by further sonorous knocks. CHAPTER IVUNEXPECTED VISITORS CHAPTER IV UNEXPECTED VISITORS “All right, dad; I’m up!” That was Perk, who, aroused so suddenly by the racket doubtless imagined himself at home in his own bed, with his father rapping on the wall when the son indulged in his favorite habit of oversleeping mornings. Elmer, Amos and Wee Willie were already on deck, having jumped to their feet in a hurry. The gruff voice seemed to be one invested with some degree of authority; it struck them all “in a heap,” as the tall chum afterwards described the sudden awakening. Again came that loud thumping on the quivering door. “Hurry up and open, do you hear?” rasped the voice, now with a touch of anger in the tones. “Don’t think you can escape, because we’ve got you cornered like a rat. Better be sensible, and go back with us!” “Oh! my stars! who is it, and what does he mean?” gasped Perk, realizing at last that things were quite different from what he had at first imagined. Perk was really responsible for the fastened door. He had in his timidity pictured the frowsy tramp creeping back when they were all fast asleep, and perhaps almost cleaning out their limited supply of provisions, thus bringing the glorious camping trip to an untimely end; since four healthy boys could not be expected to stay up in the woods without sufficient “grub” to keep the wolf from the door. So he had managed to make a shift with a piece of clothes-line (which was likely to be searched for in vain at home when next washday came along), securing the door so that it could not be opened from without unless by a display of extreme violence. Elmer was by now across the cabin. He touched the planks of which the door was composed, to find them still quivering under the impact of the unknown party’s knuckles. “Wait a minute,
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