PATHFINDER OR THE MISSING TENDERFOOT

 +----------------------------------------------+ | | | COMPLETE ROSTER, WHEN THE | | PATROLS WERE FILLED, OF | | | | THE HICKORY RIDGE TROOP | | OF BOY SCOUTS | | | | MR. RODERIC GARRABRANT, SCOUT MASTER | | | | | | THE WOLF PATROL | | | | ELMER CHENOWITH, Patrol Leader, and also | | Assistant Scout Master | | | | MARK CUMMINGS | | TED (THEODORE) BURGOYNE | | TOBY (TOBIAS) ELLSWORTH JONES | | "LIL ARTHA" (ARTHUR) STANSBURY | | CHATZ (CHARLES) MAXFIELD | | PHIL (PHILIP) DALE | | GEORGE ROBBINS | | | | | | THE BEAVER PATROL | | | | MATTY (MATTHEW) EGGLESTON, Patrol Leader | | | | "RED" (OSCAR) HUGGINS | | TY (TYRUS) COLLINS | | JASPER MERRIWEATHER | | TOM CROPSEY | | LARRY (LAWRENCE) BILLINGS | | HEN (HENRY) CONDIT | | LANDY (PHILANDER) SMITH | | | | | | THE EAGLE PATROL | | | | JACK ARMITAGE, Patrol Leader | | | | NAT (NATHAN) SCOTT | | | | (OTHERS TO BE ENLISTED UNTIL THIS PATROL HAS | | REACHED ITS LEGITIMATE NUMBER) | | | +----------------------------------------------+

[Illustration: "Elmer tries to tell us he is pursuing the two who headednorthwest. "]

 THE HICKORY RIDGE BOY SCOUTS

 PATHFINDER OR THE MISSING TENDERFOOT

 BY

 CAPTAIN ALAN DOUGLAS SCOUT MASTER

 THE NEW YORK BOOK COMPANY NEW YORK

 COPYRIGHT, 1913, BY THE NEW YORK BOOK COMPANY

CONTENTS

 CHAPTER PAGE

 I. --THE BIRCH-BARK MESSAGE 17

 II. --AT THE HAUNTED MILL 25

 III. --THE STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE OF NAT 34

 IV. --THE SEARCH FOR A CLEW 42

 V. --THE TRAIL GROWS WARMER 50

 VI. --HUNTING FOR THE MISSING SCOUT 58

 VII. --THE AMBITION OF LANDY 67

 VIII. --READING THE SIGNS 75

 IX. --SETTING THE TRAP 84

 X. --HOW THE TRAP WORKED 93

 XI. --RUN DOWN 101

 XII. --THE LANGUAGE OF SIGNS 110

 XIII. --THE CALL OF THE WOLF 119

 XIV. --THE NEED OF A PATHFINDER 127

 XV. --RESCUED--CONCLUSION 136

 PATHFINDER OR THE MISSING TENDERFOOT

THE HICKORY RIDGE BOY SCOUTS

PATHFINDER;

OR, THE MISSING TENDERFOOT. 

CHAPTER I. 

THE BIRCH-BARK MESSAGE. 

"Hold on, boys; here's a stick standing upright in the trail. And look, fellows, there's a piece of nice new birch bark held fast in the clovenend, that grips it like the jaws of a vise. "

"Say, it's a message, all right. "

"And from our crack-a-jack pathfinder, Elmer Chenowith, too, I warrantyou. "

"What do you say, Matty? Is Red Huggins right?"

Seven boys had come to a halt in the heart of the big woods. They were arather husky-looking set, all told, and evidently bent on getting allthe benefit possible from being outdoors through the last few weeks ofvacation time. 

The one appealed to, Matty Eggleston by name, was something of a leaderamong the Hickory Ridge Troop of Boy Scouts. 

In fact, he was at the head of the Beaver Patrol, and studyingconstantly in order to attain the rank of a first-class scout. 

There are so very many things a boy must know in order to reach thisambition that comparatively few scouts ever attain it. But byconcentrating all his energies upon one particular study he may earn amerit badge, which it will make him proud to wear. 

Matty took the piece of bark from the cloven stick. The other six boysclustered eagerly around, anxious to see what sort of message it couldbe that the assistant scout master had left in the trail. 

They were out to try a new experience, and one that appealed to everyboy in the bunch. 

A party of the scouts, their identity and number unknown to Elmer andthe balance, had started off for the woods early in the day. 

An hour later, Elmer, with one companion, had taken up the trail, andwhen a second hour had elapsed the balance of those who were bent uponplaying the game left town in two detachments. 

It had been arranged that Elmer was to act as pathfinder and tracker. Hewould in turn leave a plain trail that a child could follow. 

Besides this, he had promised to transmit from time to time some sort ofmessage. Thus those who came along in the rear, in two detachments, would be kept in touch with events, and also advised as to what theyshould do. 

The party bringing up the rear was headed by Mark Cummings, who wasElmer's particular chum. He was really the bugler of the troop; but forthis occasion Elmer himself carried that instrument, with the idea ofcalling the scouts together at some time later on. 

"Hey, look at that, would you; it's all marked up with crow's feettracks!" exclaimed Landy Smith, a rather fat boy who had only recentlyjoined the Wolf Patrol, making the eighth and last member. 

"What's Elmer think we are, a lot of kids, to leave us an illustratedrebus to guess? Looks to me like a little boy's first try to draw cowsand Noah's Ark people. "

Some of the others laughed when George Robbins gave expression to hisdisgust in this way. George was a cousin to Landy, and had also recentlysigned the muster roll of the scouts, although he belonged to Matty'spatrol, the Beaver. 

"You've got a heap to learn yet, George, " said Red Huggins, shaking hishead at the offender. 

"In what way?" demanded the other. 

"Why, this is what they call Injun picture writing, " replied Red, obligingly. 

"Oh! it is, eh? But what's that got to do with finding a trail, orfollowing one that's already found?" asked the latest tenderfoot. 

"A heap, as you'll soon learn, my boy, " replied Red, with a pityinglook, as if he could not understand how anyone should be so green. "Matty, suppose you enlighten him a little, won't you--that is, ifyou've got through reading your letter?"

"Letter!" ejaculated both Landy and George--"that thing a letter?"

"A short and sweet one, " remarked Matty. "You see, Elmer has signed itwith what I make out to be the paw of a wolf. That's the totem of hispatrol, while mine is a beaver tail, and the third one would be the clawof an eagle. "

"Say, that sounds kind of interesting like, " observed Landy. "I ratherexpect I'll cotton to this same Injun picture writing letter business, once I get at the secret key of it. "

"That's where you're away off to start with, Landy, " remarked Matty, laughing, "because you see there's nothing hidden about this business atall. In fact, the one particular idea with the one who writes a messagein Indian picture writing is to make it so simple a child mightunderstand. "

"Well, I declare, " cried the fat scout, who was not in khaki uniformlike four of his companions, simply because he and George were waitinguntil the town tailor, father to Jasper Merriweather, one of the membersof the troop, could complete their suits--"then, if a baby couldunderstand what our pathfinder has left for us, perhaps now there mightbe some chance for me. "

"Oh! it's as easy as falling off a log, once you get the hang of it, "declared Larry Billings. 

"Look here, and I'll show you, fellows, " remarked Matty, holding thebark up so that everyone present could see the lead-pencil marks. 

"Looks like several men, to start with, " interposed George. 

"Good enough, George, " said the patrol leader, "and that's just whatthey are. Count them, will you?"

"One, two, three. "

"That's right. So you see, to begin with, our pathfinder tells us theenemy ahead are three in number. Now, do you see anything close by thosethree figures of men?" and Matty held the bark directly in front ofLandy and George. 

"Sure, " replied George. "Under one is a mark--say, it looks like thesame down at the bottom of the letter, and you said that was the sign ortotem of the Wolf Patrol. "

"Just so; and this tells us the first fellow is a member of that patrol. Under the others you will see marks to indicate that they are members ofthe Beaver and the Eagle patrols. "

"That's so, Matty; I can see 'em, " declared Landy, who evidently did notwish his cousin to get all the credit for smartness. 

"All right. Let's get on a little, " said Matty. "First notice two havehats on, while the third wears none. Now, you may think that an accidentin drawing, but it isn't at all. Elmer meant it for something. "

"And I can guess what it is, " declared Chatz Maxfield, the Southern boy. 

"Then tell the rest of us, " cried several. 

"Why, it's dead easy, " was his reply. "Stop and think; who's alwayslosing his hat every chance he gets?"

"Nat Scott!" quickly exclaimed Landy. 

"All right. And don't we happen to know that Nat was one of those whowent ahead of Elmer and Lil Artha by an hour or so, " laughed Red. 

"Well, I declare!" cried Landy, "and do you mean to say Elmer hasguessed that, or did he see the fellows before he wrote this letter?"

"Neither one nor the other. He just figured it out from something hefound. Perhaps he knows what the print of Nat's shoe looks like, for weall make different tracks, you know. "

"Yes, " said Chatz, "that would be just like Elmer. He's the mostobserving, wide-awake fellow I ever knew since I came up from the South. I've seen him measuring some of our tracks, and making a copy in thatwonderful little book of his. "

"Now, let's get on a little further. Do you see that the second figure, no matter how often he appears, always has his left leg bent a little?"and Matty pointed in several places to confirm his statement. 

Immediately Red laughed aloud, and then in one breath he and Larryexclaimed:

"That's Ty Collins, as sure as anything!"

"I guess you've hit the mark, " said Matty, "and that was just what Elmerwas trying to tell us. Ty's left leg has always been a little crookedsince he fell out of that cherry tree three years ago. Now, the thirdfellow got me at first, but come to look at him he seems a littledifferent from the others. See here, and here, and here. "

"That's a fact, " declared Landy, scratching his nose in a way he hadwhen puzzled. 

