home a
solid month; when it was only yesterday we broke the apron strings, and
sauntered forth, bent on adventure. What will he do when a whole long
week has crawled along. Oh! me, oh! my! I see his finish, poor old
Bobolink!"

But despite his words, even William cast many a fond side look at the
noisy stream that was foaming among the rocks; for was it not heading
toward Stanhope, where the softest of beds lay unused, and all manner of
good things to eat were doubtless going to waste during the absence of
twenty hungry boys?

Wilder still grew the country. Even Paul had had no idea it could be so
rough within twenty miles of home. But as a rule the boys of Stanhope
had confined their tramps and wheeling trips to the other three sides of
the town; since the roads were much better, and the country level; so
that no one knew anything about this region, save through hearsay.

"Oh! look, there it is!" ejaculated A. Cypher, who happened to be in the
lead just as they came out of a woody tract, and turned a bend in the
rough road.

During the last hour Paul had abandoned all idea of holding the scouts
in any sort of regular formation, so that it had become, what William
called, a "free-for-all," with khaki-clad lads stretched out along fifty
yards of space, usually in small squads, and a rear guard to round up
stragglers.

Of course these words from Nuthin caused a great craning of necks. Those
who at the time chanced to be in the rear hastened their steps, eager to
discover what it was attracted so much attention on the part of their
chums.

"Why, it's the mountain!" said Horace Poole, with a trace of wonder in
his voice.

"Sure it is, old Rattlesnake, at home," declared William, promptly.

"Wow! don't it look awful big, fellows?" remarked the awed Tom Betts.

"And d-d-dark as a c-c-cellar!" remarked Bluff, solemnly.

Paul looked with considerable interest at the great pile of rock and
brush that loomed up so close at hand.

Many a time during the past two years he had planned to make a run up
here, with the idea of seeing for himself if all the strange stories he
had heard about grim old Rattlesnake Mountain could be true. They had
always been broken up, either through his intended companion backing
down, or else some family flitting that took one of the boys away from
Stanhope during the holidays.

But now the long anticipated day had come at last. He was looking up at
the big mountain, only a short distan