THE HAUNTED MAKE-BELIEVE "CASTLE."


It was about the middle of a fall afternoon, and Friday at that, when
five well-grown lads, clad in faded khaki suits that proclaimed them
to be Boy Scouts, dropped down upon a moss covered log near a cold
spring at which they had just quenched their thirst.

The one who acted as leader, and to whom the others often deferred,
answered to the name of Hugh. He was, indeed, Hugh Hardin, assistant
scout master; and the others were also full-fledged members of the
Oakvale Boy Scout Troop of which so much has been written and told.

Those fortunate readers who are familiar with previous volumes in
this series need no introduction to these lively lads.

For the benefit of others who have not up to this time made their
acquaintance, it may be said that the boy next to Hugh was Alec Sands;
the stout, rosy-cheeked fellow with the beaming face, Billy Worth;
the slender one, Arthur Cameron; and the uneasy chap "Monkey" Stallings,
so nicknamed on account of his pet hobby for hanging by his toes from
the cross-pieces of telegraph poles, or the lofty limbs of forest trees.

It might also be noted further that Hugh was known as a fine all-round
scout; Arthur's leading specialty lay in the line of amateur surgery,
at which he was wonderfully proficient; Alec gave the leader a pretty
good race in nearly every line of scout activity, while Billy,---well,
to be frank, Billy's strong points might be set down as an everlasting
fund of cheery good-nature, and a remarkable capacity for stowing away
"grub."