The Rover Boys on a Hunt; or, The Mysterious House in the Woods. Stratemeyer Edward

into the janitor's face.

      "You young rascals!" roared Plunger, and then lost his footing on some ice. In endeavoring to keep his balance he sent the snow-shovel whirling through the air. It landed at Andy's feet, catching that fun-loving youth in the shins and sending him flat on his face.

      "Hurrah! One down!" came from Bob Nixon good-naturedly, and then the chauffeur picked up a large chunk of snow and threw it high in the air, to land directly on Randy's shoulder.

      "Great pyramids of Egypt!" gasped Randy. "Is that a snowslide?" For some of the snow had filled his ear and gone down his neck.

      "Oh, we didn't begin this, you know," cried the chauffeur gleefully. "Come on, Shout; let's show 'em what the older generation can do." And then he picked up another chunk of snow and hurled it at Andy, nearly burying that youth while he was endeavoring to regain his feet.

      "Hi! Hi you!" spluttered Andy. "We went in for snowballing. We didn't go in for avalanches."

      "When you start something, always be sure you can finish it," admonished Bob Nixon. And then he picked up a third chunk of snow; but before he could make use of it the Rover twins had dived out of sight around a corner of the school building.

      "I guess that's the time we got the worst of it," remarked Andy ruefully.

      "And maybe we deserved it," was Randy's ready response. "Come on and snowball some of the other cadets."

      A number were willing, and an impromptu snowballing battle took place which lasted the best part of a quarter of an hour. Then one of the teachers came out and ordered the youths upstairs, for this was the study hour.

      On Sundays such of the cadets as desired to do so were permitted to attend one or another of the churches in Haven Point. All of the Rovers went to church, and there met, not only Mary and Martha, but also Ruth Stevenson, May Powell, and some of the other girls.

      "Well, Jack, I suppose this snowy weather puts you in mind of the time you went to my Uncle Barney's place on Snowshoe Island," remarked Ruth Stevenson, with a bright smile at the young captain, who, of course, was dressed in his best uniform.

      "That's what it does, Ruth," he answered. "And, my, what a good time we did have! How is your uncle getting along?"

      "Very well indeed. He is a changed man since he stopped quarreling with my folks and since it has been proved that Snowshoe Island is really and truly his property."

      "I'm glad we were able to help the old man."

      "Have you decided on what you intend to do during the coming holidays?" continued the girl from Clearwater Hall.

      "Not exactly, Ruth. More than likely we'll go home with the girls and spend some time with our mothers. They probably feel pretty lonely now that our dads have gone to Europe."

      "Yes, I can imagine how that must be."

      "You girls ought to come down with Mary and Martha."

      "We're talking of doing that," put in May Powell. "You see, we wanted them to come up to my house first, and then Ruth wanted them. But as their mothers are now all alone in New York they thought it best that we should spend the time down there. We could have something of a house party, and that would help cheer the older folks up."

      "A good idea!" came from Fred. "Do it by all means!"

      "Yes, you girls can have a fine time in New York during the winter holidays," added Randy.

      "I suppose you boys will want to go off hunting," said May, pouting a little. "I wish I was a boy and could do that!"

      "Gee! I wish we could go off hunting, like we did that time at Snowshoe Island," cried Randy wistfully. "Such an outing would suit me right down to the ground."

      "Gif Garrison said something a few days ago about going off on a hunt," remarked Fred. "He says his father some years ago bought a place known as Cedar Lodge. He didn't tell me very much about it. In fact, he acted quite mysteriously."

      "I suppose he didn't want to hurt your feelings, Fred," returned Jack. "More than likely he knew you would feel bad to have him going off for a good time up in the woods and have you and the rest of us staying at home."

      Two days passed, and the young cadets were so busy getting ready for the examinations previous to the midwinter holidays that they had no time to pay attention to anything else. They heard that Bill Glutts was openly boasting that the Yellow Streak could beat any bobsled in that vicinity and that the Blue Moon had won the contest by a foul. But to this just then they paid no attention.

      "I'll get at Bill later—just wait!" was the way Jack expressed himself, and the others knew that the young captain would keep his word.

      On Wednesday the boys received letters from home stating that word had come in that their fathers were still in the trenches in France. No serious fighting had so far taken place in their sector, and none of them had been wounded and all were in the best of health.

      "That's the best news yet," said Fred, with satisfaction, and the others agreed with him.

      Gif Garrison had also received a letter, and this he read with tremendous satisfaction. His face was aglow as he called the Rover boys to him.

      "I've got an important announcement to make to you fellows," he said. "Let us go up to your rooms and talk it over."

      "What is the announcement?" questioned Andy eagerly.

      "I'll tell you when we are alone," answered Gif.

CHAPTER IV

       Table of Contents

SOMETHING ABOUT CEDAR LODGE

       Table of Contents

      "Oh, go ahead, Gif, and get it off your chest!"

      "Don't keep us waiting."

      "Has some one died and left you a fortune?"

      Such were some of the remarks made after Gif Garrison had said that he had an important announcement to make to the four Rover boys.

      "Not another word until we get to your rooms," said Gif. "And, Andy, won't you please run off and get Spouter Powell? I just saw him heading for the gymnasium."

      "All right, Gif. But don't you dare to let the others in on the secret until I get back," returned the fun-loving Rover boy, and away he sped on his errand.

      A few minutes later all of the lads mentioned were assembled in the Rover boys' sitting room, some on chairs, one on a table, and two on a couch. Andy playfully started to throw a pillow at Fred, but Gif at once put up his hand in protest.

      "Any horseplay, and I'll call it all off," he warned.

      "I'll be good, Gif!" cried Andy reluctantly, and got rid of the pillow by using it for a back rest.

      "This letter is from my Uncle Louis, who is a partner with my father in the ownership of a large tract of land not far from the seacoast," began Gif. "There is a small but comfortable bungalow on it, known as Cedar Lodge. Nobody was going to use the Lodge this winter, and I suggested to my folks and Uncle Louis that they allow us fellows to occupy it during the holidays."

      "And what did they say?" questioned Randy eagerly.

      "They said I could go there if I wanted to, and I could take you Rover boys and Spouter with me, provided you could get consent to go."

      "Isn't that dandy!"

      "Of course we'll go, Gif. Horses couldn't hold us back!"

      "How is the hunting there? Can we get a deer or a moose?"

      "How do you get there?"