CHAPTER XII

THE PLACE OF THE TURTLES

Fenn's chums hurried over to where, in the gleam of a lantern, he was contemplating the slow-moving reptile. The turtle was a large one, of a common species, and was ambling along as if it did not at all mind the attention it had attracted.

"Grab it, Fenn!" exclaimed Ned. "It'll be a dandy for your collection."

"That's what it will," agreed the stout youth, and he grabbed up the turtle, which at once drew in its tail, head and claws, presenting no vantage spot to an enemy.

"By Caesar, here's another!" exclaimed Bart, a moment later. "Another turtle, Fenn!"

"Yes, and here's a third one!" added Frank. "It's a big one, too, Fenn. Shall I catch it for you?"

"Wait a minute, fellows," replied Fenn, earnestly. "Don't touch those turtles!"

"Why not?" asked Ned. "Are they poisonous?"

"No, but there's something queer about so many being out in the woods in the middle of winter. It isn't natural. There is something out of the ordinary, and we must see what it is."

"Maybe they're hunting for the one of their number who wears the diamond bracelet," suggested Bart, with a laugh, for, in spite of the gravity of the loss, he could not forbear an occasional joke at Fenn's rather odd theory.

"No, it isn't that," went on Fenn earnestly. "But I did have a notion that perhaps the turtles might have escaped from the queer man who wrote and offered to buy my collection--the man we suspect of stealing the bracelet."

"Why he isn't in this vicinity," remarked Frank.

"You don't know whether he is or not," was Fenn's answer. "This seems to be a good place for turtles, though I can't understand why they should be out in cold weather. But perhaps there is some reason for it."

There was, and a strange one, as the boys soon discovered.

"Anyhow, they're here," observed Ned, "and what are we going to do about it?"

"Don't touch 'em, I want to see in what direction they are traveling," called Fenn, who, as soon as he had placed in a safe place the turtle he had caught, came over to where his chums were contemplating the other two.

"They're both heading for the same place, wherever that is, if that's any help to you," remarked Bart.

"Yes," spoke Fenn, "it may indicate something," and he looked at the big reptiles, who were crawling along.

"They're going in the same way as the one was you got," declared Frank, and the others confirmed this.

For some minutes Fenn observed the movements of the turtles, until they disappeared under some bushes. Then he straightened up and said:

"Well, I don't believe that mysterious man is in this vicinity, and certainly none of these turtles is wearing a diamond bracelet. I admit I'm away off on that, fellows. But there's something queer here, and I'm going to get at the bottom of it. It isn't natural for turtles to be out so plentiful this time of year, and there must be some cause for it."

"Fenn, you can theorize about turtles all you like, but I want my supper," called Ned.

"Same here," came from Frank. "Dish it up, cook!"

Thereupon Fenn gave over watching the turtles, and, a little later, seated cozily in the tent, the chums partook of a supper of canned baked beans, with hard-tack or pilot biscuit, and coffee. Then they sat around, discussing various matters, from the railroad accident to their arrival in camp.

Cots were provided, with plenty of blankets, so they would not suffer from cold, and as an additional precaution a small fire was kept going in the small, sheet-iron, wood-burning stove, which they had brought along to warm the sleeping tent.

"Ah, fellows, this is something like life," remarked Bart, as he arranged himself on his cot. "Listen to the wind howling outside. We'll have more snow, I expect, before morning."

"Let it snow!" exclaimed Frank. "We're all right now. We'll have to have our Christmas tree here, fellows. Did you bring anything along to put on it?"

"Oh, we'll hang up our stockings instead of having a tree," suggested Ned with a laugh. "But what's the matter with you, Fenn? Why are you so quiet?"

"He's thinking of some of the girls he left behind him," mocked Bart. "Aren't you, Stumpy? Which particular one last gave you a lock of her hair?"

"Oh, cut it out!" begged Fenn. "I wasn't thinking of such nonsense at all. I was wondering where those turtles came from. This is a regular stamping place for them, and in the morning I'm going to go on a search."

"Do you really think so many of them around here means anything?" asked Frank.

"It means something, certainly," replied Fenn. "This part of the State is noted for turtles, however, there being a number of different species, but I never knew before that they came out in winter. That's what puzzles me."

"Maybe we're over a hidden volcano, and it's warmer than anywhere else in the neighborhood," suggested Ned.

"Maybe," assented Fenn, "only it doesn't seem very warm just now. There's a draught somewhere. Bur-r-r-r! No wonder!" he exclaimed. "The tent flap has come open. Who fastened it?"

"I did," confessed Frank. "I'll fix it." The canvas was soon made secure, and then, while the wind whipped itself into a gale outside, the boys fell asleep in their warm tent, Fenn's last thoughts being about a place where he had seen the three turtles.