"He can't mean he's a dead one, and sprouting wings, can he?" askedGeorge. 

"Wings! I've got it, fellows!" shouted Red. 

"Then pass it around to the rest, because I'm all up a stump, " observedLarry. 

"Shucks! don't you know there's only one fellow in the whole troop who'salways sighing because he can't fly, and wishes he had wings?" demandedRed, promptly. 

"Toby Jones, the boy who's bent on sailing through the clouds some day!"cried Chatz. 

"Exactly, " remarked Matty. "And in this clever way our pathfinder hastold us who the three scouts ahead are. Now he shows them coming to afork in the trail. One goes to the north, and the others to thenorthwest. Which party can be carrying the wampum belt we expect totrace down?"

All of them looked again, and while several shook their heads Redremarked:

"Seems to me one of the two that kept together fell down just at thefork of the trail. Was that only an accident, Matty, or a part of theplay?"

"I believe it was done on purpose, " the other replied. "Because, if youlook closely, you'll find that the one who stretched out on the groundwas Ty, and that from that time on he has a funny little wiggly linedrawn around his waist. "

"Sure, he has. That must be the wampum belt, " exclaimed Red. 

"Yes. No doubt he was instructed by our scout master, Mr. Garrabrant, that when they separated the fellow carrying the belt must do_something_ to show it. That was a clever dodge of Ty's to lie down, andmake an impression in the earth. "

"Yes, and smarter yet for Elmer to discover the impression, and readit, " declared Chatz. 

"What else does the letter say?" asked Landy, who seemed quite enthusednow, after discovering how exceedingly interesting this communicating bymeans of Indian picture writing might become. 

"Elmer tries to tell us he is pursuing the two who headed northwest. Yousee he has made an arrow showing this fact, " Matty continued. 

"But there are some other marks; can you make them out at all?" askedLandy. 

"This is certainly a fire. Before separating, the three enemies built afire and pretended to feed. Here they are sitting around the blaze andeating; and if you look over yonder right now, you'll see the asheswhere the fire has been. "

All of them hurried across to where Matty pointed. 

"By all that's wonderful, there has been a camp fire here, " said Landy. 

"You're a little off there, Landy, " corrected the leader of the BeaverPatrol; "this was only a little cooking blaze, not a camp fire. "

"But what's the difference?" demanded the new recruit; "I thought a firemust be a fire. "

"Well, " said Matty, "when hunters are in a hostile country and want toprepare a meal they dig a hole and make a small blaze in it that will behot enough for their purpose, but which might not be seen fifty feetaway. "

"And a camp fire?" continued the novice. 

"Quite a different matter. That is generally a rousing blaze made forcomfort, and at a time when no danger is feared. This was only a cookingfire, " Matty went on to explain, as he again thrust the "message" intothe jaws of the cloven stick. 

"Do you know how long ago this fire was made?" asked George. 

"The ashes are cold now, but they must have been warm when Elmer washere. He says so--anyhow, that's the way I read it. Here are four handsheld up. Counting fingers and thumbs he wants us to know he has gainedon the enemy, and was only twenty minutes behind when they separated atthis fire. "

"Well, that takes the cake!" ejaculated Landy, whose whole appearanceindicated amazement. 

"I wonder if it's going to turn out so?" remarked George, who was alwaysunbelieving, and hence sometimes called by his friends "DoubtingGeorge. "

"Well, we'll prove it later, " said Matty, "because I am putting allthese things down in my record. When we come together Elmer will tell uswhat he meant, and read our answers out loud. Then well see how thatsecond squad come out. But let's be on the move again, fellows. Plentyto do before we overhaul our pathfinder, and find out if he secured thewampum belt. Come along, everybody!"

CHAPTER II. 

AT THE HAUNTED MILL. 

Once more the little squad of scouts resumed their forward movement. 

Matty remained at their head, as before. This game was growing moredelightful to him every minute, and some of the others were feeling thesame way. 

Of course it was easy work for those who came after, and the secondbunch, headed by Mark Cummings, would have, as Red expressed it, a"snap. "

The real work of following the trail was falling upon Elmer and hiscompanion, the tall, angular fellow known among his mates as Lil Artha. 

In carrying out the purpose of the game they were to do all the readingof the signs, and leave a plain track for those who came after. But thetwo detachments of scouts were expected to pick up as much knowledgeconcerning the methods used as they could. 

Besides this, they must read the messages left occasionally by theirpathfinder. 

For quite some time the boys scurried along. More than once they had toquicken their pace to what Matty called a "dog-trot. " This happenedespecially when the "signs" were very plain. 

"Why all this haste?" asked Landy, who seemed to be puffing a little, because of his being rather a stout boy, and not very well up inathletics. 

"Because we want to gain on Elmer when we have the chance, " replied theleader. 

"But look here, Matty, " said Landy, "do you mean to tell me Elmer isgetting along about as fast as we've been doing, when he has a blindtrail to follow, and we have a plain one?"

"Looks like it, don't it?" exclaimed Red. 

"But how under the sun does he do it?" pursued the doubting greenhorn. 

"Well, " Matty went on, "Elmer lived in Canada, away up where ourblizzards come from. He used to ride a wild broncho, throw a rope, huntantelope and wolves, and was once in at the death of a big grizzly bearthat had been playing hob with their cattle. "

"Yes, I've heard all that, " admitted Landy. 

"So you see he learned a lot about following a trail that would never beseen by any fellows like us scouts. He knows a dozen signs that tell himthe facts. And when greenhorns like Ty, Nat, and Toby try to fool him, why, he just eats the trail up. "

Matty, as he finished speaking, came to a sudden pause. 

"We might as well take a breathing spell, " he remarked, "because we'regetting pretty close to the meeting place anyhow. Besides, here's achance for me to show you how Elmer manages. "

The others crowded around, eager to see for themselves what objectlesson Matty expected to lay before them. 

"Now I want you to notice right here, " he said, pointing to the ground, "that the footprints of the two boys ahead suddenly stop. Here are theplain marks left purposely by Elmer and Lil Artha. Do you notice howthey run alongside this fallen tree?"

"That's a fact, " declared George, as all of them walked slowly along. 

"The two foxes in the lead thought to puzzle the hounds by jumping onthis long log, and running its entire length, " said Matty, with a grin, "but they had their trouble for nothing. Why, it was such an old trickthat Elmer guessed it at a glance. He must have gained quite a lot on'em here. "

George and Landy exchanged glances. 

"Well, there's a heap more in this game than I ever thought of, "admitted the latter. 

"Don't see how he does it, " remarked George, with a doubting shake ofhis head. 

"Oh, the more you study up on this thing, " said Red, "the better you'lllike it. No end of clever stunts that can be engineered. But see here, Matty, didn't you say we must be getting near the place where weexpected to round up both foxes and hounds?"

"Yes, I'm looking to hear the bugle any minute right now, " replied theleader. 

"Where was it fixed for?" asked Landy. 

"Oh, I thought you knew, " Matty replied, as they once more took up thebroad trail, at the point beyond the end of the fallen tree. 

"I heard some talk about an old mill, but didn't pay much attention toit, " remarked Landy, carelessly. 

"Then you've got to turn over a new leaf, old fellow, if you expect toever succeed as a good scout, " Red broke in with. 

"How's that?" demanded Landy. 

"Because, " replied the red-headed lad, himself always wide-awake and onthe alert, "a scout to succeed must forever keep his wits about him andobserve things. In fact, Elmer says he should take as a motto, besidesthe words 'Be Prepared' the old sign you see at railroad crossings. "

"Stop! look! listen!" exclaimed Matty, Larry, and Chatz in chorus. 

"I suppose I _am_ somewhat sleepy, " grumbled Landy, "but perhaps someday I'll surprise you wide-awake Slim Jims by doing something realsmart. But tell me more about this mill. "

"You sure must have heard of Munsey's mill?" remarked Matty. 

"Oh, I believe it does sound kind of familiar, but then I must haveforgotten all I ever heard about it, " Landy confessed. 

Red and Matty exchanged glances, and shook their heads mournfully. Itseemed a pretty tough proposition to ever expect to make a good andprofitable scout out of such poor material. 

"Well, " said the patrol leader, "there is a long story connected withthe old ramshackle mill. No use of my going into all the details. It'sbeen abandoned a good many years now. People have tried to live therethree times since old Munsey was found dead there, but they had to giveit up. "

"Yes, suh, " Chatz broke in, his eyes shining brightly, for this was asubject that appealed very strongly to him, "they just couldn't holdout. Got cold feet after going through the experience and had to quit. "

"But why?" demanded Landy. 

"Because they declared the old mill was haunted!" replied Matty. 

"Yes, suh, it was haunted, " echoed Chatz. 

The Southern boy had always confessed to a streak of superstition in hismake-up. He admitted that he must have imbibed it from association withthe ignorant little negro lads with whom he had been accustomed to playdown on the plantation. 

He had even admitted once to carrying in his pocket, as a charm, theleft hind foot of a rabbit, which animal had been killed by himself in agraveyard when the moon was full. 

The boys plagued Chatz so much that he had by degrees shown signs ofconsidering most of his former beliefs as folly. 

Still, the mere mention of a haunted house set his nerves to quivering. Chatz might be a timid fellow when up against anything bordering uponthe ghostly, but on all other occasions he had proven himself brave, almost to the point of rashness. 

It was "Doubting George" who burst out into a harsh laugh. 

"A haunted house!" he exclaimed. "Ghosts! Strange knockings! Thrillingwhispers! Ice-cold hands! Oh, my, what a lark! I've always wanted to getup against a thing like that. Don't believe in 'em the least bit. Youcould talk to me till you was gray-headed, and I'd just laugh. Therenever was such things as ghosts, never!"

