shut after him. The boys walked on, Jerry
looking disappointed.
"Course I'm glad to say I've actually seen the queer old hermit," he
remarked, "but even there I'm away behind the rest, for all of you
have been inside the dead line, and glimpsed his odd house. Oh, well,
don't look at me that way, Frank; you know mighty well I don't mean to
make you out a liar by sneaking up here and poking my nose into his
private business."
"Huh!" grunted Bluff presently, as though he had been thinking deeply
over the whole matter, "what's he got in there, anyway, he's so afraid
that people should see, I'd like to know! It's all mighty mysterious,
take my word for it, fellows. But then, like as not none of us will
ever know the truth."
Again did Frank and Will exchange that sudden glance and nod, showing
that the little secret they shared in common must have some
connection with the subject Bluff was even then harping upon.
On the way home the talk of course reverted several times to Aaron
Dennison and his strangely fenced-in property. But although many
suggestions were brought out in the discussion, none of them were
fully accepted as correct.
Frank and Will remained almost silent, and let the other two do most
of the talking. If the opinion of the former was requested now and
then he gave it off-hand, but neither Bluff nor Jerry found much to
encourage him in the information thus gleaned.
Frank never once lost the dim trail on the way home. He had no
difficulty whatever in following his course, because by now he was
getting familiar with it; and since several of them had tramped over
the ground there were many signs to be found that had not been there
the first time.
A tired lot of boys it was that joyfully greeted the sight of the
cabin on the Point late that afternoon.
"But after all's said and done," declared Bluff, "we've had a bully
day!"
"And I've added considerable to my stock of pictures, if only these
turn out O. K.," added Will, his mind, as usual, running to the one
great subject.
Later on he and Frank happened to be left alone. Bluff had gone down
to the edge of the lake to clean some fish left over from the day
before, being kept in the water at a shady place; while Jerry was
trying his hand at mending the leaky boat.
"Let me see that first picture you took of the house, Will," remarked
Frank.
"I keep it separate from all the rest," explained the other, as he
drew out a little book, and opening it took a print from between the
leaves. "You told me to do that, Frank."
"Because I didn't know whether we ought to let the other fellows into
this suspicion we've got between us," said Frank, as he accepted the
little print that displayed the building inside the high board fence.
"And right now I'm wondering if we hadn't better keep this out of
their sight until we get home."
"I take it to mean you're afraid of Jerry and Bluff?" queried Will.
"They are both of them determined fellows, once they take the bit in
their teeth. That face might tantalize Jerry so much that he'd give
in."
"Of course it's struck you, Will, that there are what seem to be bars
across that window, though neither of us remembers seeing them at the
time. For that matter we failed to glimpse the white face or the
waving handkerchief."
"Frank, you've been thinking this business over," observed Will,
soberly; "please tell me what decision you've come to. I've kept my
word about not dropping a hint to the other fellows, as you asked me;
and I've also hidden this print away from them. What does it mean,
Frank?"
"Of course you must remember that I'm only guessing," replied his
chum. "In the first place then, it seems that old Aaron is keeping
some one a prisoner up there!"
"Whew! is it as bad as that?" gasped Will.
"It's impossible to make out whether the owner of that white face is a
man, a woman or a child," continued Frank, slowly; "but I'm pretty
sure the window has bars across it. The person saw us, and tried to
attract our attention, but made no sound just then, you remember.
Afterwards we heard that cry."
Will was plainly much exercised. He seemed to shiver as though he felt
a chill creep over him.
"But Frank, what would old Aaron keep any one shut up in his place
for?" he demanded. "Why, it would be against the law, you know, to
deprive any one of his liberty."
"Not under certain conditions, Will," he was told; "and perhaps Mr.
Dennison has the backing of the law in what he's doing."
Will stared hard at the speaker.
"Oh! do you mean, Frank, that the person behind that barred window
might be a madman?"
"That's the only reasonable explanation I'm able to scare up, Will.
Suppose, now, his wife went out of her mind years ago. He cared so
much for her that the thought of having her confined in any ordinary
insane asylum was repulsive to him. What would he do then, having
plenty of money?"
"It sounds reasonable to me, for a fact. Who could blame him if he
built this house, and surrounded it with a high fence that would keep
the inmate from escaping when allowed in the grounds with an
attendant? Yes, I shouldn't wonder but that you've guessed the truth,
Frank. Everything seems to go to prove it. And then, after all, can
you blame him for getting so huffy when he believed we were trying to
pry into his terrible secret?"
"I don't think he acted queerly, if what we suspect is true," ventured
Frank.
"On my part I'm inclined to feel sorry for old Aaron," declared Will,
who had a tender heart. "He looks like a man who has suffered heaps.
And then, you know, he's interested in the same things I am, which
ought to make me think of him as a fellow artist."
After more talk Will hastily hid the tell-tale print as Jerry was seen
approaching. The other looked a little suspiciously at them as though
he wondered why Will secreted something so hurriedly at his coming;
but other matters arising, he soon forgot the circumstance.
On the following morning Bluff and Jerry went out in the boat to fish,
and the latter soon found himself enjoying the thrill that comes to
the angler when fast to a vigorous two-pound black bass bred in the
cold water of a big northern lake.
The fun grew when Bluff struck the mate to Jerry's fighter, and both
boys were put to their best efforts in order to save the fish, as well
as to keep them from fouling the lines, in which case one or both
might have broken away.
In the end they managed to scoop up both prizes in the landing net,
and this gave them more pleasure than many generals would find in
capturing a fortress.
About ten o'clock the boys came in. Jerry said they were tired of
sitting in the sun and playing havoc with the fish, for they had put
back many small ones, being real sportsmen. Bluff, on his part,
admitted that he was tired, but declared it lay along the line of
baling out the leaky boat, and not of taking fish.
"Hey! you two fellows in camp, come down here and look, if you want to
see a sight good for sore eyes!" called Jerry, as he jumped ashore and
commenced to drag the old boat up on the sandy beach.
Accordingly Frank and Will approached to look at the catch, and not
only admire but tender their congratulations.
"As fine a mess of bass as I've set eyes on in many a day," announced
Frank.
"Hello! see who's coming past the cabin, and heading for us!"
exclaimed Will. "There's Mr. Dennison, to begin with, but I don't know
the other man."
"Well, we do, don't we, Jerry?" ventured Bluff, a vein of uneasiness
in his voice. "We happened to talk with him over at the village. You
can see the badge on his coat from here. That tells who he is--the
constable of the village, and he said he was also the marshal of this
district. But what under the sun does he want at _our_ camp, I'd like
to know!"