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Page 62
In a clearing among the trees was a little cabin --a shack of
logs--and from the appearance it was deserted. There was not a
sign of life around
CHAPTER XXII
CLEWS AT LAST
For a moment, at sight of the deserted cabin, staring at Tom
and his friend, as it were, from its hiding place amid the trees,
the young inventor and his companion did not move. They just
stood looking at the place.
"Well," said Tom,. at length, "we found it, didn't we
"We found something anyhow," agreed Jackson. "Whether it
amounts to anything or not, we've got to see."
"Come on!" cried Tom, impulsively. "I'm going to see what's
there."
"There doesn't appear to be much of anything," said Jackson, as
he looked toward the lonely cabin with critical eyes. "I should
say that place hadn't been used, even as a chicken coop, in a
long while."
"We can soon tell!" exclaimed Tom, striding forward.
"Wait just a minute!" cried his companion, catching him by the
coat. "Don't be in such a hurry."
"Why not?" asked Tom. "There isn't any danger, is there?"
"I don't know about that. There's no telling who may be hidden
in that cabin, in spite of its deserted appearance. And though
there aren't any 'No Trespass' signs up, it may be that we
wouldn't be welcome. If there are some tramps there, which is
possible, they might take a notion to shoot at us first and ask
questions as to our peaceable intentions afterward--when it would
be too late."
"Nonsense!" exclaimed Tom. "There aren't any tramps there and,
if there were, they wouldn't dare shoot. I'm going to see what
the mystery is--if there is one."
But there was no sign of life, and, taking this as an
indication that their advance would not be disputed, Jackson
followed Tom. The latter advanced until he could take in all the
details of the shack. It was made of logs, and once had been
chinked with mud or clay. Some of this had fallen out, leaving
spaces between the tree trunks.
"It wasn't a bad little shack at one time," decided Tom. "Maybe
it was a place where some one camped out during the summer. But
it hasn't been used of late. I never knew there was such a place
around here, and I thought I knew this locality pretty well."
"I never heard of it, either," said Jackson. "Let's give a
shout and see if there's any one around. They may be asleep.
Hello, there !" he called in sufficiently vigorous tones to have
awakened an ordinary sleeper.
Put there was no answer, and as the shadows of the night began
to fall, the place took on a most lonely aspect.
"Let's go up and knock--or go in if the door's open," suggested
Tom. "We can't lose any more time, if we're to get out of here
before night."
"Go ahead," said Jackson, and together they went to the cabin
door.
"Locked!" exclaimed Tom, as he saw a padlock attached to a
chain. It appeared to be fastened through two staples, driven one
into the door and the other into the jamb, at right angles to one
another and overlapping.
"Knock!" suggested Jackson. But when Tom had done so, and there
was no answer, the machinist took hold of the lock. To his own
surprise and that of Tom, one of the staples pulled out and the
door swung open. The place had evidently been forced before, and
the lock had not been opened by a key. The staple had been pulled
out and replaced loosely in the holes.
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