Chatz looked at him rather queerly. 

"Oh, well, perhaps you're right, George, " he said, holding himself incheck, "but I've read of some people who had pretty rough experiences. "

"Rats! They fooled themselves every time, " declared the boy who wouldnot believe. "Bet you it was the wind whistling through a knot hole, ora parcel of rats squeaking and fighting between the walls. Ghosts! Itmakes me laugh. "

"Same here, " declared Red. 

"Listen!" exclaimed Larry just then, making them all start. Through thetimber ahead of them came the sweet clear notes of a bugle. 

"Told you so, fellows, " declared Matty, smiling; "that's Elmer. He'slearning to use the bugle nearly as well as Mark himself. "

"Then we're at the end of our trail following, are we?" asked Landy, notwithout a sigh of relief, for it had not been as easy work in his caseas with his less stout comrades. 

"Well, pretty near, " Matty replied. "We've got to keep it up till wecome in sight of the mill. "

"But why?" asked George, who seemed to want to know every little thing, so that his natural tendency to object might have a chance to showitself. 

"Oh, well, there might be one more opening for a message, and our mainbusiness is to translate these, you know. "

"Do we stay long at the old mill?" asked Chatz. 

Red gave him a quick, suspicious look. 

"Aw, I reckon I know what's on our comrade's mind, " he remarked, with awink. 

"As what?" demanded Landy. 

"Chatz thinks he'd like to prowl around some, and see if that ghost hasleft any signs. 'Tain't often he's had a chance to meet up with a realhaunted house, eh, Chatz?" and Red gave the Southern boy a sly dig inthe ribs. 

"Never had that pleasure in all my life, fellows, I assure you, " repliedthe Southern boy, with ill-concealed delight in his manner. 

"But say, no respectable ghost was ever known to walk except atmidnight, and we don't intend camping out at the old mill, do we, justbecause of this silly talk?" asked George. 

"Oh, the rest of us don't, but Chatz might take a notion to stay over, "laughed Red. "When a fellow is set on investigating things he don'tunderstand, and which were never meant for us to understand, there'sjust no telling how far he will carry the game. "

Chatz gave him a lofty look. 

"Thank you for the compliment, suh, " he said. 

They continued to follow the "spoor" of the two hounds, left so plainlyfor their guidance. 

It was not long before another stick that held a bark "message" wasdiscovered. And Landy felt immensely elated to think that by some chancehe had been the first to see the "sign. "

"I'll surprise you fellows yet, just mark me, " he chuckled, while Mattywas trying to read the queer little characters Elmer had marked upon thebrown inner side of the fresh bark torn from a convenient tree close by. 

"Wish you would, old top, " remarked Red, with his customary enthusiasm. 

"You'll get to like all these things more and more, the farther you go, "said Larry. 

"I feel that way already, " was Landy's quick reply; "only I'm thatclumsy and slow-witted I just don't see how I'm ever going to keep upwith the procession. "

"Elmer says it's only keeping everlastingly at it that makes a goodscout, " remarked Chatz. 

Evidently, from the way these boys continually quoted "Elmer, " theassistant scout master must be a very popular fellow in Hickory Ridge, and those who have made a study of boy nature can understand what rareelements the said Elmer must have in his composition to make so manyfriends and so few enemies. 

"Come around and see what I've made out of this message, " said Mattyjust then. 

It proved to be the concluding communication, and in plain picturelanguage informed those for whom it was left that the two foxes hadstopped here, made a dense smoke to attract their missing comrade, andwhen joined by him, the three had gone on together to the rendezvous atthe old mill. 

"Fine, " cried Landy, when he heard what a remarkable story those rudedrawings told. 

"Very good--if true, " admitted George. 

"Well, come along and we'll prove it, " laughed Matty; "for unless I missmy guess the mill is close by. "

"Sure, " declared Red. "I can hear the noise of water tumbling down somerocks, or over a mill dam. "

Five minutes later and Chatz called out:

"There you are, suh!"

The mill could be seen through the trees, and all of the boys felt thegreatest eagerness to hurry along and reach this spot. 

It happened that none of this bunch had ever set eyes on Munsey's mill, or the pond just above it. There were plenty of places nearer HickoryRidge for fishing purposes. And besides, the dear familiar old "swimminghole" was more convenient than this place, nearly seven miles away. 

"I see Elmer and Lil Artha, " observed Larry. 

"Yes, and there's another fellow just beyond. I reckon it must be TyCollins, " said Chatz. 

Elmer waited for them to come up. He and his companions were standing onthe edge of the dam which had long ago been built in order to hold upthe water and form the big lonely looking pond beyond. 

"Ugh, what a spooky looking place this is!" exclaimed Larry, as soon asthey drew up where they could look out on the big pond, its surface inplaces partly covered with lily plants, and the long trailing branchesof weeping willows dipping down to the water. 

"It sure is, suh!" remarked Chatz, plainly interested, and not a littleexcited. 

"Here we are, Elmer, " called out Matty; "and I guess the second bunchwill be along soon. I see Ty and Toby, but where's Nat Scott?"

Elmer gave him a serious look. 

"That's just what we're wondering, " he said. "They all reached the oldmill, you see, but Nat seems to have disappeared in a mighty queer way!"

CHAPTER III. 

THE STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE OF NAT. 

"Oh!"

Chatz was the only one who gave utterance to a sound after Elmer hadmade this surprising, as well as alarming, admission. 

The others were looking, first at Elmer, then at each of his threecompanions as well; and finally out upon the dismal pond that assumedmuch the appearance of a lake, it stretched so far up the valley, almosta quarter of a mile, in fact. 

Just then the only sound they heard was the noisy scolding of the wateras it went over the spill or apron of the stout dam that had stood allthese long years, defying floods and the ravages of time. 

And somehow, there was something chilling in the very lonesome characterof their surroundings. 

Of the ten scouts present, Chatz seemed to be the only one who did notlook solemn. There was an eager glow in the Southern boy's dark eyes, asthough the situation appealed to that element of superstition in hisnature. 

And Elmer, noting this expression, that was almost of glee, knew thatwhen the companions of Chatz fondly believed they had cured him of hissilly faith in ghosts and such things, they had made a mistake. Thesnake had only been "scotched, " not killed. It was already awakeningagain, under the first favorable conditions. 

"Say, this ain't any part of the game, is it?" demanded Red. 

"Yes, you don't expect us to guess what's become of Nat, and then findhim grinning at us, perhaps astraddle of a limb up in a big tree?"remarked Larry. 

"I asked these fellows, " said Elmer, seriously, "and both Toby and Tygave me their word of honor that no game or joke was set up betweenthem. If Nat is playing a prank then he's doing it on his own account. "

"And Nat ain't generally the fellow to think of playing a joke on hischums, " declared Larry. 

"Gee, this is getting wild and woolly now!" remarked Landy; "I'm all ofa tremble. What if the poor fellow fell over this dam here, struck hishead on a rock, and lies right now at the bottom of that black poolwhere the foam keeps on circling around and around. Ugh! It makes meshiver, fellows, honest and truly. "

George, as usual, scoffed at the idea of anything having happened to NatScott. 

"He'll show up as soon as he feels like it, make sure of that, " hedeclared. 

"Have you called him!" asked Matty. 

"Yes, all of us did, " replied Lil Artha, whose customary rollicking goodnature seemed subdued in a measure for once. 

"And he didn't answer?" demanded Chatz. 

"We never heard a word, and that's a fact, boys, " declared Toby Jones, uneasily. 

Then they all looked around again, their eyes naturally roving in thequarter where, near the farther end of the dam, the old mill stood. 

Its day was long since past. The great water wheel at the end of thesluice had partly fallen to pieces with the passage of time and theravages of neglect. What was left seemed to be almost entirely coveredwith green moss, among which the clear little fingers of water trickled. 

Suddenly a discordant scream rang out. It was so fearful that several ofthe fellows turned pale, and all of them started violently. 

"There!" ejaculated Chatz. 

His manner was almost triumphant; just as though he would like to demandwhether these chums of his could not find some reason to believe as hedid, after such a manifestation. 

"Oh, glory, what was that!" quivered Landy, as he clutched the arm ofElmer Chenowith. 

"But it didn't come from the mill, " declared Larry. "Sounded to me likeit was out there on the pond. "

"Good for you, Larry, " remarked Elmer. 

"Then I was right?" asked the other. 

"You certainly were, and if the whole of you turn your eyes aways upyonder, perhaps you'll notice a big black-and-white bird come to thesurface. It dived just after scolding us for disturbing its fishingexcursion. "

Following the direction indicated by Elmer's extended finger the scoutsall watched eagerly. 

"I see something moving just behind that bunch of lily pads, " exclaimedone with keen vision. 

"There it swims out now, and it's a big water bird, too. Looks like agoose to me, " Landy remarked, earnestly. 

"That's a loon, fellows!" exclaimed Red. 

"Is it, Elmer?" they demanded in a breath. 

"Just what it is, and nothing else, " replied the acting scout master. "They are very common up in the Great Northwest. And once you've heardtheir wild laugh you'll never forget it. "

"Huh, sounds just like the shout of a crazy man to me, " ventured LilArtha. 

"Everybody says that, " Elmer declared. "And I never knew a singlefellow who liked to hear a loon call. Some say it's a sign of ill luckto be scolded by a loon. "

"Ill luck!" echoed Chatz, once more looking in the direction of theramshackle old mill. 

"But see here, " remarked Matty, "tell us about Nat, won't you? When washis queer disappearance first noticed, Elmer?"

"Well, when Lil Artha and myself arrived here we found Toby and Tythrowing stones out in the pond, scaring the little red-marked turtlesthat were sitting by dozens on every old log and rock, and great bigbullfrogs as well. "

"Never saw so many whopping big frogs in all my life, " declared Ty. 

