There, amid trees, stood a small three-room house, looking still quite new in its trim paint, though the building had stood there idle for some five years.
At one time the city had planned a new reservoir site on a hill just above, and this little cottage had been intended for the reservoir tender.

Then a better site for the reservoir had been found, and, to date, the cottage had not been removed.
"Ripley and his crew went around that cottage to the door side," Dick whispered.
"Are they in the cottage ?" Dave demanded.
"I don't know.

They went around to the other side.

Let's wait and see if we can guess what's up." So, forgetful of their suppers for the time being, Dick & Co.
waited, screened by the bushes.
"There's smoke coming up out of the chimney," whispered Tom Reade.
"Yes," nodded Dick.

"I had just noticed that.