warm, and with
the coming of night the thermometer was going down steadily.

"Come on! let us get out of here," said Fred, his teeth chattering. "If
we don't move soon I'll be frozen stiff."

The boys came cautiously out of the barn and looked toward the house.
Every curtain was tightly drawn, and lights shown only from the kitchen
and the dining room of the old dwelling.

"Those fellows are going to get supper," said Randy, "and I move we go
home and do likewise. We can't learn anything more standing here, and if
we went to the door and showed ourselves those men might get very
suspicious."

"All right! let's go back to the Lodge then," announced Jack. "Just the
same, I'm going to investigate this matter further, and I'm not going to
wait so very long either."

"Oh, I guess we all want to investigate these Germans," said Fred
quickly. "Don't you remember how we helped to round up those submarine
rascals?" he added, referring to an affair which has been related in
detail in the volume entitled, "The Rover Boys Under Canvas."

Losing no more time, the five cadets hurried down the rough mountain
road, and then struck off through the woods on a bee line for Cedar
Lodge. This time Gif took good care that they should not become lost.
But it was a long wearisome journey, and before the Lodge was reached
every one of the lads was almost ready to drop from exhaustion. They
were bitterly cold, and some of them thought their ears or noses must be
frozen.

"There's the light!" cried Fred at last, and he pointed to a candle
which Spouter had had Stowell place in one of the windows.

"Spouter must have done that to help us to find the way," said Jack.
"Very thoughtful of him."

As soon as they were a little closer they set up a ringing shout, and at
once Henry Stowell came to the door and flung it open. All were glad
enough to troop in and throw themselves down in comfortable seats before
the blazing fire.

"Me for a big hot supper!" announced Randy. "And I can't get it inside
of me any too quick!"

"Ditto right here," added Fred.

"And don't forget to pass me a large portion, please," came from Andy.

Under Spouter's directions, Stowell had already set a pot of water to
boiling, and had likewise baked a large pan of pork and beans and made
another pan of biscuits. Even though he had asked the sneak of Colby
Hall to work, Spouter had spoken kindly to Stowell and given him some
first-class advice, and this was evide