[Illustration: WITH A SCREAM OF RAGE AND PAIN, THE BEAST LAUNCHED ITSELF INTO THE AIR.] Tom Fairfield in Camp Or The Secret of the Old Mill BY ALLEN CHAPMAN AUTHOR OF “TOM FAIRFIELD’S SCHOOLDAYS,” “TOM FAIRFIELD AT SEA,” “FRED FENTON ATHLETIC SERIES,” “DAREWELL CHUMS SERIES,” “BOYS OF PLUCK SERIES,” ETC. ILLUSTRATED NEW YORK CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY PUBLISHERS BOOKS FOR BOYS BY ALLEN CHAPMAN =TOM FAIRFIELD SERIES= 12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. TOM FAIRFIELD’S SCHOOLDAYS TOM FAIRFIELD AT SEA TOM FAIRFIELD IN CAMP TOM FAIRFIELD’S PLUCK AND LUCK =FRED FENTON ATHLETIC SERIES= 12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. FRED FENTON THE PITCHER FRED FENTON IN THE LINE FRED FENTON ON THE CREW FRED FENTON ON THE TRACK =THE DAREWELL CHUMS SERIES= 12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. THE DAREWELL CHUMS THE DAREWELL CHUMS IN THE CITY THE DAREWELL CHUMS IN THE WOODS THE DAREWELL CHUMS ON A CRUISE THE DAREWELL CHUMS IN A WINTER CAMP =BOYS OF PLUCK SERIES= 12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. THE YOUNG EXPRESS AGENT TWO BOY PUBLISHERS MAIL ORDER FRANK A BUSINESS BOY’S PLUCK THE YOUNG LAND AGENT CUPPLES & LEON CO. PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK Copyrighted 1913, by CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY TOM FAIRFIELD IN CAMP Printed in U. S. A. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. TOM GETS A LETTER 1 II. THE STORY OF THE MILL 12 III. TOM’S CHUMS ARRIVE 21 IV. OFF TO CAMP 28 V. LAUNCHING THE BOAT 36 VI. A BIG FISH 45 VII. A MIDNIGHT VISITOR 53 VIII. OLD ACQUAINTANCES 60 IX. AT THE OLD MILL 68 X. A CURIOUS CONFERENCE 75 XI. AN ANGRY HERMIT 84 XII. THE PIECE OF PAPER 89 XIII. A SHOT IN TIME 98 XIV. TOM’S SCHEME 106 XV. ALMOST CAUGHT 113 XVI. STRANDED 122 XVII. AN ANXIOUS SEARCH 129 XVIII. BACK IN CAMP 138 XIX. STRANGE DISAPPEARANCES 148 XX. LONELY DAYS 156 XXI. TOM MAKES PLANS 165 XXII. TOM’S DISCOVERIES 171 XXIII. THE CALLING VOICES 179 XXIV. THE SECRET ROOM 187 XXV. THE HIDDEN TREASURE 193 TOM FAIRFIELD IN CAMP CHAPTER I TOM GETS A LETTER “Say, Dick, just throw that forward switch in; will you?” “Sure I will, Tom. Going any place in particular?” “Oh, just for a run down the river, and on my way back I guess I’ll stop and get the mail.” “Can I go along?” “Certainly. Did you see anything of Will to-day?” “No, he’s gone fishing, I guess,” and Dick Jones, one of the best chums of Tom Fairfield, threw in the connecting switch of the latter’s motorboat, and the craft was ready to run. “Now I wonder if she’ll start easily, or if I’ve got to break my back cranking her?” murmured Tom.