"Who lives here?" asked Dick.
"An old man named Derringham," answered Jack Ness. "He is very old and somewhat out of his head. He makes his living by selling herbs and barks for medicine. Years ago, so they say, he was an herb doctor, but he didn't have a certificate, or something like that, so the authorities drove him out of business. After that he got queer and took to the woods."
"Let us go in and see him," said Tom, whose curiosity was aroused. He walked boldly up to the hut and knocked loudly on the dilapidated door.
"Who is that, Pop?" he heard somebody ask, in a startled voice.
"I don't know, sir," was the answer, in the voice of an old man.
"I don't want to see anybody," went on the first speaker. "Send him away, whoever he is."
"Go away!" cried the old man. "I don't want anybody around here."
By this time all of the party outside were at the door. Tom's face showed that he was laboring under sudden surprise.
"Evidently the old man doesn't want visitors," was Dick's comment.
"There is somebody else in there with him," whispered Tom. From his voice I should say it was Bill Dangler!"
