Part 36 (2/2)

”Have you any idea which way he went?” questioned our hero

”I don't know exactly, Dave, but I think he went that way,” and the former story-teller of Oak Hall pointed with his hand

”Let's scatter a little,” ordered Dave, and while he passed in the direction pointed out, the other boys separated to both sides of hie of the woods and there caht in the open space surrounding the bungalows, beneath the trees it was dark, and consequently little could be seen

”Might as well look for a pin in a haystack,” gruood-bye to hiet a trace of the rascal”

”I guess you're right, Roger,” answered Dave, ”but let's search around a little anyway”

Long before this the alareneral, and now Dunston Porter and Mr Wadsworth appeared, followed shortly by Mrs Wadsworth and Mrs

Basswood and the girls

”Let us take the flashlights and lanterns and see if we can't get on the track of him,” ordered the jewelry manufacturer ”We must capture hian in earnest

CHAPTER XXII

MORE OF A MYSTERY

”Did you see anything of hi uess it was a wild aniotten away, and that is all there is to it,” said Dave, as he looked at his chums and at the men, who had also joined in the search for Link Merwell

”This is certainly too bad!” remarked Mr Wadsworth, with a shake of his head

”And it was all my fault!” broke out Shadow, bitterly ”Oh, I could kick myself full of holes every time I think of it!”

Over an hour had been spent in the woods surrounding the clearing on Mirror Lake During that time the men and the boys had stirred up several small wild anied it for all he orth after he juer's comment ”For all we know he ht into those woods it was a hazardous proceeding,”

said Dunston Porter ”He'll becoht coet out”

”Oh, perhaps he'll cliested Dave ”You must reht up in the wild West, and kno to do for hiive up the hunt,” said Mr Wadsworth, and turned toward Bear Camp, followed by the others

”Oh, Dave, did you catch him?” The cry came fro their return

”No, he got away”

”That's too bad!”