"You see, " explained Toby, "we missed Nat, but thought he had justwandered off to look around. Ty and me, why, we felt too tired toexplore things till the rest came along. "

"Oh, but you could amuse yourselves throwing things into the water, eh?"Matty remarked, with such a vein of sarcasm in his voice that Tobyimmediately aroused to defend himself. 

"'Twa'n't that at all, Matty Eggleston; prove it by Ty here if either ofus was afraid to go inside your old haunted mill, was we, Ty?" heexclaimed, with a fine show of righteous indignation. 

"Course we wasn't, " Ty hastened to declare, with a decided shake of histousled head. "We walked along the shore till we came to a nice shadyplace, and then squatted down, meanin' to wait till Elmer showed up. Then I popped a rock at a sassy little turkle, and pretty soon both ofus were letting fly. "

"When did you miss Nat, and where was he the last you saw him?" askedMatty, who was expected some day to become a lawyer. 

"Oh!" answered Toby, "he said he'd hang around the dam here and lookinto things. You know Nat always did want to pry into everything hesaw. "

"What then?" Matty went on asking. 

"Why, we saw Elmer and Lil Artha coming, and went to meet 'em, that'sall, " replied Ty. 

"Have any of you been inside the mill?"

"Why, no, " Toby spoke up. "Elmer and Lil Artha sat down to rest, and yousee we expected Nat to pop out on us any minute, so we just didn't sayanything about it till they asked. "

"And that was just about the time we first heard your voices close by, "said Elmer, "so we made up our minds to wait till you joined us, when wecould scatter and search. "

"Search!" echoed Larry. "Good gracious! do you think Nat can be lost?"

"It doesn't seem possible, " admitted Elmer, "but I blew the bugle, andsounded the assembly. If Nat heard that he is scout enough to know itwas a command for him to come in--if he could. "

"Whew! this is something we didn't expect to run up against--a mysteryright in the start, " remarked Matty, mopping his face with his bigbandana handkerchief, which he wore about his neck, cowboy fashion, withthe knot behind. 

"You never can tell, suh!" said Chatz, in a solemn manner; and somehownone of the boys seemed quite as ready to scoff at the Southerner'ssuperstitious belief, as usual. 

"But hadn't we better be looking around?" remarked Matty. "Nat may havegone into the old mill, bent on investigating, and some accident havehappened to him. "

"As what?" queried George, cautiously. 

"Oh, well, perhaps he tripped and fell, striking his head as he wentdown. Then again, a rotten plank might have given way under him, and lethim get an ugly fall, " Matty replied. 

"That sounds reasonable enough, " said Elmer, "and now I want some of youto scatter around and see if you can discover any trace of our missingcomrade. Red, you get a long pole and poke down in that deep pool, though I feel pretty sure you won't find any sign of him there, becausethere isn't a mark of blood on the rocks, as there would be if he hadfallen from up here on the dam. "

The boys looked aghast. 

Up to this point perhaps Landy and several others may have indulged in ahope that after all perhaps this might only be a little finish to theremarkable game of fox and hounds which they had been playing. 

Indeed, Red and Larry had once or twice even exchanged sly winks. Theyactually suspected that Elmer had secretly ordered Nat to concealhimself, up among the branches of a tree, perhaps, so as to have thewhole party guessing, and running around like a pack of dogs off thescent. 

Now the last vague hope in this particular seemed shattered by Elmer'sthrilling suggestion. 

And more than Red's horrified eyes roved in the direction of the uglyblack pool, across the surface of which the foamy white bubbles keptcircling constantly, as the surplus water ran over the dam. 

"Where will the rest of us look, Elmer?" asked Matty, breaking the awfulsilence that had gripped them after hearing the scout master'ssuggestion. 

"Any old place, " replied Elmer; "only I guess you needn't go far alongthat farther shore, because Toby and Ty were there where you see thatbig oak tree. "

"They couldn't see the dam from there, could they?" asked Red, quickly. 

"No, that's true, " answered Toby. 

"And so they wouldn't know whether anybody knocked poor Nat over here;or if he went across to the old mill, " Red continued. 

"Right you are, Red, " replied Ty; "but neither did we hear any shout. Anold bluejay was screechin' in the woods near us. Yep, a feller might 'a'called out and we not noticed it. "

"I want two of you to go with me to the mill, " said Elmer. 

"Count me for one!" cried some one, instantly; and of course that wasthe eager Chatz, who would have started a new rebellion had he beendebarred that privilege. 

"And I'm the second victim, " declared Lil Artha, with a grin, but at thesame time looking very determined. 

"All right, " said Elmer; "fall in behind me, and we'll see what theinside of the mill looks like. "

CHAPTER IV. 

THE SEARCH FOR A CLEW. 

Following the lead of Elmer, the tall lanky scout and the wiry Southernboy quickly found themselves at the other end of the mill dam. 

Lil Artha had cast his eyes about him as he cautiously made his wayalong. He seemed to be figuring on what chance there might be for anactive chap like Nat Scott slipping on one of the wet and moss-coveredstones, to go tumbling down toward that suspicious black pool. 

Not so Chatz Maxfield. 

Apparently he had made up his mind from the start that this strangevanishing of their comrade must have some connection with the mystery ofthe old mill. 

Did they not admit that three separate times people had tried to livethere in the dwelling that was part and parcel of the mill; and on everyoccasion they had given it up as a bad job?

Why?

Well, it seemed to be understood that none of them could stand thesights and sounds which had come to them while under that roof. 

People might scoff at such things all they had a mind to, but surely itseemed as if there must be _something_ in it. 

At any rate, everyone of those three families believed the mill househaunted. And for many years now, no one had had the nerve to occupy theplace. 

And yet it had once been a paying venture, for the main road was only afew hundred yards away from this lonely, forbidding-looking pond, wherethe frogs grew so large and the red-marked "turkles, " as Ty Collinscalled them, were so saucy. 

"Careful here!" warned Elmer, as they arrived at the runway, where intimes past the water was turned on when the mill was to be operated. 

The boards were rotting and slimy, and if one made a slip he might get awet jacket in the sluice, where there was more or less running water. 

Elmer held up a hand to hold his comrades back. He seemed to be down onhis hands and knees, as though examining something that had just caughthis attention. 

"What is it?" asked Lil Artha. 

"He came this way, all right, boys. "

"Do you mean Nat?" questioned Chatz. 

"Why, of course, " replied the leader. 

"How do you know?" continued Chatz. 

"I've been following Nat's trail for miles, " answered Elmer, "and sure Iought to know what his footprint looks like. Here it is on this clayjust beside the sluice. Wait till I cross and see if he made the otherside all right. "

"He must, because he ain't in the sluiceway, " remarked the tall boy. 

A minute later and Elmer, who had carefully crossed over, testing eachboard before trusting his weight on it, called out:

"The marks are here, all right, fellows. Nat did start to look into theold mill. Come over, but be careful. Go slow, Chatz, " he warned again, as the impetuous Southern boy slipped, and might have landed in theslimy sluice only that Lil Artha threw out a hand and clutched him. 

They were now almost in the shadow of the deserted mill. It lookedgloomy and forbidding to the eyes of at least Elmer and the tall lad, though Chatz may have considered it an object well worth coming a longdistance to see. 

"Wow! I must get some pictures of this same old ruin while we're uphere, " said Lil Artha, who carried a little pocket camera along, and wasa very clever artist indeed. 

"A fine idea, " remarked Elmer; "but there are a lot of good people inHickory Ridge who would think a picture of Munsey's mill very tame andincomplete without the ghost showing in it. "

"Ah!" said Chatz, his face aglow. 

"Oh, well, " Lil Artha went on, "perhaps now I might be lucky enough totempt that same ghost to pose for me. Anyhow I mean to ask him, if so bewe happen to run across his trail. "

He looked at Chatz, and then winked one eye humorously at Elmer. But theSouthern boy did not deign to take any notice. 

"Come, let's go in, fellows, " he said, impatiently. 

With that the three started for the other side of the mill, where anentrance could most likely be much more easily effected. 

Elmer continued to watch the ground, and from the satisfied look on hisface Lil Artha felt sure the scout master must be discovering furthertraces of the missing boy. 

Perhaps, after all, they would find Nat hiding inside the mill or thedwelling alongside. Perhaps he had been so busy investigating that hehad not noticed their shouts, or the bugle call, for the falling watermade quite a little noise. 

Or, on the other hand, possibly Nat may have been seized with a suddendesire to tease his comrades in return for many a practical joke ofwhich he had been the victim. 

But one of the three was quite firm in his belief that neither of theseexplanations would turn out to be the true one. 

Of course this was Chatz Maxfield, through whose mind had run theconviction that poor Nat Scott must have paid dearly for his temerity ininvading the haunted mill. 

Yes, Chatz feared that the ghost must have got Nat, though he was afraidto openly proclaim his belief. Fear of ridicule was a weakness of Chatz. It often causes boys to hide their real feelings, and even appear to bemuch bolder than they naturally are. 

Once around the end of the mill and they saw the dwelling attached toit. 

Here, too, was the old road, now overgrown with weeds and almost hiddenfrom view. And yet, twenty years ago, in Miller Munsey's time, no doubtfarmers daily drove up here with sacks of corn, wheat, or rye, to havethe grain delivered to them again in the shape of flour. 

"Shall we try to go in by way of the house door?" asked Lil Artha. 

"No, " replied Elmer, "he went in through that opening where some boardsare off the side of the mill. Perhaps we'd better do the same. "

"A good idea, " remarked Chatz, with the air of one who could not getinside the walls of the mill too speedily to please him. 

