CONTENTS

CHAPTERPAGE
I.Ted Takes a Post[5]
II.In the Camp of the Black Riders[16]
III.Following the Light[26]
IV.A Startling Sight[33]
V.Setting Up Camp[44]
VI.A Prowler in the Night[56]
VII.Weird Sounds[66]
VIII.A Grim Find Exploded[76]
IX.Ted Lays Down the Law[88]
X.Mountain Chase[99]
XI.The Lone Light[110]
XII.Heaven’s Artillery[119]
XIII.Buck Makes a Discovery[129]
XIV.The Story of the Black Riders[140]
XV.Mutiny[152]
XVI.Things Are Settled Man-Fashion[165]
XVII.Buck’s Squad Takes the Field[177]
XVIII.An Uneasy Camp[188]
XIX.Drummer Saves His Chief[198]
XX.A Visit to Hogs’ Hollow[210]
XXI.The Watching Post[220]
XXII.Ghost Meets Ghost[229]
XXIII.A Game of Nicky Night[238]
XXIV.Mysteries Are Cleared Up[249]

IN THE CAMP OF THE
BLACK RIDER

CHAPTER I
TED TAKES A POST

The noon whistles blew in the little inland town of Ridgefield and the sound, flung from many a hoarse factory siren, reached the ears of the few men who worked at piling lumber in Thorn’s Lumber and Millwork Company yard. The work of the men was instantly suspended and most of them walked off to look into well-filled lunch pails. A few, fortunate enough to live close by, started off for their homes.

At the first sound of the whistles two clean-cut young fellows at the far end of the yard had just lifted a long plank, preparatory to tossing it on a towering pile beside them. They looked smilingly at each other as the whistles, joined by others, increased in volume of sound.

“That’s what we have been listening for!” smiled Ted Thorn, son of the owner of the lumber yard.

“Be careful!” warned Buck Dalton, his constant companion and devoted chum. “You will come under the heading of a whistle-listener! That’s the next worse thing to being a clockwatcher!”