t?" The cry came from Roger, and then he and Dave burst
into the room, followed by Phil.

"Merwell! He's escaped! He got the gun away from me, and jumped through
the window!" panted poor Shadow. "Oh, what a fool I was to think he was
asleep!"

"Where did he go?" questioned Dave, and at the same time bounded back
into the bedroom, to don his shoes and part of his clothing.

"He jumped out of the window with the gun. That's all I know about it,"
answered Shadow.

"Didn't you have a fight?" questioned Phil.

"No, I came to the window to look at an owl that was hooting around
here. Link came behind me and gave me a fierce crack in the neck. Then
he grabbed the gun and went through the window like a flash. And I
thought he was asleep!"

By this time Dave had returned, partly dressed, and catching up another
one of the fowling pieces in the bungalow he, too, leaped through the
window, followed by Shadow. A few seconds later the other boys joined
them.

"Have you any idea which way he went?" questioned our hero.

"I don't know exactly, Dave, but I think he went that way," and the
former story-teller of Oak Hall pointed with his hand.

"Let's scatter a little," ordered Dave, and while he passed in the
direction pointed out, the other boys separated to both sides of him.
All advanced to the edge of the woods and there came to a halt. While
the moon made it fairly bright in the open space surrounding the
bungalows, beneath the trees it was dark, and consequently little could
be seen.

"Might as well look for a pin in a haystack," grumbled Roger. "If he got
into these woods it's good-bye to him. We might search all night and not
get a trace of the rascal."

"I guess you're right, Roger," answered Dave, "but let's search around a
little anyway."

Long before this the alarm had become general, and now Dunston Porter
and Mr. Wadsworth appeared, followed shortly by Mrs. Wadsworth and Mrs.
Basswood and the girls.

"Let us take the flashlights and lanterns and see if we can't get on the
track of him," ordered the jewelry manufacturer. "We must capture him if
it is possible to do so."

And then the search began in earnest.

CHAPTER XXII

MORE OF A MYSTERY

"Did you see anything of him?"

"Not a thing. Did you?"

"I saw something move under the trees, but I guess it was a wild
animal."

"He's gotten away, and that is all there is to it," said Dave, as he
looked at his chums and at the men, who had also