go back to camp," whispered Greg.

"Not much!" Prescott retorted. "If anyone is trying to do anything
to us, then we want to run the mystery down and put an end to
it. My idea is that the best thing we can do is to get up to
the road, post ourselves at fair intervals and watch to see if
anyone should pass."

"Correct!" clicked Reade. "And I think that would have been the
best plan in the first instance."

"If the powder-mill explosions are to keep up through the night,"
hinted Tom, "then there ought to be another one due within a few
minutes. In that case our tormentors may be getting ready to
plan something now. So let's hike for the road at once."

Dick led the way, all three boys moving as noiselessly as they
could. Prescott posted his friends, then chose his own post,
so that they were stationed at intervals of about a hundred yards.
All had hiding places within plain view of this rough country
road.

Now the time dragged again. Strain their ears as they might,
none of these young outposts of Dick & Co. could hear a single
suspicious sound. They must have remained there all of three
quarters of an hour.

Bang! sounded a terrific crash. Tom and Greg, without showing
themselves in the road, hurriedly, silently reached their leader.

"Pshaw!" uttered Prescott in disgust. "With all our care we were
on the wrong side of camp to be near the explosion. Come along,
now, but don't make any noise if you can help it, and don't step
out into the road. We'll go straight toward that latest noise.
If it takes all summer we're simply bound to find out who is
trying to blow up these woods just to scare out a few little rabbits
like ourselves!"

CHAPTER XI

IN A FEVER "TO FIND OUT"

Our trio had nearly reached what they judged to be the scene of
the latest explosion when Dick suddenly gave a low, sharp "hist,"
at the same time bending over to the ground while still peering
ahead.

Palpitating with excitement, Tom and Greg halted, also looking.

Out of the shadow ahead emerged something only vaguely outlined
in the dark. Whether wild animal or human being it would be hard
to say there in the darkness. Indeed, the slight sound caused
by its progress close to the road had more to do with warning
Dick and his friends than anything their eyes saw at first.

"Come on!" whispered Dick, heading suddenly for the road. In
a jiffy Tom and Greg were also in hot pursuit, though young Prescott
managed to