“So am I,” cried Roger. “And Dave will try with us; won’t you, old man?” And Roger 4 caught his chum affectionately by the shoulder. “You are the fellow to solve mysteries!”
Dave was about to answer when there came a knock on the bedroom door. He opened it to find himself confronted by a middle-aged lady, who was smiling but anxious.
“How are you getting along, boys?” she asked.
“First-rate, Mrs. Wadsworth,” answered Roger. “We’ll soon be finished now.”
“Are the girls getting anxious?” questioned Dave.
“Say, what do you think?” burst out Phil. “We are going back to Oak Hall to capture a wild man who––”
“Phil!” burst out both Dave and Roger, and the other youth stopped short in confusion.
“A wild man?” cried the lady of the house, in consternation. “Oh, Dave, I hope––”
“Oh, don’t let him worry you, Mrs. Wadsworth,” responded Dave, quickly. “There is a wild man up there, but I don’t think he will bother us any, and we’ve got too much to do to hunt for him.” And the lad gave his chum a look that said as plainly as words: “What did you want to mention it for?”
“Oh—I—er—I was only fooling,” stammered Phil. “Of course, if there is a wild man he won’t come near us. Tell the girls we’ll be ready in five 5 minutes—at least I will,” he added, and resumed his packing.