s, why, we'll have to chase along and put up one for ourselves
somewhere else."

"Huh! I don't like to hear you say that," remarked Lub, who would
possibly have liked to enter into a discussion along the line of right
of property, only none of the others cared to bother with such a
question, particularly after what Phil had said.

They pushed on and approached the cabin. One and all were looking
eagerly to discover any signs of occupancy, and greatly to their
satisfaction no dog came barking toward them, nor was there even a
smudge of smoke oozing out of the mud-and-slab chimney that had been
built up alongside the back of the shack.

"I guess it's all hunk," admitted Ethan, with a sigh of relief, as they
drew near the partly open door. "See that gray squirrel running along
the roof, would you? He wouldn't be doing that same if folks were
around."

"Oh! that depends on what kind of folks," remarked Phil. "For my part I
never yet would shoot little animals around camp. I like to see them
frisking about too much to want to eat them up. But as you say, it looks
as if we had the cabin to ourselves, after all, for which I'm glad."

"Tell me about that, will you?" muttered Lub, also showing positive
signs of satisfaction.

All of them pushed into the cabin.

"Why, this is _just_ the thing!" cried Ethan Allan; "see the bunks along
one side of the wall, boys,--two, three, four of them, if you please."

"Just one apiece for us, and I choose this because it looks more roomy,
and better fitted for a fellow of my heft than any of the rest!" Lub was
heard to say.

They immediately began to unfasten the straps that held their packs in
place.

"Hey! what're you doing, starting a fire already, Phil?" called out
Ethan, noticing that the other was bending over the hearth.

For answer Phil beckoned to the others to approach closer.

"There's something queer happened," he told them, with a frown on his
face; "just bend down here, Ethan, and put your hand in these ashes,
will you?"

"Why!" exclaimed Ethan, immediately, "they're warm right now, would you
believe it?"

CHAPTER III

A MYSTERY, TO START WITH

While Ethan, Phil and X-Ray Tyson seemed to grasp the true significance
of this astonishing discovery, Lub as yet had not managed to get it
through his head. He was a little dense about some things, although a
clever enough scholar when at school.

"The ashes warm, you say, Ethan?" he burst out with. "Now, th