"Just as you say, Elmer, " the lanky scout observed; for having been inthe company of the other when the latter was acting as pathfinder to theexpedition, Lil Artha was more than ever filled with admiration for hiswonderful talents in discovering things supposed to be lost. 

So Elmer without further hesitation ducked through the opening, with histwo allies keeping close to his heels. 

At any rate it was somewhat more restful inside the mill. 

Those walls, even if now going rapidly into a condition of decay, shutout some of the noise caused by the falling water. 

Lil Artha and Chatz both looked about them eagerly, even anxiously, assoon as they found themselves within those walls which had onceresounded to the clatter of the grinding. 

Their motives, however, were probably as far apart as the two poles;while the long-legged scout hoped, yet dreaded, to see the figure of NatScott lying somewhere about, Chatz, on the other hand, was anticipatingdiscovering some token of ghostly visitors. 

Nothing rewarded either of them, however. The interior of the mill wasof course in a generally dilapidated condition. What remnants of thecrushing and milling machinery remained were rusty and broken, as thoughtramps may have made the place a refuge, and tried to destroy what theycould not carry away to sell. 

The boards creaked dismally under their tread. More than that, theywere loose in places, and Lil Artha, stepping upon the end of one, mighthave vanished through a gap in the floor only that his agility savedhim. 

"Wow, would you see that, now, Elmer!" he exclaimed, his voice soundingstrange amidst such singular surroundings. 

"You made a neat side step, old fellow, " said the one addressed. "Someof us, more clumsy, would have slid down into the cellar. "

"Say, now, I wonder--" began Lil Artha, and then stopped to stare at thetreacherous plank that formed such a trap. 

"You're wondering whether poor old Nat could have taken that tumble?"suggested Elmer. 

"That's what I was; what do you think?" asked the tall scout. 

"Here, lay hold and we'll soon find out, " remarked Elmer, bending overthe loose plank. 

It required considerable tugging to get it out of the bed it hadoccupied so long, even if it was fastened by no nails. 

Both of them lay down and thrust their faces into the gap. 

"Looks pretty dark down there, don't it?" asked Lil Artha, who wassecretly shivering with the anticipation of making a grewsome discovery, but who would not have his comrades know the true condition of hisnerves for a good deal. 

"It sure does that, " was Elmer's reply. 

"I can just make out something or other lying down there; it might bean old log, you know, and again, p'raps it ain't. "

Lil Artha did not venture to say plainly that he more than half fearedlest the object he could see might turn out to be poor Nat Scott. Butthat was a fact. 

"Well, let's find out for sure. "

Elmer, while speaking, was taking something from his pocket. It provedto be an old newspaper, from which he tore a sheet, crumpling it up intoa ball. 

"I generally carry a newspaper along when I go into the woods, " he saidin explanation. "And it's wonderful what a help it sometimes turns outto be in case you want to start a quick fire. Now for a match. "

"I'm sorry now, " remarked Lil Artha. 

"About what?" asked the scout leader. 

"That I didn't think to fetch it along--that new electric hand torch myfather gave me on my birthday, you remember, Elmer?"

"Oh, " laughed Elmer, "well, who'd ever think we'd have any need of atorch on this hike! Why, it was an altogether daylight affair, and weexpected to be back home long before supper time. I even promised Markto practice battery work some this afternoon. There, now watch when itdrops. I hope there's nothing down there to take fire. "

"If the old trap did go up in smoke I guess nobody would care much, "muttered Lil Artha, as he pressed his face still further into theopening, after Elmer released his fire ball. 

The burning paper seemed to alight upon the damp earthen floor of thecellar. Immediately both boys tried to secure a mental photograph of allthere was below them. 

"It's only a log!" cried Lil Artha, in a relieved tone of voice, and atthe same time betraying more or less disappointment, for perhaps he hadmade up his mind that they were to be treated to some species of horror. 

"You're right, " added Elmer, "that's what it is--an old log that haslain there, goodness only knows how long. Nat doesn't seem to haveslipped down into the cellar, then, does he?"

"Not that you could notice, " replied Lil Artha, and then he added: "butElmer, didn't you notice something jump when that paper first wentdown?"

"Well, yes, I did, for a fact, Arthur. "

"Any idea what it could be?" persisted the other. 

"I hope you're not thinking of that ghost we've heard so much about?"said Elmer. 

"Now, that's hardly fair, Elmer; you know I don't take any stock infairy tales or hobgoblin yarns. But something sure moved. "

"A big rat I guess, perhaps a muskrat from the pond above. Theysometimes find a burrow leads them to some old, unused cellar. "

"But look over there, and you'll see a lot of white bones, Elmer, "pursued Lil Artha. 

"That's a fact. Some animal must have fallen in here, starved to death, and been eaten up by the rats. "

"But, Elmer, are you sure they are animal bones?"

"I noticed the skull, and I think it must have been a large dog, "replied Elmer. 

Then he and the tall scout scrambled hastily to their feet, for Chatzhad suddenly given utterance to an exclamation that seemed to containmuch of both surprise and mystification. 

CHAPTER V. 

THE TRAIL GROWS WARMER. 

"Say, just look up there, fellows!"

Chatz pointed a quivering finger upward as he gave utterance to thesewords. 

Of course both Elmer and the lengthy scout followed his directions, andturned an inquiring gaze toward the dimly seen rafters of the olddeserted mill. 

"Gee whittaker! what in the dickens are they?" exclaimed Lil Artha, ashis startled eyes rested on what seemed to be countless numbers of queerlittle bunches of dusky gray or brown hair. 

They looked for all the world like some farmer's wife's wintercollection of herbs, tied up in small packages, and fastened in regularorder along the different beams. 

"Well, I declare, " laughed Elmer. 

"You know what they are, Elmer; let us in on it, won't you?" demandedChatz. 

"Nothing whatever to do with the ghost, but all the same often found inhaunted houses, church belfries, and old towers. See here. "

He stooped and picked up quite a good-sized stone that happened to belying on the floor. 

Elmer was a pitcher on the Hickory Ridge baseball nine, and could hurl apretty swift ball. 

When he shot that stone upward it went like a young cyclone, struck therafters with a loud bang, clattered around from one beam to another, andfinally fell back to the floor with a thud. 

This latter sound was certainly not heard by any one of the threescouts, for it was utterly drowned in a tremendous rush as of sturdywings, and several openings above were filled with some rapidly flyingobjects. 

"Wow, did you ever see the like of that now!" cried Lil Artha. 

"What were they, Elmer?" asked Chatz, who had really been too startledto think fairly. 

"Bats!" replied the scout leader, promptly. 

"I supposed as much, " declared Chatz, "and as you remarked just now, they always seem to like a building said to be haunted. "

"Well, " remarked the tall boy, "sometimes I've had the fellows hint tome that I had bats in _my_ belfry; but sure not that many. Why, I reckonthere must have been well-nigh a thousand in that gay bunch, Elmer. "

"I guess there were, more or less, " replied the other. 

"And now what?" asked Chatz. 

"Let's look further here before we go into the house itself, " the scoutmaster made reply. 

So they went from one end of the deserted mill to the other, peeringinto every place where it seemed there might be the slightest hope ofdiscovering their missing comrade. 

Elmer even entered a small room off the main floor, and which hadpossibly been used as an office when the grist-mill was in business. 

"Nothing doing, Elmer?" announced Lil Artha, as the other came outagain. 

Elmer shook his head in the negative. 

"Don't seem to be around here at all, " he said. 

"Well, let's try the house, " suggested Chatz; and it was easily seenfrom his manner that he was eager to make the change. 

After one more careful glance around, as if to make absolutely positivethat nothing had been neglected, the scout leader nodded his head. 

"Come on, then, fellows, " he said. 

So the others once more fell in his wake, like true scouts who knewtheir little lesson full well, and were ready to follow their leaderwherever he might choose to go. 

Elmer had previously noticed a door leading, as he believed, from themain mill into the cottage that had once been the miller's home. 

Toward this he now pushed. He wondered if he would find the doorfastened in any way. One touch told him it was not. 

And so, without hesitation, Elmer strode across the threshold into whathad once been the happy home of a contented miller, until trouble came, and tragedy ended it all. 

Like the mill itself the house was fast falling into a state of decay. 

It was only a cottage of some four rooms, all on the one floor. The boyspassed from one apartment to another until presently they had been overall the territory comprised within those four walls, so far as theycould see. 

Both Chatz and Lil Artha uttered exclamations that breathed theirdisappointment. 

Because each of them had failed to discover that upon which he had sethis mind he failed to see anything else. 

Not so Elmer, who carried out the principle which he was forever holdingup before the others as a cardinal virtue which should govern a truescout always. 

He noted a number of things that the other two might have passed by, simply because they refused to let their minds work outside of a certaingroove. 

A frown came upon Elmer's face also, as though he did not wholly likethe looks of things. 

"Well, he ain't here, that's sure, " remarked Lil Artha, shrugging hisshoulders in disgust. 

"He certainly isn't, " muttered Chatz, who, however, was thinking of anentirely different object than the one the tall boy referred to. 

"Suppose we give him a shout, and see if there's any result?" suggestedLil Artha. 

"Do so, if you like, " replied Elmer, in a tone that did not seem topromise much faith in the outcome of this plan. 

So the tall boy raised his voice and shouted in his loudest key. A fewstray bats that had taken up lodgings in various dark corners of thefour rooms went flapping through a broken sash. But beyond that nothingcame to pass. 

"This sure beats the Dutch, " remarked Lil Artha, using his bandana againto wipe off the perspiration that had gathered in beads upon hisforehead. 

Elmer was looking around again. 

"Wonder if there can be a cellar under here?" he remarked, presently. 

"I should say yes, " replied the tall boy. 

"Then there ought to be a trapdoor in the floor somewhere about. Lookaround and see if you can find it, boys, " Elmer continued, himselfstepping into the kitchen. 

