“That’s a first-class mystery,” Kent declared. “I’d like to go up there and snoop around some.”
“That’s just what I had in mind,” Barry told him. “I talked about it with Dad at the supper table, and he wasn’t very keen about it at first, but finally he said it wouldn’t hurt anything for us to go up there and look around. He said he would try and get permission for us to camp in the Bronson cabin, which is in sight of the lodge. How does that strike you?”
“Right on the bull’s-eye,” answered Kent, promptly. “We can hike up there in two days.”
“We can skate up there in less time than that,” Barry said. “The Buffalo River runs into the lake about two miles below the cabin and the lodge, and we could go that way. Even if we don’t accomplish a thing toward solving the mystery, we will at least have a good vacation, taking in a skating trip and camping in a cabin.”
“Sure thing! We’ve never camped in a cabin. Say, look who is in the hardware store.”
Following the direction of Kent’s nod, Barry glanced through the glass, and his eyes rested on the form of a boy about their own age, who was examining a sleeping bag. This young man was well dressed and wore an expensive fur coat. On a counter near by a pile of camping equipment lay spread out. Barry recognized the boy at once. It was Carter Wolf, the one who had been detected stealing from the lockers at school.
“Looks like Wolf is going somewhere,” he said.
“Going to have a lot of duffle with him, too,” added Kent. “This is the first time we’ve seen him since our affair of the locker room. Let’s see if he greets us with politeness.”
They entered the store. There was only one clerk in attendance, and he was busy with Carter Wolf. Just as they closed the door they heard Wolf purchase the sleeping bag. He saw the boys and flushed slightly, but contented himself with merely turning his back on them.
“Anything else, Mr. Wolf?” the clerk asked. Wolf consulted a list which he held in his hand.