"I call that queer, now," said Bumpus.

"It's more than that, Bumpus," Smithy remarked, in his most mysterious
manner; "I'd call it highly significant, if you asked my opinion."

"Wow! listen to that, would you?" exclaimed Step Hen, shuddering again.
"He means that the rock was smashed down by somebody who wanted to chase
us out of this region. And that must be our old friend, Phin Dady, the
moonshiner!"

Thad bent down, and proceeded to light a handy little lantern which one
of the boys had carried for emergencies.

"I'm going to take a look out, and see what struck us," he remarked.

"Be careful, Thad," warned Allan; "another rock might follow the first."

"And if you hear the least suspicious sound, jump for all that's out,"
added Bumpus, ready to admire the nerve of one who could face danger so
readily, even though not capable of imitating Thad's example himself.

"Oh! I reckon there's little chance of anything like that happening,"
the other sent back, with a little laugh, as though he wanted to cheer
his chums up; "you know, they say lightning never strikes in the same
place twice. It's taken thirty years for a rock to hit this cabin,
though plenty must have slid down the side of the mountain in that time.
Be back in a jiffy, boys."

With that he stepped out of the door, which had been burst open when the
log structure received such a terrific jolt. The other boys clustered
there by the revived fire, exchanging views, and waiting for the return
of those who had gone outside; for Bob White had silently followed Thad,
as though he felt that since it was through his invitation that the
scouts were placed in this predicament, he ought to do everything in his
power to ease the strain.

When they entered again in less than ten minutes, of course a
bombardment of eager questions saluted them.

"Slow up, fellows," Thad said, laughingly. "If I tried to answer you
all, I'd be apt to get my tongue twisted some, and that's a fact. Yes,
it _was_ a rock that did the damage, just as we guessed. It rolled down
from somewhere above; but we could only guess at that, it's so dark out
there. And after taking a look at the size of the same, Bob and myself
made up our minds we had reason to be mighty thankful that it only
touched the end of the cabin, instead of hitting it square in the
center."

"But whoever started it rolling?" demanded Bumpus; and it was evident
from the way the others waited to hear what Thad would say