whole lot of light, now, does it; and especially when it's a cloudy night
in the bargain?"

"Well, I declare!" exclaimed Jack.

"What is it; did you see anything?" demanded Tom Betts, hastily.

"I'm not dead sure," admitted Jack; "you see, just as Bobolink said, the
light's mighty poor, and a fellow could easily be mistaken; but I
thought I saw something that looked like a tall man scuttle away around
that corner of the mill, and dodge behind that pile of lumber!"

"Whew!" ejaculated Bobolink, showing the utmost interest, for excitement
appealed to him.

"Say, perhaps Hans has arrived ahead of the half hour," suggested
Tom Betts.

"No, it wasn't Hans, because I know him well, and he's a little runt of a
Dutchman, but a fighter from the word go; and my father knows nobody's
going to get away with those boxes of the professor while Hans and his
musket, that was used in the Civil War, are on guard. That was a tall
man, and he ran like he'd just heard us coming, and wanted to hide. I
guess somebody else is curious about those boxes, besides Bobolink."




CHAPTER II