as the man finished his story he glanced first at bob and then at jack as though anxious to discover whether or not they believed him. for a moment neither spoke, then bob asked:

“who are those two fellows with you?”

“just a couple of breeds i picked up.”

“but i should think you’d be afraid to trust them if you just picked them up.”

“oh, they don’t know what i’m after,” he replied a trifle uneasily.

“i see. but, may i ask, why did you attack us?”

“that’s what i want to explain. you see, i got the idea that you too were after that gold and it belongs to me, if i can find it.”

“i see,” bob said dryly.

“how about last night?” jack asked.

“you mean—”

“i mean why were you prowling around here last night?” jack interrupted with the suspicion of a threat in his voice.

the man squirmed a bit in his chair as he answered.

“that was a mistake. we were just going through here on our way to a camp up at the head of the lake to get something i had left there one day when i was up there and jim, that’s one of the breeds, jumped you before i had time to interfere and, to tell the truth, i was afraid to let you go after that so i decided to postpone the trip and take you back to the shack.”

“i see.”

“as i said, i realize that it was wrong and i hope you will overlook it and be friends.”

“have you heard anything about this camp being haunted?” bob asked suddenly.

“yes, i’ve heard it was.”

“but, of course you know nothing about it. i mean you don’t know who it is that’s responsible for it.”

“certainly not. why should i?”

“i’m sure i don’t know.”

“but you seem to suspect—”

“what?”

“i was merely going to say that you implied that you thought i had something to do with it.”

“not necessarily,” bob said with a smile.

“well, you’re mistaken if you think so,” he insisted.

“it really doesn’t matter one way or the other,” bob said.

“it does to me,” he said as he got up from his chair and picked up his cap. “i hope you believe what i have told you but, of course, i can’t help it if you don’t.”

they waited a moment or two after he had closed the door behind him, when jack asked:

“well?”

“not so you’d notice it.”

“notice what?”

“why, that’s it.”

“say, just what are you trying to get through you?”

“you said it was well and i don’t agree with you, that’s all.”

jack laughed.

“you know i was asking a question, not making a statement,” he declared.

“oh, i see,” bob drawled in an exasperating tone he sometimes assumed.

“well?”

“what do you think?”

“i asked you first.”

“all right. i think his story’s a lot of bunk.”

“of course. anyone could see that, but what did he come here for?”

“i don’t think that’s very hard. he was afraid we’d report the case to someone and spoil his game whatever it is.”

jack remained silent for a moment in deep thought. finally he said:

“it must be great to have brains. it’s as clear as crystal to me now but i’d never have thought of that.”

“well, of course, it’s only a guess, but it’s the only explanation which seems to fit at all.”

“and i bet it’s the answer. but it doesn’t tell us what they’re doing up there.”

“no, i’m as much in the dark about that as ever,” bob agreed.

“and it doesn’t help any on the question of the ghost.”

“not a bit. we’re as far away as ever on that point so far as i can see,” bob agreed.

“do you think he has anything to do with it?” jack asked a few minutes later.

“frankly i haven’t an idea. there was nothing in his manner, when i mentioned the subject to him, that would indicate it, but it’s evident that he’s up to something and it seems to me that if it isn’t that it’s a mighty peculiar coincidence.”

an hour later they were on the wharf ready to start out after trout when a motor boat rounded the point a short distance below.

“wonder who that is,” jack said.

“that man in the bow’s mr. kane,” bob declared.

mr. john kane, the sheriff of somerset county, lived in skowhegan and was well known to the boys. with him, in the boat, were four men, but the boys failed to recognize any of them as the boat drew up at the wharf.

“hello bob. hello jack,” the sheriff cried as he made the painter fast to a post at the end of the wharf. “how’s things?”

“fine,” both boys spoke together as they shook hands.

the sheriff then introduced them to the men with him, informing them that they were deputies, with the exception of one who, he explained, was a detective from new york.

after they had acknowledged the introduction all around, the sheriff asked:

“have you seen a man up here who looks anything like this?”

he took a photograph from his pocket and handed it to bob. jack looked over his brother’s shoulder and for a moment they stared hard at the picture.

“put a mustache on him and it could pass for him. don’t you think so, jack?” bob asked.

“i believe it’s he,” jack answered.

“then you think you’ve seen him?” the sheriff asked eagerly.

