voice was stilled.

"Let's conduct this meeting in a parliamentary way," said Paul. "Some of
you must have thought it stood adjourned. Now, whoever wants to speak,
get up, and let's hear what you've got to say."

"I move that we take up the plan offered, and make our headquarters on
Cedar Island," said Wallace Carberry, rising.

"Not on your life!" declared Curly Baxter, bobbing up like a
jack-in-the-box; "I've heard lots about that same place. It's troubled
with a _mystery_, and only last week I heard Paddy Reilly say he'd never
go there fishin' again if he was paid for it. He's dreadfully afraid of
ghosts, Paddy is."

"Ghosts!" almost shouted William Carberry; "I vote to go to Cedar
Island then. I've always wanted to see a genuine ghost, and never yet
had a chance."

"Now, I heard that it was a wild man that lived somewhere on that same
island," remarked Frank Savage. "They say he's a terror, too, all covered
with hair; and one man who'd been looking for pearl mussels in the river
up that way told my father he beat any Wild Man of Borneo he'd ever set
eyes on in a freak show or circus."

"Oh, that's a fine place for honest scouts to pitch their tents, ain't
it--I don't think!" observed Joe Clausin, with a sneer.

"H-h-huh! ain't there j-j-just twenty-six of us s-s-scouts; and ought we
b-b-be afraid of one l-l-little g-g-ghost, or even a w-w-wild man?"