" Will answered, "but in the
face of the fact that a more recent reading of the case is known to
exist, the chances are that any explanations I may make may prove to be
worthless."

"Can you answer a straight question?" asked Tommy.

"I think so," answered Will.

"Will you answer a straight question?" persisted the boy.

"Certainly!"

"Then answer it. What are we here for?"

"We are here," replied Will, "to secure the print of a thumb!"

"Has the shock of this incident turned your head?" asked Tommy.

"I answered the question correctly!" replied Will. "We came all the way
from Chicago to find the print of a man's right thumb!"

"Where do you expect to find it?" demanded Sandy.

"Somewhere among the mountains and glaciers," smiled Will.

"I can get all the thumb prints I want on South Clark street!" declared
Tommy. "Of course, it's fun to come out here, under any pretext
whatever, but I think Mr. Horton might have given us a more sensible
errand than that. This is worse than the trip to the coal mine!"

"Now tell us the excuse Mr. Horton gave for wanting this print of a
man's right thumb," smiled Sandy.

Will arose and went to the door. The sun was lifting through a narrow
pass in the mountains, and the creatures of the thickets and the air
were astir. A flock of water fowl was winging swiftly to the north, and
what seemed to be the keen eyes of a wolf looked out from the shelter of
the undergrowth. The air was clear and invigorating.

"Why don't you answer my question?" asked Sandy.

"Did you hear footsteps outside?" asked Will.

Sandy shook his head, but the two boys, after drawing on their
head-nets, stepped out into the glorious morning.

"There is no reason," Will decided, "why the person who attacked the boy
and stole the paper should find it necessary to leave this section
without trying to find out something more. I have an idea that whoever
injured the lad is still in this vicinity--that he will remain in this
vicinity as long as there is a prospect of his securing additional
information."

"The mosquitos will eat him up if he remains around here without proper
shelter!" Sandy suggested.

"That is one way of fighting off mosquitos," Will said, catching the boy
by the arm and pointing off to the east, where a faint line of smoke was
making its way through the still air.

"There's some kind of a camp there, all right!" exclaimed Sandy.

Tommy and George now came out of the cabin and the f