rom the land. That would be his
way--to keep the papers near the land. 'A place for everything and
everything in its place,' he used to say. What more natural than that
he'd have the papers near the land?

"I wonder, though, did he stick 'em anywhere around me cabin? He come
over here often enough to sit and chat. Ah, many's the good old talk
we used to have--a talk of the old days. Often I'd come in from me
boat, and find him here. He might have brought the papers an' hid 'em
here when I was out. I wonder if he did?"

Denny looked around his simple cabin. He laid the oar down gently, as
a thing revered. He walked about the room, looking in various places.

"No, the papers wouldn't be here," he mused. "I'd have found them
before this. And those fellows, who came and upset my place when I
wasn't home--they'd have found 'em if they was here. I wonder what
Grandfather Lewis did with them papers?"

It was a puzzle that others than Denny Shane would have given much to
solve.

Cora and her chums looked at one another in the moonlight outside
Denny's cabin. His talk had revealed something to them, but there was
no clue to the missing papers which could prove the title of Mrs.
Lewis to the valuable land.

"Well, there's one thing sure, Denny hasn't been attacked as yet,"
whispered Bess. "And the boys haven't been here to warn him, or he'd
show some signs of it."

"I think you're right," agreed Cora. "What had we better do? Tell him
ourselves?"

"That's what I say--let's warn him," suggested Belle.

The girls started for the cabin door, but paused midway as they heard
the approach of a motor boat near the fisherman's little dock.

"Wait," suggested Cora. "That may be the boys now."

CHAPTER XXV

THE PLOTTERS ARRIVE

"What's the trouble?" asked one of the four men in the boat that had
come to the rescue of Jack and his chums. "Engine broken, or are you
out of gasoline?"

"We've got gas, but there may be water in it," replied Dray. "I
watched the fellow when he filled the tank, though, and he used the
chamois all right."

"You can't always go by that," said another of the accommodating
strangers. "There's an awful sight of poor gasoline being palmed off
nowadays. Have you got a long rope?"

"We sure have," answered Jack. "It's mighty good of you to stop and
give us a tow."

"That's all right," laughed one of the men. "We never can tell when we
might want a helping hand ourselves. Pass us the rope."