Chatz and the tall boy had hardly gotten well started in their searchthan they heard Elmer calling. 

"He's found it, sure!" observed the Southern lad. 

"The luckiest chap ever, take that from me, " declared Lil Artha, andthen adding hastily: "but then, he always deserves his luck, because heworks for it. "

Although he did not exactly mean to do so, the one who said thatexpressed one of the greatest truths known. Deserve good luck, and itwill many times knock at your door. Do things worth while, and obtainpleasing results. 

Of course they hastened into the kitchen. Here they found Elmer bendingover and examining the floor. 

"It's a trapdoor, all right, " declared Lil Artha, as he noted thedimensions of the cracks that formed an almost perfect square. 

"But how to get it up's the question, " said Elmer; "for there seems tobe no ring in sight. All the same, boys, I reckon this same trap hasbeen used more than a few times lately, from the looks of things. "

"Whew! do you really mean it, Elmer?" remarked Chatz, deeply interested. 

"Why, you can see for yourself right here that some sort of tool hasbeen used to pry up the thing, " Elmer went on. 

"Say, I had a glimpse of an old broken kitchen knife lying over there bythe sink. Wonder if that would do the trick? Shall I get it?" remarkedLil Artha. 

"If you will, " replied Elmer. 

The article in question was speedily placed in the hands of the scoutmaster. 

"Just the very thing to lift this trap with, " he declared, as he startedto insert the stout remnant of the blade in the crack. 

"Reckon it's been used to do the trick many a time, " advanced Chatz. 

"I wouldn't wonder, " Elmer added. 

Using the broken blade as a lever he soon pried the trap up far enoughto allow the others a chance to insert their ready fingers. After thatit was easily completed, and the square of wooden flooring removed. 

"Dark as Egypt, " remarked Lil Artha, as he tried to pierce the gloomwith his gaze. 

Elmer made a move, and Chatz, thinking he intended descending the ladderthat led down into the unknown depths, caught his arm. 

"I wouldn't do it, Elmer, " he said. 

"Do what?" asked the other. 

"Go down there, " continued Chatz. "No telling how deep it may be or whatlies there, either. If anybody must go, send me. "

"Well, " laughed Elmer, "I like your nerve, Chatz. You think somethingmight hurt _me_, but you don't care so much for yourself. That's likeyou Southern fellows, though. But make your mind easy, my boy, becausejust at present I don't think any of us need drop into this hole. "

"I'm glad of that, " declared the other; "but when you made a move Ithought you were going. "

"Oh, I only meant to get out my newspaper again, and make another littlecandle, " said Elmer, with a chuckle. 

"Well, say what you will, boys, " remarked Lil Artha, who had beenthrusting his head below the level of the floor and sniffing at a greatrate; "I'm glad, too, that we don't just have to drop down this ladder. It's cold and damp down there, and I tell you I don't like the smell. "

"There is a queer odor comes up, now that you mention it, " admittedElmer. 

At that the eyes of Chatz grew round with wonder and suspense. 

"Oh, I hope you don't think--" he began, when Elmer interrupted him. 

"Kind of fishy smell, don't you think?" he said. 

"Well, since you speak of it I rather guess it is something like that, "Lil Artha admitted. 

Then Chatz breathed easy again. 

"But how could fish ever get in here from the mill pond?" he demanded. 

"Give it up; I pass. Ask me something easy, " the tall scout hastened tosay. 

Meanwhile Elmer had, as before, taken a section of the newspaper, crumpled it into a ball, and after that drew out his match box. 

"Guess it's safe to drop this down, " he remarked. "It seems so dampthere can really be no danger of anything taking fire. "

"Sure there couldn't, " asserted Lil Artha, sturdily. "Let her go, Elmer;and everybody look. "

The match crackled, and the resulting flame was instantly applied to thepaper ball. 

Then Elmer let this drop, after he had made sure it would burn. 

Three pairs of very good eyes immediately started in to take a completeinventory of the contents of the little damp cellar under the desertedmill cottage. 

For perhaps a full minute the paper ball continued to burn, lighting upthe cellar well enough for them to see from wall to wall. 

Then the flame dwindled, flickered, and finally went out altogether. Chatz gave a big sigh. 

"Well, I declare!" he exclaimed. 

"What did you see, Chatz?" asked Elmer. 

"Who, me?" exclaimed the Southern boy. "Nothing at all, Elmer, " and hismanner told plainly that he was both disappointed and disgusted. 

"How about you, Arthur?" continued the acting scout master. 

"What did I see?" Lil Artha replied, promptly; "four damp-looking stonewalls, a hard earth floor, and a few old boxes lying around, but notanother blessed thing. "

Something about Elmer's manner caught his attention and aroused hissuspicions. 

"See here, did _you_ discover anything?" he demanded. 

"Well, " replied Elmer, "I can't say that the evidence is so plain afellow who runs may read; but from a number of things I've seen sincecoming here to the Munsey mill pond I've about made up my mind thisplace isn't quite as deserted as people seem to believe. "

"Do you mean, Elmer, " cried Lil Artha, excitedly, "that tramps or somemore yeggmen, like those fellows we met with up at McGraw's lumber camp, have squatted here in this haunted house?"

"Something like that, " replied the other, steadily, "though I don'tbelieve they dare spend a night under this roof. There's no sign ofthat. "

"But what would they kidnap our chum for?" demanded the excited tallscout. 

"I don't know for certain, but we're going to find out pretty soon, "said Elmer, with a determined look. 

CHAPTER VI. 

HUNTING FOR THE MISSING SCOUT. 

"Honest, now, Elmer, do you really believe that?" asked Chatz Maxfield, after staring at the scout master in a puzzled manner for half a dozenseconds. 

"It looks so, on the face of it, " replied the other. 

"But plague take it, " argued Chatz, "for the life of me I just can'tunderstand, suh, what those fellows would want to make a prisoner ofpoor Nat for. In all our troop he's about the most harmless scout, except perhaps Jasper Merriweather. Nat is strong as an ox, but hewouldn't hurt a fly if he could help it. "

"That's so, " echoed Lil Artha. "I've seen him walk around so as not tostep on a harmless little snake on the road. And it wasn't because hewas afraid of snakes, either. Remember he killed that fierce bigcopperhead last summer, after the other fellows had skipped out?"

"There's one chance, though, " Elmer went on, "that after all Nat may behiding. "

"But he knows the sound of the bugle, and what penalty followsdisobedience on the part of a scout, " declared Lil Artha. 

"That's true enough, fellows, " Elmer said, as if he himself might betrying to see through a haze; "but perhaps Nat finds himself in aposition where he can't answer us without betraying himself to theseunknown men. "

Again did Chatz and the tall scout look at each other helplessly. Andjudging from the way they shook their heads, the puzzle was evidentlytoo deep for them. 

"Say, Elmer, you manage to get on to these things in a way to beat theband; could you give a guess now about how many men there are holdingout around this old haunted mill?"

Lil Artha asked this in good faith. He had come to believe, with most ofhis comrades, that Elmer Chenowith was next door to a wizard. Of coursethey realized that his knowledge was at all times founded on facts andcommon sense; yet this did not detract from the wonder of hisaccomplishments. 

"I think there are three at least, perhaps four or five in the lot, "Elmer replied. 

"Whew! that's a healthy crowd of toughs, now, to run up against!"remarked Lil Artha. 

"And what do you propose doing, suh, if I may make so bold as to ask?"

Chatz was usually a very dignified fellow, especially when coming incontact with one who, according to recognized scout law, must beconsidered his superior officer, and as such entitled to respect. 

"First of all, perhaps we'd better go outside, " the other replied. 

"And tell the rest of the boys what we've found--or rather what wedidn't find, " remarked Lil Artha. 

"Yes. There doesn't seem to be anything more to poke into here; for I'mdead certain those men, whoever they are, don't make their headquartersin either the mill or the cottage. "

"You mean they don't sleep here; is that it, suh?" inquired Chatz. 

"That covers the ground, " Elmer answered. 

"But they _do_ come in here sometimes, while the sun is shining, "persisted Chatz. 

"I have seen the marks of many heavy hobnailed shoes in the dust of thisplace; and some of the prints were very fresh, " came the answer. 

"Then if they're wanting in the nerve to sleep under this roof, when itwould be so handy, in a thunderstorm like we had the other day, forinstance, that looks as if they believed some in the ghost story, don'tit, Elmer?"

"Why, I suppose it does, Chatz. "

"All right. I'm not saying anything more, " remarked the Southern boy, with a look of conviction on his dark face, "but I only hope we runacross one or more of these mysterious unknowns while we're up atMunsey's mill. "

"Listen to that, would you, Elmer! I declare if he don't mean tointerview these fellows, and find out what they've gone and seen here inthe night time!" and Lil Artha chuckled as he said this. 

"All right, " remarked Chatz. "There are a lot of things I've alwayswanted to know, and I'd be a silly to let the chance slip past me. "

"Hey, how about this bally old trapdoor, Elmer?" demanded Lil Artha. 

"We'd better put it back where it belongs, " replied the scout leader. 

"I reckon you're right, suh, " observed Chatz. "If some one came in here, walking in the dark, he might take a nasty header down this hole. "

"Say, supposing your ghost did that, " remarked the tall scout, as hehelped lift the wooden square back to where it belonged; "why, you coulddo better than asking questions of an outsider, because, Chatz, youmight interview your old ghost himself. "

The other drew himself up. 

"Kindly omit calling it _my_ ghost, if you please, suh, " he said, stiffly. "I don't pretend to have any claim on the object inquestion--if there really is such a thing. I'm only wanting to know; andI come from South Carolina, suh, not Missouri. "

Elmer, after one last glance around the kitchen, was heading for theother room where an exit could be made. 

