together through thick and thin. Even Bandy-legs, spear and all, tried
to gain entrance, but in the end he had to let his pole drop to the
ground, since there was hardly room for that inside, and the four boys
as well.

They looked around them. The interior of the shack was certainly about
as desolate as anything they had ever set eyes on. Not a sign of
anything in the way of former comforts seemed to remain. Over in one
corner there had at one time been a sort of berth made, where the party
who built the cabin kept his blanket most likely and slept; but just now
it only had some dead leaves in it, such as might go to serve a wild
beast for its nest.

Something flitted out of the opening that served as a window, and from
the fleeting glimpse the boys had of this, they believed it must have
been a red squirrel, that possibly thought to hide its store of nuts in
this lonesome cabin, though as yet the season for this sort of thing was
far distant, since summer had not progressed very far.

After all it was Toby, who, as a rule, had little to say, who broke the
silence that hung over the chums as they stared around.

"Gee!"

Whether it was that the sound of a human voice had stirred them up, or
the fact of Toby saying that one expressive word without stumbling, as
usual, something aroused the others, and Steve broke loose.

"Well, of all the tough-looking places I've ever struck, I think this
takes the cake!" he exclaimed.