Pepper and Andy were both good walkers and they lost no time in getting to the spot where the basket maker had lived. To their dismay the cottage was closed and deserted. “Must have moved,” said the acrobatic youth. “Too bad! What are you going to do about it?” “I don’t know, Andy. Wait, here comes a man in a wagon. Maybe he can tell us where the fellow moved to.” The farmer was consulted and said the basket maker had moved up a side road leading to Lake Caboy. “It’s only about a quarter of a mile from here,” he explained. Pepper decided to walk the distance and he and Andy set off. Just as both cadets made a turn in the road they heard a distant rumble of thunder. “That storm is coming faster than I thought,” said Pepper. “Right you are, and we’ll have to hurry, unless we want to get wet.” “Humph! It won’t do any good to get to the sloop. We’ll get wet on her as well as out here, Andy.” “I suppose that’s so.” The boys went on, around another bend of the road, and soon came in sight of a second cottage. But to their astonishment, this too was deserted. “We’ve come on a fool’s errand,” said Pepper. “The basket maker was here but has moved.” They could see the evidences of basket making in the dooryard, but the cottage was locked up and minus furniture. “Might as well get back to the Point,” said Andy. “Jack will be waiting for us.” “I think this side road is shorter than the other,” said Pepper. “It makes a turn toward the lake just above here. We’ll keep on instead of turning back.” “All right, if you say so, Pep. But it doesn’t look right to me,” answered Andy. The pair hurried on, for the sky was now growing dark. The rumbling of thunder increased, and presently some large drops of rain came down through the trees bordering the road. “Might as well run for it!” cried Pepper, and set off on a dog trot. In a few minutes they made a turn and came out on a broad highway. Just beyond was a large white mansion set in a perfect wilderness of trees. “Why, this isn’t the road I was looking for!” cried Pepper in dismay. “I don’t know where we are now.” He had hardly spoken when there came a rush of wind through the trees. This was followed by flashes of lightning and cracks of thunder, and then the rain came down in a torrent. “We can’t stay out here—we’ll be drenched to the skin!” cried the acrobatic youth. “Come on to the house!” “But we don’t know the folks, Andy.” “That doesn’t matter. Any port in a storm, as the sailors say.” Andy started through the trees for the mansion and Pepper followed at his heels. Both ran across a small and badly-kept lawn and up on a broad piazza. Just as they reached the piazza there came a blinding flash of lightning and a peal of thunder that made both jump in fright. Then followed a crash of another kind. “It struck a tree—out yonder!” exclaimed Pepper, pointing towards the road. “I am glad we weren’t under it!”