“Don’t take my money away from me, boys,” he whined, in conclusion. “I ain’t never had none, and I had to work pretty hard to find this. Bainbridge is dead and there ain’t much in the box.”
“We don’t want your money, Jerry,” replied Ted, feeling sorry for the grasping, miserable old wretch. “I just wanted to know why you kept us on the jump. If you were the one who set the woods on fire I wouldn’t be disposed to be nice about it, but the worst thing you did was to cut the tent ropes, and we had that coming, after a fashion, for chasing you all over the mountains. Just remember this: if you ever bother us again when we come here, we’ll turn you over to the police speedily, I promise you.”
Jackson promised never to come near the camp again, and then he melted away in the darkness, hugging the tin box to him. Late into the night the boys talked it over.
“That explains half of it,” remarked Ted. “But it doesn’t explain the skeleton, the Black Rider, the groans or the fire. Looks like we’ll never get the story of that.”
But the explanations came from an unexpected source. On the Sunday before Labor Day Mr. Calvert appeared in the camp, where he was joyfully welcomed by the boys. He had dinner with them and then unfolded some information that had them listening eagerly.
“You fellows are quite famous,” he smiled at them. “Did you know that you chased a notorious forger and counterfeiter out of this region?”
“No! How was that?” Ted asked.
“Did you ever hear of a Dr. Hemple?”
There was a swift exchange of looks. “The name on the skeleton!” was the general cry.
“Yes,” nodded the lawyer. “This Dr. Hemple is a very clever bank note engraver and some time ago he began to counterfeit money and he forged his name to checks in the bargain. While the police of several cities were looking for him he used to retreat up here to a log cabin he has somewhere around and only a few days ago he was captured. Among his confessions was a statement that he had hoped to make this region his headquarters, but that a camp of boys had refused to be scared out and he couldn’t have men coming and going with a boys’ camp near here. So he left the place and was later caught.”