It was made of logs, and once had been
chinked with mud or clay. Some of this had fallen out, leaving
spaces between the tree trunks.
"It wasn't a bad little shack at one time," decided Tom. "Maybe
it was a place where some one camped out during the summer. But
it hasn't been used of late. I never knew there was such a place
around here, and I thought I knew this locality pretty well."
"I never heard of it, either," said Jackson. "Let's give a
shout and see if there's any one around. They may be asleep.
Hello, there !" he called in sufficiently vigorous tones to have
awakened an ordinary sleeper.
Put there was no answer, and as the shadows of the night began
to fall, the place took on a most lonely aspect.
"Let's go up and knock--or go in if the door's open," suggested
Tom. "We can't lose any more time, if we're to get out of here
before night."
"Go ahead," said Jackson, and together they went to the cabin
door.
"Locked!" exclaimed Tom, as he saw a padlock attached to a
chain. It appeared to be fastened through two staples, driven one
into the door and the other into the jamb, at right angles to one
another and overlapping.
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