“i’m almost sure of it,” bob replied. “he was here a little over an hour ago, that is, if he’s the man you mean.”

“suppose you describe him,” the detective suggested, adding: “that picture was taken several years ago.”

bob proceeded to describe the man as well as he was able and when he finished the detective declared that he was sure he was the man.

“what was he doing here?” he asked.

“it’s a pretty long story,” bob replied, “but if you’ve got the time i’ll tell you all we know about it.”

“go ahead.”

so bob told them all about their adventures with the man and his companions.

“congratulations,” the detective smiled when the story was ended. “you were mighty lucky to get the better of jim the penman.”

“who did you say?” bob gasped.

“jim the penman. i guess you’ve heard of him, eh?”

“who hasn’t?” bob returned.

“who indeed?” the detective repeated. “he’s the most dangerous man as well as the most expert counterfeiter in new york city or in the country for that matter.”

“but what’s he doing up here?” jack asked.

“that’s hard to say,” the detective replied. “but i can guess. he has recently been putting out a lot of bogus ten-dollar bills in the city, and i’ve been after him for a long time. about two weeks ago i almost had him when he suddenly disappeared. i hunted for him night and day and then, when i was about ready to give up, i got word that he had been seen in bangor. so i went there and soon got on his trail which led up here. by the way did he tell you his name?”

“he said it was george kane and that he was a mining engineer,” bob replied.

“might be a relative of yours,” the detective glanced at the sheriff with a grin.

“i’m not proud of it anyway,” the latter returned,

“you needn’t worry,” the detective assured him. “he has names almost without number, but i think his real name is patrick ewing.”

“but how about the two men with him? do you have an idea who they are?” the sheriff asked.

“no. i believe you said they were half-breeds,” turning to bob.

“that’s right.”

“probably he picked them up around here to help him.”

“then you think he’s making counterfeit money up here?” bob asked.

“probably. did you see anything in the shack or cave that looked suspicious?”

“not a thing.”

“could there have been another chamber in that cave?”

“i don’t think so, that is except the one underneath. we made a pretty careful search, but i suppose it’s possible that we missed it,” bob said.

“do you know where this shack or cave is, mr. kane?” the detective asked.

“sure i do. i’ve been there a half dozen times more or less.”

“then i reckon we might as well be on our way.”

“how about letting us go along?” jack asked.

“nothin’ doing,” the detective shook his head decidedly. “it’s too risky. you see, son, that fellow’s a bad one and if he sees you he’ll think you put us on to him and he’ll get you if he can. no, i’ve got plenty of help and it wouldn’t be right to let you take the risk.”

“he’s right, bob,” the sheriff added. “we don’t need you and there’s no sense in running into danger just for the fun of the thing. if you should go and anything should happen to either of you i’d never be able to face your father or mother again.”

seeing that the men were determined the boys said no more on the subject but wished them good luck as they pushed off.

“just the same i’d liked to have gone along,” jack complained as they stood on the end of the wharf and watched the boat disappear around the point.

“same here, but i guess they were right about it,” bob said more cheerfully. “at any rate those fellows aren’t the ghost we’re after and it’s up to us to stay on the job here.”

“how come?”

“didn’t you hear him say that he lost him in new york only two weeks ago?”

“i remember it now that you mention it.”

“well then, just put two and two together and see if you don’t get four. our ghost has been on the job six weeks or more.”

“i get you. as i’ve said before, it’s a great thing to have brains.”

“well, let’s make it snappy now or it’ll be time for supper before we get to fishing.”

but before they had time to get into the canoe helen came running on to the wharf.

“who were those men?” she demanded.

“one was mr. kane, the sheriff, and another was a real live detective and the others were deputies,” jack told her.

“mercy, how exciting. what did they want?”

“they were after that fellow who kidnapped jack,” bob said.

“you see,” jack broke in, “he’s a noted counterfeiter, known by the name of jim the penman.”

“if it isn’t just like a detective story. do you suppose they’ll get him?”

“don’t see why they shouldn’t,” bob said as he picked up the paddle.

“you going fishing? and you wasn’t going to take me? now you just wait one second till i get my rod,” and she was off up the path before either could offer to go for her.

they did not go far as it was nearly time for supper and they had each caught one trout, helen’s being by far the largest, when the sound of the horn told them that they must hurry back as jacques did not like it if anyone was late for a meal.

during the meal helen’s tongue ran, as jack afterward told bob, like a bell clapper, telling her parents how she had just missed seeing and talking to a real live detective.

