On Sunday it rained, and the storm continued Monday and the greater part of Tuesday.  But the cabin was practically waterproof, so they were comfortable.  To pass the time they played games, and cooked and baked many things which would have caused a chef to throw up his hands in wonder.  They even made some rhubarb pie from some wild rhubarb found near the camp and this proved to be really excellent.  Once Giant concocted a new dish made of fish stuffed with beans and flour paste, but this was not voted a success.  Having sufficient sugar they made some candy one evening and this disappeared as if by magic.

On Wednesday morning Whopper, who had been outside to bring in some firewood, came rushing to the cabin in great excitement.

“Somebody has been at our game!  Some person or a wild animal!”

“How do you know?”

“The meat is gone!  Only a few bones remain!”

“Then it must have been a wildcat or a bear!” exclaimed Snap.

All ran to the spot where the meat had been hung up.  The tree was scratched up and there were curious marks in the damp soil under it.

“A bear or a wildcat sure,” said Snap, after an inspection.

“Let us go after it—–­whatever it is,” answered the doctor’s son.

“Maybe the ghost stole it,” suggested Giant, but nobody accepted this idea.

A hasty breakfast was had, and the boys were on the point of going on a hunt when there came a call from the lake.  A man in a canoe was paddling toward them.

“It’s Jed Sanborn!” cried Snap, and he was right.  Soon the old hunter had beached his craft and was shaking hands with them.

“All safe?” was his first question.

“All safe,” was the answer.

“Thet ghost didn’t eat ye up then?  Thought, by what Ham Spink said, ye’d be about dead when I got here,” and Jed Sanborn smiled grimly.

“Where did you see Ham?” asked the doctor’s son.

“Down to Fairview.”

“When?”

“Day before yesterday.”

“Then they didn’t remain at Lake Cameron!” cried Snap.

“They was a-going to, but they got into some sort o’ a quarrel an’ that broke the party up,” explained the old hunter.  “Ham an’ Carl Dudder said the ghost came after ’em something terribul.  Wall, I believe it—–­after what I see myself,” and jed shook his head slowly.  “You ain’t had no trouble?”

“We’ve heard strange voices, that’s all,” answered Whopper.  “We haven’t seen the ghost.”

The old hunter soon told his story in detail.  It seemed that Ham Spink and his cronies had told a terrible tale of being pursued by the ghost, and of hearing awful groans and cries, and this had alarmed Mrs. Caslette very much and also Mrs. Dodge, and both ladies had requested the old hunter to visit the lake and make sure the young hunters were in no trouble.

“This lake is gittin’ an awful repertation,” said Jed Sanborn.  “If it keeps on, afore long nobody will come here no more.”