



Produced by Donald Cummings and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net









 BART KEENE'S
 HUNTING DAYS

 Or

 The Darewell Chums
 in a Winter Camp


 BY
 ALLEN CHAPMAN

 AUTHOR OF "BART STIRLING'S ROAD TO SUCCESS," "WORKING
 HARD TO WIN," "BOUND TO SUCCEED," "THE YOUNG
 STOREKEEPER," "NAT BORDEN'S FIND," ETC.


 [Illustration:

 _The_
 GOLDSMITH
 _Publishing Co._

 CLEVELAND OHIO

 MADE IN U.S.A.]




 COPYRIGHT, 1911, BY
 CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY




CONTENTS


 CHAPTER                                      PAGE
      I. A MIDNIGHT EXPEDITION                   1
     II. THE MISSING DIAMOND BRACELET            8
    III. A FRUITLESS SEARCH                     24
     IV. IN THE SHOOTING GALLERY                35
      V. AN INITIATION                          49
     VI. AN UNEXPECTED MEETING                  57
    VII. GETTING READY FOR CAMP                 67
   VIII. AN ODD LETTER                          77
     IX. OFF TO CAMP                            84
      X. A RAILROAD ACCIDENT                    91
     XI. PUTTING UP THE TENTS                   97
    XII. THE PLACE OF THE TURTLES              106
   XIII. THE MUD VOLCANO                       111
    XIV. BART'S FIRST SHOT                     119
     XV. FENN FALLS IN                         125
    XVI. FRANK MAKES PANCAKES                  132
   XVII. TREED BY A WILDCAT                    141
  XVIII. THE MYSTERIOUS MAN AGAIN              153
    XIX. LOST IN THE WOODS                     160
     XX. A NIGHT OF MISERY                     167
    XXI. UNEXPECTED HELP                       173
   XXII. CHRISTMAS IN CAMP                     179
  XXIII. FOOTPRINTS IN THE SNOW                187
   XXIV. A SHOT IN TIME                        193
    XXV. NED'S RABBIT TRAP                     200
   XXVI. A VISIT TO TOWN                       206
  XXVII. THE MAN WITH THE TURTLE               212
 XXVIII. THE PURSUIT                           217
   XXIX. BART'S BEST SHOT                      227
    XXX. THE DIAMOND BRACELET--CONCLUSION      232




BART KEENE'S HUNTING DAYS




CHAPTER I

A MIDNIGHT EXPEDITION


"Hold on there! Go easy, now, fellows," cautioned Bart Keene to his two
chums, as they stole softly along in the darkness. "What are you making
all that racket for, Ned?"

"It wasn't me; it was Frank."

"I couldn't help it," came from Frank Roscoe in a whisper. "I stumbled
on a stone."

"Well, don't do it again," retorted Bart. "First thing you know some one
will hear us, and the jig will be up."

"And then we can't play the joke on Stumpy," added Ned Wilding.

"Of course not," went on Bart. "Easy now. Come on. Keep behind me in a
line, and walk in the shadows as much as possible. We're almost there."

The three lads bent upon playing a peculiar trick on their chum, Fenn,
or "Stumpy" Masterson, kept on toward the Darewell High School, at which
they were students. The building set well back from the street, and the
campus in front was now flooded with brilliant moonlight. It was close
to midnight, and to approach the institution unobserved, to take from it
certain objects, and to steal away without having been noticed, was the
object of the three conspirators.

"Are you coming?" asked Bart, as he turned around to observe what
progress his companions were making. He saw Ned and Frank standing
still, crouched in the shadow of a leafless tree. "What's the matter?"
he continued, somewhat anxiously.

"Thought I heard a noise in the building," whispered Frank, hoarsely.

"You're dreaming," retorted Bart. "Come on. It's getting late, and we
want to finish."

"Yes, and it's as cold as Greenland," added Ned. The boys had on light
overcoats, for winter was near at hand.

Once more the two advanced, and joined Bart. The three were now in the
shadow of one of the wings of the school, and, as far as they knew, had
not been seen.

"Which way are you going in?" asked Ned, of Bart, who was leading this
midnight expedition.

"Through the side court, and in at the girls' door. That's most always
open, as Riggs, the janitor, lives on that side of the school, and he
doesn't take the trouble to lock