on account of
possible unwelcome visitors. Obed showed how the concealed bunks could
be made ready, and, all of them were loud in their expressions of
satisfaction over having such comfortable lodgings for the night. They
mentally blessed the memory of the said Mr. Coombs, whose forethought
and inventive ingenuity had planned all these wonderful adjuncts of the
little forest lodge.

In due time they crept into their several berths just as if aboard ship;
and after that several of the fellows did not know a single thing until
they were rudely aroused, perhaps some hours later on. The last thing
Steve remembered hearing as he rolled himself up in his blanket was the
crackle of the fire, the mournful sighing of the wind through the tops
of the whispering pines, and then the distant call of an owl to its
mate.

He awoke with a suddenness that caused him to sit up, and consequently
crack his head against the boards above his bunk. The blow almost
knocked Steve back again as he had been before, and must have hurt
considerably; but he ignored this fact just then, because from without
there were coming loud yells of fright in a man's voice.

CHAPTER XI

A TREE THAT BORE STRANGE FRUIT

"Max--Obed, we've got something!" almost shrieked Steve, as he now
tumbled out of his odd bunk very much after the fashion of a dislodged
log, landing with a bump on the floor.

And Steve was not alone in his circus stunt, for several other fellows
were making a hasty and undignified exit at the same time, Bandy-legs
and Toby Jucklin, for instance. Max somehow managed to get on his feet
without so much scrambling; and as for Obed, as he had been sleeping on
the cot closer to the fire, they could already see him hastily pulling
on some clothes.

"Get dressed, and in a hurry!" cried Max, suiting his actions to the
words.

"Oh! listen to him whoop it up, will you?" exclaimed Bandy-legs, as
those loud calls still smote the night air, and in a way that covered
the whole gamut of human utterance.

Toby wanted to say something, too, but though his jaws worked, no
audible sound came forth to explain the agitated state of his mind. They
had luckily prepared for such a sudden call, and had their outer clothes
handy, so that in an incredibly brief space of time all of the boys
managed to get something on.

Then Steve snatched up his Marlin gun. Obed had already done the same
with his rifle, so that when the latter flung wide the door and