And it was almost ludicrous to see with what haste the other twofollowed after; just as if neither of them cared to be left alone insidethe walls of the haunted mill cottage. 

Once outside, they found several of their comrades clustered near by, evidently awaiting them. That curiosity was rapidly reaching fever heatit was easy to see from the anxious looks cast upon those who had beeninvestigating the interior of the buildings. 

No doubt every fellow had meanwhile been industriously engaged inransacking his brain to remember all he had ever heard concerningMunsey's mill, and the troublesome spirit that had frightened away threeseparate tenants in years gone by. 

They were rather a demoralized trio of boys who welcomed the coming ofElmer, Chatz, and Lil Artha. 

"Find any signs of Nat?" asked one. 

"Hope the plagued old ghost didn't get him, " another ventured. 

"Tell us all about it, Elmer?" asked the third member of the littlebunch. 

But the scout leader instead raised the bugle to his lips and soundedthe assembly call. 

Voices were heard, and immediately the others came hurrying to the spot. Landy was the last to arrive, and he came up puffing and blowing asthough he might have been at some little distance when he heard thesummons for gathering. 

"Listen!" said Elmer, raising his hand, and immediately the confusedchattering of many boyish tongues ceased. 

This enabled them to hear distant shouts from the southeast, as thoughnewcomers might be approaching the mill over about the same course asthat they had pursued. 

"Mark Cummings and the last detachment!" declared Matty. 

"Hurrah! six more good fellows to do battle with the outlaws of thehaunted mill!" exclaimed Red; at which some of the others gasped inastonishment, and exchanged uneasy glances. 

"Better wait till they all get here, boys, " said Elmer, "and then I'lltell you what we've found out, also what we suspect. "

Chatz and Lil Artha could not but notice how particular Elmer was to usethe plural pronoun. But then, that was always his way. Whatever faultsthe boy may have had--and the best of fellows comes far from beingperfect--selfishness was not one of them. Impatiently they waited forthe coming of the six scouts forming the last detachment. This wouldincrease their roll-call to sixteen, lacking only _one_ of the numberthat had started out. 

Presently a sight of khaki uniforms among the trees announced their nearapproach. 

As the two wings of the Hickory Ridge Troop of Boy Scouts came together, there was a general exchange of badinage. 

The newcomers had an intense desire to learn whether theirinterpretation of the messages might excel that of the first detachment. 

But in the midst of the questioning, the startling news concerning NatScott's mysterious vanishing began to circulate among the newcomers. 

This put a quietus on all business, and the entire troop clusteredaround Elmer, begging to know what it could mean. 

So the scout master, understanding just how his comrades must feel, started in to explain, as far as lay in his power. 

First of all, for the benefit of the newcomers, he told of how Nat'sdisappearance was brought to his attention by Toby and Ty, just beforethe coming of Matty and his group of scouts. 

Then he quickly related what he and Chatz and Lil Artha had done in thedeserted buildings close by. 

Presently the story was finished, and some of the boys, who had listenedwith hearts beating much faster than their wont, took the first decentbreath in five minutes. 

Of course questions poured in on Elmer as thick as hail stones during asummer storm. Finding it utterly impossible to answer a quarter of theseintelligently, and make any kind of progress, Elmer called for silence. 

"It stands to reason, fellows, " he remarked, when the last whisper haddied away, "that we've got to have system about this thing if we expectto do any business. Am I right?"

"Yes, yes, " came from every scout; for boys though they were, theyrecognized the wisdom of what he said. 

"All right, then, " Elmer went on. "I'm going to divide the troop intothree searching parties. We must scour the neighborhood and see if wecan find any sign of where these unknown men sleep, for there isn't anytrace of their staying in cottage or mill at night time. "

"We understand what you mean, Elmer. How shall we divide up?" askedMark. 

"You keep your detachment as it was, intact, Mark, " came the reply; "andMatty, you have your six to back you. Lil Artha, Toby, and Ty will fallin with me, and make the third party. "

"All right, suh, we understand, " called out Chatz. 

But he, as well as many others of the boys, showed in their faces thatthey envied the good luck of the three fellows who had been picked outto form Elmer's smaller group. 

"What are our duties to be?" asked Mark, who, having only recentlyarrived, and being staggered by the sudden nature of the intelligence, had as yet not fully grasped the situation. 

"First of all, let every scout who has not already done so, pick up astout club in the woods, as he passes along, " said Elmer. 

"Like this, for instance, " remarked Jack Armitage, flourishing a huskyspecimen that would pass muster for an Irishman's shillalah. 

"Or this!" cried Red, whose cudgel was as long as a walking stick, andalmost as thick through as his wrist. 

"Suit yourselves about that, boys, " continued the scout master, "onlydon't be in a hurry to use them as weapons until you have the order. Now, each detachment must keep close enough together so that themembers may communicate by means of patrol calls--the cry of the wolf, the slap of a beaver's tail as he beats the water to call his mate, orthe scream of the eagle. "

"We know, Elmer; what else?" asked Matty. 

"All the while you will keep on the lookout for some sign of the enemy. The scout who discovers anything that he thinks would have a bearing onthe solving of the puzzle must immediately summon his leader. This hecan do by the whistle which all of you know, as it has been usedbefore. "

"Is that all, Elmer?" asked Mark. 

"If the matter seems very important to the mind of the leader, let himgive the assembly call very loud on his whistle. Upon hearing that, every scout is expected to give up hunting on his own account, and headin toward the place the signal comes from. Is that plain to everyfellow?"

A chorus of assent answered him. 

"That's all, then, fellows, " Elmer went on. "Do your duty, every scout. We've got to find our comrade, and we've got to get him out of the handsof these men, whoever they may turn out to be. "

"If they've hurt our Nat, it's going to be a bad day for them, that'sall, " blustered Red, as he pounded his club against an inoffensivestone. 

"Now, start out, fellows, and let's see who'll be the lucky one todiscover this hidden shack where these men must stay nights, " Elmerconcluded. 

"Say, hold on here! Is _that_ what you're looking for--a hidden shack?Why, I can take you to one right now, " called out a voice. 

The speaker was Landy Smith. 

CHAPTER VII. 

THE AMBITION OF LANDY. 

Every boy became suddenly stationary when this surprising intelligencebroke from the lips of the new member, who, like three others in thetroop, did not wear a khaki uniform. 

Elmer had several times let his eye fall on the stout boy, as thoughtrying to guess what his manner indicated. 

He had seen Landy come up last of all, panting so for breath that notone word had he spoken while the scout master was explaining things. 

Landy was not only a tenderfoot scout, but he had in a number of waysproven his right to the title of greenhorn. 

Imagine, then, the utter amazement of his comrades when he so coollydeclared that he might be able to lead them to a hidden shack. 

Elmer, if surprised, did not allow this fact to interfere with his plainduty. 

"Come here, Landy, " he said, and the stout new recruit hastened to do ashe was ordered. 

Of course Landy would not have been human, and a boy, had he been ableto repress the grin that forced itself upon his rosy countenance. 

Perhaps he remembered saying not so very long ago that the time mightcome when he would be able to prove his ability to carry the name of ascout. 

Of course at the time Landy could never have even dreamed the openingwould arrive so soon. That made it all the more welcome. Perhaps now, some of the fellows who loved to tease him, and say that he was too fatand slow-witted to ever be a shining success in the Hickory Hill troop, would change their tune. 

Landy's hour had come. He was in the lime light, and occupied the centerof the stage. 

Mindful of the respect due his superior officer, Landy saluted as heclicked his heels together, and stood at attention before the scoutmaster. 

"You say you can show us where there is a hidden shack or cabin, do you, Number Eight?"

Elmer frequently addressed the boys by the number they held in theirpatrol, and as Landy was the last one admitted into the Wolf Patrol hewent as Number Eight. 

"Yes, sir, " the tenderfoot replied, quite enjoying the fact that fifteenpairs of eager eyes were riveted upon him right then and there. 

Landy looked redder than usual, but for all that he seemed able tocommand his voice, for it did not tremble a particle. 

"You arrived later than the rest when I sounded the assembly on thebugle, " went on Elmer; "was that because you were some little distanceaway?"

"Yes, sir, I was just going to peek in through the window of that funnylittle cabin I found when I heard the call. But I didn't look, sir, because I knew _a scout's duty was to obey_!"

"Hear, hear!" said Red, in a low voice. 

"That was well done, Number Eight, " Elmer continued, "and I hope youwill always keep your duty before your mind. Do you think you could leadus to where you saw that hidden shack?"

"I expect I can, sir; anyhow, I'm ready to try, " Landy promptlyanswered. 

Several of the scouts exchanged nods and glances. Why, they had neverbefore dreamed that the fat boy had so much business about him. He actedjust as might one who had been a member of the troop a whole month, instead of but a few days. 

It was plain to be seen that his becoming a scout was going to be themaking of Philander Smith. Already there was a great change in his ways. He was throwing off his weaknesses, and beginning to think for himself. 

"All right, " said Elmer; "suppose you come with me, then, Number Eight, and try to go back over your own trail. That might be the quickest wayto get there. "

"But how about us, Mr. Scout Master; do we keep up the formation asarranged?" asked Mark. 

"No, for the present that is all off, " Elmer replied, "the whole of youfall in behind; and don't forget to keep an eye out for your sticks. Butno talking above a whisper, remember. This may turn out to be seriousbusiness. "

The scouts already realized this. Still his words of caution entailingsilence were well placed, for boys as a rule do love to chatter. 

