The muskrat trapper did not prove to be in a very pleasant frame of mind, but, after Mark had given him a quarter, Bascomb consented to answer a few questions. The boys told him about looking for a strange man, describing him as best they could, though they did not tell why they wanted to find him.
"Wa'al, now, I shouldn't be surprised but what I know the very fellow you want," said the trapper. "I met him a couple of days back, an' I think he's still hanging around. Fust I thought he was after some of my traps, but when I found he wa'ant, I didn't pay no more attention to him. He looked jest like you say."
"Where was he?" asked Jack eagerly.
"Walkin' along the creek, sort of absent-minded like."
"You don't know where he lives, or whether he is staying in this vicinity, do you?" inquired Mark.
"Ya'as, I think I do," replied the trapper.
"Where?" cried Jack eagerly.
"Wa'al, you know the old Preakness homestead, down by the bend of the creek, about four mile below here?"
"Sure we know it," answered Mark. "We used to go in swimming not far from there."
"Wa'al, the old house has been deserted now for quite a spell," went on the trapper, "and there ain't nobody lived in it but tramps. But the other night, when I was comin' past, with a lot of rats I'd jest taken out of my traps, I see a light in the old house. Thinks I, to myself, that there's more tramps snoozin' in there, and I didn't reckon it was none of my business, so I kept on. But jest as I was walking past the main gate, some one come out of the house and hurried away. I had a good look at him, an'——"