“We are in the very depths of these woods,” said Harry. “See how thick the trees are.” “Supposing we get lost?” put in Boxy. “Those fellows might have lost their way for all we know.” A minute or two later Jack fancied he saw some sort of an animal moving through the brush to his right. He made a dash for it, calling to the others to wait until his return. He was gone but a short while, and then they heard him yelling for them to come to him. They soon joined him, and discovered that he had killed a strange-looking beast, not unlike a wildcat. He had a desperate struggle with the animal, and his clothing was torn in several places. “It was a blow on the back that settled him,” he said. “I must have paralyzed his backbone. What a horrible-looking thing!” “Are you going to take it along?” asked Boxy. “No, leave it where it is. It gives me the creeps to look at it!” And Jack shuddered over his narrow escape. They were about to turn back to the trail when Harry gave an exclamation of surprise, and pointed through the trees to their left. “A cottage!” “It is true enough!” exclaimed Andy. “And right in the middle of the woods! How queer!” “I wonder who lives there?” asked Boxy. “He must be a regular hermit, whoever it be,” vouchsafed Harry. “He couldn’t choose a more lonely spot!” “Maybe the fellows who robbed us live there!” cried Boxy, suddenly. “That’s so,” returned Jack. “Go slow, boys, and be on your guard!” With extreme caution they approached the cottage, which was a long, one-story affair, very much dilapidated. The door and the windows were tightly closed. There was no smoke coming from the crumbling chimney, and nowhere about the place were there the first signs of life. “It’s deserted,” said Harry, and he kicked open the front door with his foot. The banging of the door startled a number of birds up among the eaves, and they flew out of the cottage in a bunch before any of the club members could fire at them. “Hullo, in there!” called out Boxy, but no answer was received, and the five boys stepped inside. “Deserted, true enough,” remarked Jack, as he and the others gazed around. “Yes, and for a good number of years,” rejoined Harry. “Just look how thick the cobwebs hang everywhere. I dare say no one has been here for years.” “You are right, for even the fireplace is falling down,” said Andy. “I wonder who ever built away out here in this lonely spot?” “Some chap who was tired of the world, most likely,” laughed Jack. “Say, boys,” he went on, suddenly, “do you know what I think that animal I killed was?” “What?” “A house cat, or a house cat’s offspring, gone wild. Didn’t it look like it?” “Dat’s so,” put in Pickles. “Like as not dat animal’s great-grandmudder was de pet hyar, and when de pusson wot libed hyar died or moved away, de cat had to shift fo’ herself.” “And so she became a wildcat, and joined the other wildcats around here,” finished Harry. “It may be so--stranger things have happened.”