"A bear or a wildcat sure," said Snap, after an inspection.
"Let us go after it—-whatever it is," answered the doctor's son.
"Maybe the ghost stole it," suggested Giant, but nobody accepted this idea.
A hasty breakfast was had, and the boys were on the point of going on a hunt when there came a call from the lake. A man in a canoe was paddling toward them.
"It's Jed Sanborn!" cried Snap, and he was right. Soon the old hunter had beached his craft and was shaking hands with them.
"All safe?" was his first question.
"All safe," was the answer.
"Thet ghost didn't eat ye up then? Thought, by what Ham Spink said, ye'd be about dead when I got here," and Jed Sanborn smiled grimly.
"Where did you see Ham?" asked the doctor's son.
"Down to Fairview."