d softly up and down the cabin, watching, listening.

But nothing happened during Greg's watch. At eleven he called Tom Reade
to relieve him.

Just before midnight the same wailings as on the night before started in
again. Within sixty seconds all of the Grammar School boys were awake
and listening. The wailings continued, and soon came the same sepulchral
warnings of death approaching.

"Queer that the racket doesn't bother us the way it did last night,
isn't it?" smiled Dick Prescott.

"It's awful enough!" shivered Hen Dutcher. But he was the only one in
the cabin who was much alarmed.

"We went all through it last night, and nothing happened," chuckled
Dave. "To-night our address is Missouri, and we'll have to be shown
what we're asked to believe."

"Call us promptly, Tom, if anything real happens," Dick urged, and sank
back in his bedding to compose himself for more sleep. Soon Reade's
watch was a lonely one, for most of his companions were either snoring
or breathing heavily.

"Whoever got this trick up will have to think of something newer and
more 'scary,'" thought Reade, as he paced the floor.

"Well, you fellows might as well wake up," called Dick, after what
seemed to Greg like an interval of possibly five minutes. Greg was the
only boy, beside Dutcher, who hadn't been called in the night for a
share in the watch duty.

"Say, I thought you didn't go on guard until five o'clock, Dick,"
remarked Greg drowsily.

"I didn't, but it's seven, now," Dick laughed. "It'll be broad daylight
in a few minutes more. Move! Get a hustle on!"

Hen Dutcher, though awake, didn't stir. Greg and Harry Hazelton soon
tumbled out of their bunks. Then something odd dawned upon them.

"Where are the rest of the fellows?" questioned Greg. "I don't see Dave,
Tom or Dan."

"You should have long range vision to see them," smiled Dick. "They've
been gone nearly an hour."

"Gone? Where?" Harry wanted to know.

"To the nearest house--for help."

"Help against what?" This from Holmes.

"Greg, the shack behind us had a tenant last night," Dick went on
rapidly. "Mr. Fits was in the shack. At a little after five this morning
I saw him as plainly as I now see you. He was standing by the nearest
window of the shack, and there were sparks traveling up the chimney."

"How on earth did you see him?" demanded Harry. "Did you shove a shutter
back?"

"Come with me, and I'll show you."

That caught even Hen, who made up in curio