Peterson wasn't crazy; he didn't heave things at folks."

"Let us see if we can get him to come out. I'd like to see what sort
of a chap he is."

Keeping at what they thought was a safe distance, the two boy
hunters called loudly half a dozen times. No answer was returned.

"Perhaps he's deaf," suggested Whopper.

"More likely he doesn't want to show himself."

"Maybe it's a she, Shep."

"Possibly. If it's a woman she must be a regular witch. Let us
call again."

They did so. At first they heard nothing in return. Then came
a strange sound from the cabin, and for one brief instant a dark,
impish face showed itself at the broken window. Then the face
disappeared and a stone came whizzing toward the lads' heads. They
ducked just in time, or one or the other might have been seriously
hurt.

"Let's get out---no use of staying here to be a target!" cried
Whopper, who was growing nervous. "No telling what that fellow---or
woman---may do next. Might come for us with a carving knife!"
And he hurried away, with the doctor's son beside him. They did
not slacken their pace until the dilapidated cabin had disappeared
from view.

"Did you see him---or her?" asked Shep.

"Just about and no more. What a dried-up, hateful face!"

"Just what I thought. I'll wager that that person, whoever he or
she is, is as mad as a---a crazy person can be."

"I believe you, and I don't know as I want to go near that cabin
again."

"We ought to tell the authorities about it, though. That person
might kill somebody some day."

"Well, we can tell the police when we go back."

"Could it be some tramp, who is living on farmers' chickens and the
like?"

"It might be. But I think it's somebody who's crazy. A tramp
wouldn't find it any fun to live away out here. Why, it must be
two miles, at least, to the nearest farm."

"More like three."

"Tramps like to stay near the farms and near railroads. No, that's
some kind of a crazy hermit."

Discussing the happening from every point of view, the two lads
trudged on. It was now growing dark rapidly, and they were anxious
to reach Firefly Lake.

"Hope we haven't missed the way," said the doctor's son presently.
"Seems to me we ought to be getting to the river or the lake soon."

"Here's a rise of ground. I'm going up there and take a look,"
answered his chum.

From the small hill they made out the glint of water in the distance,
and they also saw the glare of the c