CHAPTER VII
Returning Cub's "Goat"
In the morning after breakfast Mr. Perry called a conference on deck for the purpose of discussing "the mystery and Cub's goat", as Hal put it.
"Yes," said Bud, his sense of humor stimulated by this allusion; "all Mr. Perry has to do to return Cub's goat is to prove there isn't any mystery about the affair."
"I didn't say I was going to do that," objected the adult member of the party.
"What—return the goat or disprove the mystery?" asked Bud.
"Now you're getting facetious," broke in Cub.
"Not necessarily," objected Mr. Perry. "I didn't promise, or have in mind, to do either of those things. The fact of the matter is, a mystery represents the state or condition of mind of the person mystified. Now, I am not mystified over this affair at all; hence there is no mystery in it, so far as I am concerned."
"Then explain it to us," Bud challenged.
"Oh, no; I didn't mean I could do that."