“Hm-m-m,” muttered the colonel.  “Well, shall we try this house?”

“May as well, I guess,” said Chester.

He led the way to the front door and rapped sharply with his knuckles.

There was a sound of some one stirring within, but no face appeared at the door in response to the lad’s knock.  He rapped sharply again.  This time there was not a sound from within.

Chester walked a little ways from the house and glanced at the window through which a light had been visible a few moments before.  It was perfectly dark now.  Apparently the light had been extinguished the moment he had rapped on the door.  All was dark within.

Chester moved toward the house again, thinking to rap on the door once more.  As he did so, there came the sound of a shot and Chester felt something whistle by his ear.

“Wow!” he cried, and dashed toward the door where Colonel Anderson and Ivan stood.

“Hit?” cried Colonel Anderson, as the lad dashed up.

“No,” replied Chester.  “But that bullet didn’t miss me much.  What’ll we do now?”

“I don’t really know.  We don’t know where we are.  Why not spend the night here?”

“For one reason,” said Chester grimly, “because they won’t let us in.”

“Oh, we can fix that.  Break in the door.”

“And get shot for our pains.”

“No, I don’t think so.  My impression is that there is no more than a single occupant of the house.  That’s the reason he was frightened when we knocked.  We’ll just go in where it’s warm and pay no further attention to him.”

“Well, whatever you say,” said Chester.  “Stand back there, till I blow the lock off that door.”  He drew his revolver.

“Hold on,” said Ivan.  “I’ll open it”

He stepped back a pace, then rushed forward.  His huge shoulder came into contact with the hard wood and there was a crash as the door gave way beneath his weight.

Ivan went in unhesitatingly and the others followed him.

Inside Chester struck a match.

“Look out!” cried Colonel Anderson.  “Want to get us all shot?”

“We’ve got to see where we are going,” said Chester.

The glare of a match showed them a room to the right of the hall.  Chester led the way in, still holding the match above his head.  On the stand in the center of the room was a big lamp.  Chester lighted it.

“Evidently,” he said, “this is the same light we saw when we came up.”

The three now pulled themselves close to a fire that glowed softly in an open fireplace and made themselves comfortable.

“We might as well get a little sleep,” said Chester.  “Anderson, you take first watch.  Call me in two hours.  I’m going to sleep here.”

He closed his eyes, then opened them suddenly again.  He had heard a slight noise.

Stepping quickly across to a table at the far end of the room, he stooped down and, thrusting his revolver under the table, called: