for hiking, and the
like. Most of the really attractive lakes in that part of the State
were lined with summer cottages and bungalows, while the wilder,
mountainous sections were too inaccessible to be wisely considered in a
camp of this nature.

The boys were beginning to grow seriously worried when suddenly the
rumor swept through town that a novel and totally unexpected solution of
the difficulty had presented itself. It was said that the committee had
been offered the use of a large tract of land in the southern part of
the State bordering on the ocean. Such a situation had never been even
remotely considered, and the excitement of the boys, many of whom had
never seen the ocean, rose to fever-heat at the enthralling possibility.

At the earliest possible moment Troop Five in a body hurried around to
obtain further details from Mr. Curtis, only to discover that he had
gone with other members of the committee to look the ground over. He
was away for three days, returning the afternoon of the troop meeting,
from which, it is perhaps needless to say, not a scout was absent.

"You've heard about it, I see," the scoutmaster remarked as he surveyed
the line of eager, bright-eyed boys before him. "Well, I don't know
that we can employ our time better to-night than in going over the camp
proposition thoroughly and finding out what you fellows think of the
situation."

"Is it going to be at--at that place on the ocean, sir?" put in one of
the boys.

"Yes; we've practically decided to accept Mr. Thornton's offer. The
distance was the only drawback; it's almost a hundred miles from here,
but I think we can get around that. Everything else is ideal. The land
is a wooded point of six or seven hundred acres. One side faces the
ocean, the other a wide, sheltered bay that runs inland several miles,
joining finally with a small river. The whole point is rather high
ground, with stretches of sand-dunes on the ocean side, and wooded with
scrub-oak and stunted pines. Back of that, the land is mostly covered
with second-growth timber, and rises gradually to an elevation called
Lost Mine Hill--"

"What's that, sir?" interrupted Court Parker, eagerly.

The scoutmaster smiled. "At the time of the Revolution there was said to
be a copper-mine located thereabouts, the entrance to which has since
been lost track of. At least, that's what one of the old residents told
us."

More than one boy's eyes sparkled. There was a fascination i