"What, then? Toss it into the lake?" "Even that might not be as foolish as it sounds to you," Darry went on. "How do we know what that box contains!" "We never will know until we open it," declared Greg impatiently. "And then we might be mighty sorry that we opened it," Dave continued. "You think that there is something suspicious about the box?" queried Prescott. "Oh, the box looks all right," Dave laughed. "But the contents might prove more than a disappointment. A real danger, for instance." "Do you really think so?" Dick mused wonderingly. "Well, let's not be too rash," Darrin urged. "When I try to think of the friends who might take the trouble to come away out here to leave something for us, about the dearest friends I can think of are---Dodge and Bayliss." "And what would they leave in the box for us?" pondered Prescott. "Anything from a nest of rattlesnakes to an infernal machine," Greg Holmes suggested. "That doesn't sound quite reasonable," Dick replied slowly. "Neither Dodge nor Bayliss amount to much, and both fellows are pretty mean; but do you imagine they would dare do anything that might come very close to murder? I don't." "Oh, well, open the box, then," Dave agreed. "Whatever may be in it of a dangerous nature, I'll stand by and take my share of it." "A few minutes won't make any difference," said Dick, rising and dropping hammer and chisel. "We'll wait until the rest of the fellows come in, and then we'll hold a pow-wow and vote on what's to be done." "Tom! Oh, Tom! Fellows! Hoo-hoo!" roared Greg, making a megaphone of his hands. "Wha-at's wa-anted?" came Reade's hail, still from a distance. "Hurry up!" yelled Greg. "Hustle. Big doings here!" "Have you found a boat?" came Tom's query. "No! But---hustle! Run!" Greg was alive with curiosity. He could not wait. If the box were to be opened only after a pow-wow, then the sooner the council were held the sooner the mystery of the box's contents would be solved. Tom, Dan and Harry came in at a trot. "What's all the row about?" Reade demanded. "That," stated Greg, pointing to the packing case. "What's in it?" asked Reade. "We don't know," said Dick. "I fail to see what's to hinder you from knowing," retorted Reade. "I see that you have the tools for opening the case at hand. What were you waiting for---my strong arm on the hammer? If so-----" While speaking Tom had been glancing at the inscription on the card. "I don't know just whether we ought to open it," Dave declared. "That box may come from Dodge and Bayliss, and we may be sorry that we meddled with it." "There may be something in that," agreed Reade, laying down hammer and chisel and rising. "But I wish we knew." "We all wish that," said Greg. "Well, what are we going to do?" inquired Hazelton. "Are we going to remain afraid of the box and shy away from it?" "I'm not afraid," replied Darrin, his color rising. "I'm willing to open it if you fellows say so."