“i wouldn’t have missed it for worlds,” she pouted.

“i hope they get him,” mr. sleeper declared. “i have heard a good deal about him and he is a very dangerous man. i shall not feel easy in my mind until i know that he has been captured. to think that he should be away up here in the woods of maine. that detective must have made it pretty hot for him in the city to have driven him out.”

they sat on the little porch of the sleeper’s cabin later than usual that night discussing the events of the day and it was after eleven o’clock before the boys said good night and went to their cabin.

“guess mr. stokes is thinking that we’re a bunch of failures,” jack declared as he struck a match to light the big lamp on the table. “when did you write to him last?”

“day before yesterday.”

“he’ll be sending someone else up here or come up himself if we don’t have something definite to report pretty soon, i reckon.”

“shouldn’t wonder.”

“well, what—hark, what was that?”

“sounded like someone groaning.”

“listen.”

in a moment the sound was heard again more distinctly.

“it’s his nibs, all right,” jack whispered. “he sure does believe in giving a varied performance.”

the sound continued at intervals for perhaps ten minutes and the last groan, louder than the others, died away so slowly that they were not quite certain when it ceased.

“how far away was it?” jack whispered.

“hard to say but it wasn’t far.”

they listened and in a few minutes raps were heard similar to those of the night before.

“old stuff,” jack chuckled.

“and there’s the spot of light,” bob whispered a moment later pointing to the wall. “turn down that light so that we can see it.”

jack obeyed and the spot sprang out seemingly brighter than it had been on any previous occasion. for a moment they watched it and then it began to move going over the same route as before.

“more old stuff,” jack again declared. “wonder why—”

but before he could say more, bob caught him by the arm and whispered:

“look at the window and you’ll see something new.”

jack looked and gave a violent start for there seemingly framed by the window was a white object. but he did not have time for more than a single glance for bob was already on a dash for the door and he lost no time in rushing after him. out of the door they burst and darted around the corner. but the ghost had vanished.

“i don’t suppose it’s any use to hunt after him,” bob said disgustedly as he leaned against the corner of the cabin.

“no, it’s too dark,” jack agreed.

back in the cabin they sat for some time in silence waiting to see if there were to be any further manifestations. but nothing happened and finally jack said:

“well i reckon the show’s over for tonight. me for the hay.”

“just a minute,” bob said as he turned up the light. “i’ve got an idea and i want to know how it strikes you.”

“all right, shoot.”

for several moments bob talked in low tones and as he finished jack hit him a resounding slap on the back saying:

“great idea, old man. and i don’t see why it won’t work, but how about the sleepers?”

“well, i had thought of them. you remember they arranged with jacques to take them down to the dam in the morning. he didn’t say what for but i reckon he’s anxious to find out if they got those fellows up in the shack.”

“i guess that’s it.”

“well, we’ll get up early and see jacques before they’re around and if he has them we’ll have a good long time to plant them while they’re gone.”

“but won’t we have to tell them about where they are?”

“i guess you’re right,” bob agreed after a moment’s thought. “it wouldn’t be nice to have one of them stumble on one by accident. no, i wish we could keep mum about it but i guess it would be too risky.”

they were up shortly after five o’clock the next morning and soon after were interviewing the frenchman in the kitchen.

“got any traps up here, jacques?” bob asked.

“oui, plenty out in shed but eet close time for trapping now.”

“i know but there’s no close time on ghosts is there?”

“what you mean, eh?”

“well, you see it’s like this,” and bob told him what had happened the night before. “now it occurred to us that if we set some traps we might catch something,” he added.

“dat one bon idea,” jacques declared after a moment’s thought. “you find um out in shed up in loft. you tak’ what you lik’ and i hope you catch um ghost. heem spoil camp long time ’nough.”

“guess we might as well get them now as later,” bob said. “as long as we’ve got to tell them about it it won’t do any harm if they do see us.”

as jacques had said, in the loft of the shed just behind the kitchen they found a large number of traps of all sorts and sizes, from the small ones used to catch musk rats to those large enough to hold a full grown bear.

“going to use these big ones?” jack asked.

“not the largest. these number threes are about right, i reckon. they’ll hold a man without breaking his leg.”

