Andy caught hold of the rope and now his ability as an acrobat stood him in good stead. Up the line he went, hand over hand, in a manner that would have done credit to a circus performer. Then Pepper tried it, and after a struggle came up, too, although much more slowly. [Illustration: Up the line he went, hand over hand.] “How in the world did you get down there?” asked Bert Field, after the two cadets were safe. “I see you are pretty wet,” he continued, glancing at their soaked garments. “It’s rather a long story,” answered Pepper, with a side glance at Andy, to keep the latter quiet. “By the way, Field, didn’t you say that you were looking for the old mill in this vicinity?” “I said so, yes,” was the slow reply. “May I ask what you know about that old mill?” went on Pepper. “Why, I—that is—it is a personal matter, a family matter,” stammered Bert Field. “I thought that if you told us something about the old mill we might be able to help you,” went on Pepper. “Has Jabez Trask something to do with it?” “Yes.” “And that is why you were looking for Trask?” “Yes.” Bert Field’s face became a study. He looked at Pepper and Andy with eyes that seemed to pierce them through and through. “I wonder if I can trust you?” he said slowly. “You can,” answered Pepper. “If the thing is on the level you can trust me,” added Andy. He saw that the strange lad was laboring under some subdued excitement. “I—I guess I need a friend,” went on Bert Field. “I said once I might need help. I may be able to solve this mystery alone, but somehow I am beginning to doubt it.” “Then it is a mystery?” “Yes.” “About the old mill?” “Yes, and about Jabez Trask.” “I thought so,” said Pepper, with a little smile. “It’s a long story and maybe you won’t want to listen to it now—with your clothing all wet. You may take cold.” “Well, that’s true,” answered Pepper. “Can you meet us to-morrow evening near our encampment up the lake shore?” “I will if you say so. I was going to use this rope to-day—but I can postpone that.” “And we’ll postpone our story,” said Andy. Bert Field showed them the way back to the trail through the woods and then separated from them. Andy and Pepper saw the odd youth slouch off with the coil of rope hung over his shoulder. “He is certainly a queer stick,” was Pepper’s comment. “I venture to say he’ll have a queer story to tell.” “Well, we’ll have a queer one to tell too,” replied Andy. “Wonder what he was going to do with that rope?” “That remains to be found out. Maybe he was going to make the ghost a prisoner.” “Perhaps.” “I think we ought to keep our adventure a secret,” went on The Imp. “Maybe some day we’ll be able to solve this secret of the old mill.” “Well, I am willing to keep it a secret for the present. But we want to find out what the others have to say first.” The boys walked through the woods and on coming out on a regular road saw the hounds in a crowd, evidently hunting for the paper scent.