whom it was left that the two foxes had
stopped here, made a dense smoke to attract their missing comrade, and
when joined by him, the three had gone on together to the rendezvous at
the old mill.

"Fine," cried Landy, when he heard what a remarkable story those rude
drawings told.

"Very good--if true," admitted George.

"Well, come along and we'll prove it," laughed Matty; "for unless I miss
my guess the mill is close by."

"Sure," declared Red. "I can hear the noise of water tumbling down some
rocks, or over a mill dam."

Five minutes later and Chatz called out:

"There you are, suh!"

The mill could be seen through the trees, and all of the boys felt the
greatest eagerness to hurry along and reach this spot.

It happened that none of this bunch had ever set eyes on Munsey's mill,
or the pond just above it. There were plenty of places nearer Hickory
Ridge for fishing purposes. And besides, the dear familiar old "swimming
hole" was more convenient than this place, nearly seven miles away.

"I see Elmer and Lil Artha," observed Larry.

"Yes, and there's another fellow just beyond. I reckon it must be Ty
Collins," said Chatz.

Elmer waited for them to come up. He and his companions were standing on
the edge of the dam which had long ago been built in order to hold up
the water and form the big lonely looking pond beyond.

"Ugh, what a spooky looking place this is!" exclaimed Larry, as soon as
they drew up where they could look out on the big pond, its surface in
places partly covered with lily plants, and the long trailing branches
of weeping willows dipping down to the water.

"It sure is, suh!" remarked Chatz, plainly interested, and not a little
excited.

"Here we are, Elmer," called out Matty; "and I guess the second bunch
will be along soon. I see Ty and Toby, but where's Nat Scott?"

Elmer gave him a serious look.

"That's just what we're wondering," he said. "They all reached the old
mill, you see, but Nat seems to have disappeared in a mighty queer way!"

CHAPTER III.

THE STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE OF NAT.

"Oh!"

Chatz was the only one who gave utterance to a sound after Elmer had
made this surprising, as well as alarming, admission.

The others were looking, first at Elmer, then at each of his three
companions as well; and finally out upon the dismal pond that assumed
much the appearance of a lake, it stretched so far up the valley, almost
a quarter of a mile, in fact.

Just t