"Well, some things move slowly, Dave, don't forget that. More than likely your unc--I mean the folks down in Crumville--are doing all they can to get to the bottom of the matter. Most likely they are investigating the proofs that Ward Porton said he was willing to present." On the following morning there was something of a surprise. About eleven o'clock, while some of the lads were fishing, and Dave had Jessie out in a canoe, there came a shout from up the brook, and looking in that direction our hero saw Phil approaching, with his uncle beside him, leaning on the youth's shoulder. "Hello, Mr. Lawrence's ankle must have got better quickly!" cried Dave. "And is that the so-called wild man?" returned Jessie. "He doesn't seem to be very wild now." "You've heard us tell why he acted in that outlandish way," was the answer, as Dave paddled toward the dock. Soon the boys were surrounding the new arrivals, and Mr. Lawrence was led to a couch, upon which he was glad to sit down and thus rest his injured ankle. The ladies and the girls were introduced, and the man shook hands with them rather shamefacedly. "I'll have to apologize to you for acting so rudely," said Lester Lawrence, after the introductions were over. "I suppose the boys have told you why I did it?" "Yes, Mr. Lawrence," answered Mrs. Wadsworth, kindly. "And under the circumstances we are quite willing to let bygones be bygones." "Can we do anything for your ankle?" questioned Laura, who was a natural-born nurse. "I guess about all it needs is rest," answered Lester Lawrence. "It was quite a journey from my shack to this place. But I saw that Phil was getting anxious to rejoin you, so I told him we might as well make the venture to-day rather than wait. He has been hoping that you would have some word for him from my brother." "No word yet, Phil," answered Dave, "but there may be in the mail to-day." "Say, we had some scare this morning just before we left the cabin!" declared the shipowner's son. "I was nearly frightened into a fit!" "What was that?" came from several of the others. "I was cleaning the dishes after breakfast, and I went outdoors to throw some scraps in a heap behind some bushes. Just as I got there with my panful of stuff, up jumped--what do you think?--a great big bear!" "A bear!" shrieked the girls. "Did you shoot him?" broke in Shadow. "Shoot him? What with--a frying-pan?" "Then the bear got away?" asked Roger. "I don't know whether the bear got away or I got away. I dropped that frying-pan, and I legged it for the cabin for all I was worth. In the meantime the bear disappeared among the trees just back of the cabin. I got my uncle's rifle and went out to look for him, but it was no use." "O dear, a bear!" murmured Jessie. "Suppose he comes down here?" and she gave a slight shiver. "Why, that would be fun!" declared Belle. "I'd like to see that bear, and get a shot at him, too," went on the girl from Star Ranch.