“how many do we want?”

“let’s see. we want to plant one under that window and about three out near the edge of the woods. whoever handles the light that makes that spot must stand somewhere near there. then, if we can find anything that looks like a path near there we’ll put a couple in it. that makes six altogether. you take three and i’ll take three.”

the traps together with the chains were heavy and three made a full sized load. they found a spade in the shed and were soon out back of their cabin by the window where they had seen the ‘ghost’ the night before.

“now, we’ve got to do a mighty good job at this,” bob declared as he started to dig in the hard ground. “whoever is at the bottom of this is nobody’s fool and, even if he does come around only when it’s dark, he’ll smell a mouse if he’s given half a chance.”

“well, i don’t like to throw bouquets at myself,” jack grinned, “but we ought to know how to set a trap. we’ve done it times enough.”

fortunately there was a large pine tree only a few feet from the cabin on that side and the ground was thickly coated with the long pine needles, making it easy to cover the trap so that not the slightest indication of its presence was to be seen.

“there, i hardly think mr. ghost will stand in front of that window very long without something happening,” jack declared as he finished the task.

just where to locate the others was not so easy to decide. the edge of the woods, on the side of the window through which the spot of light came, was nearly fifty feet from the cabin and they had no way of telling just where a man would be apt to stand. but they picked out the places which seemed to them to promise the most and were busily engaged in planting the fourth trap when mr. sleeper and helen came toward them.

“hello, what’s the idea?” mr. sleeper asked.

“well, we’ve trapped about everything that is to be trapped in maine except ghosts and so we thought we’d try our hand at that,” jack laughed.

“that’s certainly a unique sport,” he smiled. “but it might work at that.”

“if a ghost is heavy enough to spring a trap,” bob grinned.

“have you set any anywhere else than here?”

“one just outside our back window. someone or something was prowling around there last night,” bob replied. “and we’re going to set the other two somewhere in the woods if we can find any trace of foot steps. we were going to tell you about it at breakfast so that you’d know where they are and not get caught in one of them.”

“that wouldn’t be very pleasant, getting caught i mean.”

just then the breakfast horn rang out and they hastened to obey its summons. during the meal mr. sleeper invited the boys to go down to the dam with them but they declined on the ground that they wanted to get the rest of the traps set. somewhat to their surprise he did not urge them and soon after the meal was ended they were alone.

“now for those last two traps,” bob said as they waved their friends good-bye from the end of the wharf.

“guess we might as well put them one place as another seeing we haven’t been able to locate the least sign of anything that would indicate from what direction he, it or they come.”

“well, now that we’re alone we’ll make a more thorough search.”

and for nearly three hours they hunted through the woods going as much as a half mile from the cabin, but at the end of the time they had to acknowledge that they were no wiser than at the start.

“it beats me,” bob said mopping his forehead.

“sure does,” jack agreed as he sat down on a log.

“well, what’ll we do with them?”

“might’s well take ’em back, i guess.”

“no, we won’t do that. let’s plant them near the others. the more we have there the more apt we are to catch something.”

“you’re the boss. come on and let’s get at it.”

they had just finished setting the last trap when the chug of a motor told them that the motor boat was returning and they hurried down to the wharf arriving there just as it touched.

“did they get them?” bob asked.

mr. sleeper shook his head and the boy was quick to see that his face bore a troubled expression.

“no, they didn’t get them,” he said slowly. “the sheriff and his men were just ready to drive off as we got there, but i had time for a word with him. it seems that no one was there when they got to the place and they waited all night but they didn’t show up and they decided that they must have got wind that they were after them and cleared out.”

“i’m sorry to hear it,” bob said.

“yes, it’s too bad. i don’t feel safe with men of that stamp around. in fact i made up my mind to leave, but mrs. sleeper and helen won’t hear of it.”

“i should say not,” helen broke in. “i’m not going to be scared away by them.”

“did you get the rest of the traps set?” mr. sleeper asked.

“yes, but we put them close by the others. couldn’t find any other place,” bob replied.

“well, i hope you catch something,” mr. sleeper smiled as he led the way up to the cabin.

the boys slept a good part of the afternoon as they intended to sit up and watch through the night, and mr. sleeper and helen did the same but mrs. sleeper declared that she wasn’t going to lose her beauty sleep until she was sure that a ghost would turn up.