As they skimmed over the smooth lake, the beauty of it impressed them more and more, and they were delighted with their camping place. Tom steered the boat into a little cove, and as he neared the shore something moved in the bushes. “Look!” whispered Jack. “It’s a deer, maybe.” A moment later a man, with a long white beard, and clad in ragged garments, fairly leaped into view. For a moment he stood staring at the slowly moving motorboat, as if he could not believe the evidence of his eyes. Then with a howl of rage he leaped into the water, and began swimming toward the craft. CHAPTER VI A BIG FISH “Look at him!” yelled Tom. “What in the world is he doing?” “Who is he?” inquired Jack. “Put around!” excitedly yelled Bert. “He’s coming after us!” The man was swimming directly toward the boat as if he contemplated an attack, and for a moment, though they knew he could not seriously harm them, the boys were actually afraid. For the swimmer had a really ferocious look as he came on through the water. He got to a shallow place, and stood up, running toward the boys. “What do you make of this, Tom?” asked Jack. “I don’t know what to make,” answered Tom, as he turned the boat away from the man. “But I think I can guess who he is.” “Who?” cried his three chums. “That’s the hermit--the wild man--old Wallace--who has been hunting for the fortune in the mill so long that his mind is affected.” “By Jove! I believe you’re right,” said Jack. “But what’s he coming after us for?” asked Dick, for the aged man was swimming again now, and could not hear the talk in the boat. “I don’t--” began Tom when the old man interrupted with another of his wild cries, following it with: “Get out of this lake! What are you doing here? This is my lake! All this country around here is mine! Leave at once! Get out of my lake!” and again he yelled like a madman. “This is fierce,” said Dick. “It gets on my nerves,” admitted Tom. “Let’s hurry away. He may swim out after us so far that he can’t get back again, and I don’t want to be even indirectly responsible for any harm coming to him.” “Speed up then,” advised Jack, “and we’ll get so far away that he’ll see it will be hopeless to keep after us.” “That’s what I will,” agreed Tom, and, speeding up the motor, the _Tag_ was soon well out in the water. “Go away! Get out of my lake!” yelled the old man, as he again stood up in a shallow part, and shook his fist at the boys. “Never come here again!” Then he turned and went back toward shore. “Thank goodness for that,” spoke Tom. “He’s got some sense left, anyhow.” “Whew! That was an experience,” remarked Jack, as the boat turned a point of land, and the hermit was out of sight. “I hope he doesn’t find our camp.”