way. I always thought him quite gentle, except that he would order people away from his cabin. Did you do anything to him?"
For a moment the boys did not answer, and then Sammy, knowing that it was best to tell everything, said:
"Well, we followed him, that was all. Ve wanted to see if he was going to the big house."
"You followed him; that was all?"
"Yes, sir."
"And what did he do?"
"Well, he got out of sight, and we were trailing him," explained Bob. "Then we came to that cliff and we were looking over, down into the pile of snow, when, all of a sudden"
"He rushed out on us from the bushes," continued Frank, and he"
"Pushed us down, one after the other," said Sammy, taking up the story. "And he said he'd teach us to follow him and try to find out his secret."
"Hum, he said that; did he?" mused Mr. Jessup. "Well, I'm afraid he must be out of his mind. I've been thinking that for some time, and now I'm sure of it. He must be crazy, or he wouldn't do such a thing as that. He must have been quite angry at you, and it's lucky he did nothing worse than shove you into a snowbank.
"Now I advise you boys not to go near him again. If you see him as you walk about the island, don't notice or speak to him. That will be the safest way. So you followed him, and he thought you were after his secret; eh? He hasn't any secret, as far as I know. Poor old man, he certainly must be crazy. I'm sorry for him. But, boys, did you have any special object in following him?"
Again the three chums looked one at the other.
