to sit up straight. Then he began to pull in. The line came up with a suddenness that surprised him, as Fenn let go, and an old rubber boot, that Stumpy had attached, flew over and struck the lazy lad in the face.
“It’s a whopper!” he cried until he saw what it was. Then, with a disgusted look at the plotters he turned over and went to sleep again.
“What can you do with a fellow like that?” asked Ned appealing to his chums.
“Death will never overtake him,” replied Frank. “It will pass him on the road, thinking Jim has already passed in. He certainly is the last word in laziness.”
The four comrades decided they had enough fishing for the day, so, putting away their tackle and adding some fresh wet grass to the baskets of fish in order to keep them cool, they started for home.
“Let’s take the short cut,” suggested Frank. “Right through the woods.”
“Do you know it?” asked Ned. “I nearly got lost once, going that way.”
“I guess I can pick it out.”
So they began their tramp. But they had not gone more than a mile along the half-discernable path before Frank, who was in the lead, uttered an exclamation.
“See a snake?” asked Bart.
“No, but here’s a hut that I never noticed before,” was Frank’s answer. “I wonder if I am on the wrong path. It looks right but I never saw this shack.”
The boys gathered around him. On one side of the path, in a little clearing, half hidden among the trees, was a small log cabin. It looked as though it had always been there, but the boys were sure it must have been erected recently.
“There’s something painted over the door,” said Bart.
The boys looked. There, in brilliant red letters, were the words:
KING OF PAPRICA
CHAPTER V
THE CHALLENGE
“Well what do you think of that?” asked Ned. “Talk about queer coincidences, here’s one! Now if only the crazy man would appear we – ”
“Some one is coming,” exclaimed Frank, as a noise was heard near the hut.
The next instant a short stout man, with black hair and a blacker moustache, came around the corner of the hut. On his head he wore a little gilt crown.
“There’s the King of Paprica!” whispered Bart, but not so low as to prevent the man hearing him.
“At your service,” replied the man, with a bow.
For a few seconds the boys did not know whether to laugh or run. It was certainly a very strange affair, coupled with what the old man had said to them.
“Are you really – ” began Fenn, when the man held up a warning hand.
“Please don’t speak of it,” he said in a mild voice. “I am here for a certain purpose. Have you seen an old man in these woods? Rather a strange character.”
“Something like yourself,” said Ned, but in the faintest whisper.
“Yes, we did,” replied Frank, who seemed somewhat excited over the sight of the man with the gilt crown. “He said you would know he was on guard. He also – ”
“Yes, I know all about it,” was the quick answer. “It’s very unfortunate. I beg of you not to mention it to any one. I may rely upon you?”
“You may,” said Frank so earnestly that his chums wondered whether he knew more about the queer happenings than they did. “We will say nothing.”
“It will all come out right in the end,” went on the man with the crown. “Which way was he going?”
“He seemed headed in this direction,” replied Fenn.
“Then he will arrive in time for the audience,” said the King of Paprica. “I must bid you farewell now,” and with that he went into the hut and closed the door after him.
The boys stood for a few seconds gazing at the silent cabin with it’s odd inscription, and then Bart exclaimed:
“Come on! Let’s get out of here. First thing you know we’ll be getting crazy ourselves. This place isn’t safe!”
He hurried on through the woods and the others followed.
“What do you make of it?” asked Ned.
“Why, it’s plain enough,” spoke Frank. “The old man we met first is crazy, and this one is his keeper. He’s brought him out here into the woods to cure him, and he probably has to humor him by pretending to be a king. That’s all there is to it. I’ve often read of such cases.”
“Seems to me you’re fond of reading about lunatics,” said Bart.
“I am. I read all I can on such cases. It is very fascinating.”
“Excuse me,” broke in Ned. “I’d rather have something cheerful.”
“Oh, but you have no idea what strange fancies some of the unfortunates have,” said Frank earnestly. In his eyes there glowed a strange light, and his chums, looking at him, felt he had more than ever that queer air of mystery about him.
“Well, we’d better be moving faster than this or we’ll be held up again by the King of Paprica’s guard,” spoke Ned. “I think you’re wrong about it, Frank.”
“How do you mean?”
“I think both those chaps are crazy. It’s a puzzle to tell which one is worse.”
“I agree with you,” said Bart. “I wouldn’t want to meet either one of them here alone in the woods after dark.”
“Nonsense,” exclaimed Frank. “Why, a lunatic is the easiest person in the world to get along with. All you have to do is to humor him.”
“Let him kill you if he feels so disposed?” suggested Fenn.
“No, but if you should meet one, and he asks you to let him shoot you, fall in with his idea.”
“Hand him a gun, eh, Frank?” asked Bart.
“No, but, after he sees you are not going to oppose him, incidentally suggest that the moon is in the wrong quarter for a successful killing, or that the hour has not yet arrived, or that you have nine lives like a cat and that he had much better murder some one who has only one life. Ten chances to one he’ll agree with you and let you alone.”
“I guess that one chance would fall to me,” observed Fenn, “and I’ll give the lunatics a wide berth. You can have ’em all, Frank.”
“Well, I’ve read that’s the best way to act.”
“Oh, you and your reading!” exclaimed Ned. “Let’s talk about something cheerful.”
The boys hurried on through the woods. More than once they
