As he spoke he took up a pair of oars lying in the big rowboat he and
Joe Bodley occupied. Joe was already rowing and the rich boy joined in,
and the craft was headed for the spot Joe had pointed out.

The lake was one located in the central part of the State of
Pennsylvania. It was perhaps a mile wide and more than that long, and
surrounded by mountains and long ranges of hills. At the lower end of
the lake was a small settlement of scant importance and at the
upper end, where there was a stream of no mean size, was the town of
Riverside. At Riverside were situated several summer hotels and boarding
houses, and also the elegant mansion in which Ned Talmadge resided, with
his parents and his four sisters.

Joe Bodley was as poor as Ned Talmadge was rich, yet the two lads were
quite friendly. Joe knew a good deal about hunting and fishing, and also
knew all about handling boats. They frequently went out together, and
Ned insisted upon paying the poorer boy for all extra services.

Joe's home was located on the side of the mountain which was just now
wrapped in such dark and ominous looking clouds. He lived with Hiram
Bodley, an old man who was a hermit. The home consisted of a cabin of
two rooms, scantily furnished. Hiram Bodley had been a hunter and guide,
but of late years rheumatism had kept him from doing work and Joe was
largely the support of the pair,--taking out pleasure parties for pay
whenever he could, and fishing and hunting in the between times, and
using or selling what was gained thereby.

There was a good deal of a mystery surrounding Joe's parentage. It was
claimed that he was a nephew of Hiram Bodley, and that, after the death
of his mother and sisters, his father had drifted out to California and