“What could happen to him?” demanded Hazelton scornfully.  “Darry can take care of himself.  He’ll be in presently.”

“Let’s call him again!” urged Dan.

They called in concert, their voices echoing through the woods.

“Did you hear that?” asked Dick eagerly, after a pause of listening.  “There it goes again.”

“It’s Dave, answering us,” Harry declared.

The hail sounded distant.

“Come on!” cried Dick, leaping forward.  “That yell was one of trouble, or I’m a bad guesser.  Dan, you and Hazelton stand by the camp.  Tom and Greg come along.  If Dave is in trouble he’ll be sure to need some of us!”

CHAPTER IV

DAVE DARRIN IS ANGRY

“Keep on calling, Dave!” shouted Dick, as they ran toward the sound of the voice.

“This way!” answered Darry, his voice sounding louder as they neared him.

“What’s up?” Tom asked as they ran.

Dave’s voice sounded in wrathful explosion.

“Eh?” Tom pressed him.

“Wait until you get here, and you’ll see,” retorted Dave.

“You’re not hurt?” Dick shouted.

“No; but my feelings are!” vented Darrin indignantly.

Another minute and the trio headed by Dick, reached the spot.

By this time darkness was coming on through the woods.  Prescott, who was in the lead, at first received the impression that Dave was standing beside a tree.  And so Dave was, though the reason for his standing there was yet to be explained.

A moment more and Tom and Dick had reached the spot where the wrathful Darrin was standing.

“Well, of all the-----” began Tom wonderingly.

“Outrages!” finished Darry angrily.

Prescott laughed outright.

“I suppose I must be a comical-looking object,” admitted Dave Darrin ruefully.  “But just wait until I lay my hands on the rascal who played this trick on me!  Oh, I’ll make him ache for his smartness.”

Though Darrin had an unusually quick temper, he generally had it under excellent control.  Now, however, he was so indignant that he fairly sputtered, and the humorous side of the situation did not appeal to him.

What Dick saw was that Dave stood with his back to the trunk of the tree.  Around Darry’s neck a noose was fast.  Back of the prisoner the rope had been wrapped once around the trunk of the tree.  Next, several folds of rope had been passed both around Darrin and the tree trunk in such fashion that the boy’s arms were pinioned fast to his sides.  In addition, a single turn of rope had been taken around each arm.  Finally, the rope had been knotted several times at the opposite side of the tree from that on which Darrin stood.

“You must have stood pretty patiently for anyone to be able to tie you up in that artistic fashion!” blurted Tom Reade.