And so the whole troop started off, with Elmer and Landy in the lead, the latter hardly knowing whether to be tickled at the attention he wasreceiving, or worried because he presently began to doubt his ability to"deliver the goods. "

Strange how all sections of the woods look alike to a fellow who is anovice in the art of picking his way. Landy had imagined that he wasjust soaking in valuable information while following the lead of Mattyor Elmer. But when the crisis arose, and he found himself placed uponhis own responsibility, he lost confidence. 

Pretty soon Elmer guessed the truth, and that their guide was gettingwhat Lil Artha would call "wabbly. " This was when he took them twice tothe same spot and then looked pained. 

"Up a stump, fellows, " chuckled Larry, who had perhaps himself felt alittle twinge of jealousy because a greenhorn had so suddenly leapedinto the front when older and more experienced scouts had been unable toscore. 

But Elmer was not at all dismayed. In fact, to tell the actual truth, hehad rather expected that the new beginner might find more or lesstrouble in carrying out his orders. 

"Getting mixed up some, are you, Number Eight?" he demanded, as Landyscratched his head and then tenderly caressed quite a good-sized lumpthey now saw he had on his forehead. 

"Well, I'm sorry to say, sir, I seem to be a little confused, " admittedthe fat boy; "but then perhaps that ain't to be wondered at if you knewjust how hard I bumped into that crooked tree yonder. "

"With your head?" asked Elmer. 

"Yes, sir, " replied Landy; "you see I was trying to hurry, when my footcaught in a vine and I went ker-slam right against that tree. Say, but Isaw ten million stars right then! and that's no exaggeration, sir. "

"Why do you say it was this tree, Number Eight?" the young disciple ofwoodcraft continued. 

"Well, it was impressed pretty forcibly on my head, and my mind, too, sir, " grinned Landy, "and perhaps, if you looked, you could find thedent I bet I made when I struck. "

Some of the boys snickered at this. Not so Elmer, who seemed to feel hehad quite a serious proposition on his hands, and that the others had aright to look to him to untangle the knot. 

"I'll soon find out, " he said, and then turning to the crowd he added:"keep back and give me a chance to see if Landy is right. "

"He's after the trail, that's what, " said one of the scouts, as they sawElmer advance to where the crooked tree pointed out by the fat recruitstood, and bend down at its base. 

Every eye remained glued on the young scout master. Not a word more wassaid, for they knew that explanation of Elmer's movements must be theright one. 

No sooner had Elmer dropped to his knees than he felt a thrill ofpleasure. 

"It's here, sure enough!" he muttered, as his eye discovered the tornturf where Landy's toes must have dragged when he fell. 

And with the knowledge of trailing which he possessed, it must surelyprove an easy task to follow those plain tracks. Landy knew nothing atall concerning the art of hiding a trail, and which the bearer of thewampum belt and his companion had tried their best to put into practicewith the idea of deceiving the pathfinder who came behind. 

When Landy put his foot down it was with considerable emphasis. Consequently, any one of the more experienced scouts would have beenequal to the task of following that trail backward. 

As Elmer moved away he made a swift, beckoning movement with his arm. This the boys interpreted as a command or invitation to "get a move on, "as Lil Artha put it, and follow after their leader. 

So the troop moved onward, and more than one fellow's teeth cametogether with a click as he grasped his cudgel tighter in his hand, andresolved to give a good account of himself should it become necessary todo something violent. 

True, the rules counseled peaceful victories; but there may be timeswhen it becomes absolutely necessary for Boy Scouts to show that theyhave good red blood in their veins. 

And most of those present were of the opinion that the present occasionpromised to be just such a crisis that called for strenuous treatment. 

Their companion, Nat Scott, had mysteriously disappeared, and they hadgood reason to believe that he had fallen into the hands of theseunknown men who made the vicinity of Munsey's mill their secretheadquarters. 

Why they should seize upon Nat, and what object they could have inholding him a prisoner, were questions no one could answer, as yet. Butthey meant to know, and that before long. 

Now and then some fellow would step aside without a word, and possesshimself of some attractive club that had caught his eye while passing. 

Evidently none of them had forgotten the injunction of their leader toarm themselves. And really it was strange how much comfort even a stoutwalking stick could give a fellow on an occasion of this sort, whenunseen and unknown perils hovered about them. 

Meanwhile Elmer stuck to his task. Indeed, it was an easy one for soexperienced a tracker and pathfinder, and he did not hurry along fastersimply because he wanted a little time to collect his own thoughts, anddecide what ought to be done. 

When Landy so obediently gave up his investigation, and sought to rejointhe balance of the troop when the bugle sounded, he managed to make whatproved to be a "bee line" through the woods. Even trees that were in theway could not stop him with impunity, as he had proven when he collidedwith that crooked one. 

This made Elmer's job still easier. And as he advanced farther into thewoods he marveled first at the rashness of Landy in wandering so faraway; and second at the ability he displayed in getting safely back tothe shore of the pond. 

Elmer was keeping one eye out ahead as he moved along. Of course heanticipated coming upon the concealed shack at any moment now. When hesaw an unusually large cluster of high bushes and undergrowth he feltpositive that he must be almost in touch with the place. 

What kind of reception might they expect? If these men, whom none ofthem had as yet even seen, turned out to be rascals who were hiding fromjustice, and who suspected them of being a posse sent out to round upthe tramp thieves, their manner of greeting might prove to be anythingbut friendly. 

Could they have one or more fierce dogs among them? Elmer had not seenthe first trace of a dog anywhere around, but this could hardly beaccepted as positive evidence that there were none. 

Frequently such men make it a point to possess canine companions. Andthese are invariably of some species fond of the spirit of battle. 

It was partly the expectation of running across such four-footed enemiesthat had influenced Elmer to have the boys arm themselves with clubs. Heknew what a power for good a stout cudgel may prove under suchconditions. 

Looking closely he had to confess that he could see no sign of lifeabout that clump of bushes. 

And yet the trail led directly from it; and as if to sweep away his lastremaining doubt he now discovered a second series of fresh tracksleading straight _toward_ the spot. 

Besides, here was a regular path, beaten down by many feet, and whichheaded in the quarter Elmer knew the big pond lay. 

That settled it. 

Elmer waited for the balance of the troop to come up. Everyone's gazewas fastened on him. Eyes flashed more brightly than usual, and some ofthe boys naturally showed their nervousness by the way they kept theircudgels moving. 

"Is that the place, Landy, where you saw the shack?" he demanded. 

Landy had known it was for more than a full minute past, but heremembered that a scout on duty must wait to be asked beforevolunteering any information. 

"Yes, sir, " he replied, "that is the place. "

"Spread out a little, fellows, " said Elmer, quietly, "and advanceslowly. Everyone be ready to give a good account of himself if they rushany dogs on us. Forward now!"

And silently the sixteen scouts, spread out somewhat like an open fan, started to advance upon the strange dense thicket in which Landy hadseen a shack. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

READING THE SIGNS. 

"Halt!"

At the command the scouts came to a stop. They had been graduallyconcentrating as they pushed forward, so that when this halt was madethey formed half a circle, and each fellow was almost touching elbowswith the next in line. 

Just before them, even though pretty well concealed by the foliage ofthe bushes, they could make out what appeared to be a rough shack. 

No other name would apply, for it was clumsily built out of odds andends of boards, secured at the mill, no doubt, together with sods, aheap of stones, some mud that had hardened until it resembled mortar;and, finally, a roof thatched with straw, much after the style the boyshad seen in pictures of foreign cottages in Switzerland, France, andItaly. 

"Say, " observed Red, who found it unusually hard to keep from expressinghis views, "I don't believe there are any kiyi dogs around here, fellows. "

"Don't seem like it, " remarked another, doubtless breathing a sigh ofrelief at the improved prospect. 

"Sure we'd have heard them give tongue, " observed Toby, advancing boldlyto look in through the opening at the side of the shack, and whichdoubtless served the purpose of a window. 

"Careful, Toby; go slow, " called out Elmer; for there could be notelling what sort of a storm the appearance of the boys in khaki mightraise within the shanty. 

An intense silence followed. Every fellow could feel his heart poundingagainst his ribs like a trip hammer, and he wondered whether the soundwere loud enough to betray his nervous frame of mind to his companions, never dreaming that they were all in the same box. 

A red squirrel in a tree overhead, that had been observing all thesedoings with round-eyed wonder, began to chatter and scold. A littlestriped chipmunk sat up on a neighboring stump and took note. 

"Nobody home, fellers, " called out Toby, after he had apparently staredin through that opening for more than a full minute. 

Some of the scouts looked relieved; others frowned as if disgusted. Thissort of thing might be all very well, but it did not seem to be takingthem any closer to the rescue of their comrade, or clearing up any ofthe dark fog of mystery that hung like a wet blanket between themselvesand the solution. 

Elmer immediately strode forward. By following the well-defined path hewas able to find himself at what was plainly the rude door of the shack. 

Upon this he knocked sharply. There came no answer, and even the keenestears among the scouts failed to catch the slightest sound following thissummons. 

"Try it once more, Elmer, " advised cautious Mark. 

Again the tattoo sounded, but as before it produced no results. So Elmeropened the door, which he saw had been fashioned in the rudest way fromboards, and hung upon strap hinges. 

As he pushed the door aside, every scout held his breath and gripped hisstick expectantly. But nothing happened. No string of rough men camebustling forth, demanding in coarse language what the boys meant bybothering them. 

It looked as though Toby must have struck the right key when he soconfidently declared there was nobody at home. 

So Elmer entered, with some of the bolder among the scouts at his heels. The balance contented themselves in pressing around the door and window, and taking it out in looking. 

Just as he had expected, Elmer found the interior of the shack prettygloomy. Under the best of conditions very little daylight could find away through such small openings, and these were now almost filled by thebodies of the curious scouts. But this was a matter easily remedied. Elmer had his matchsafe ready in his hands, and his first act was tostrike a light. 

As soon as the match flamed up he cast one quick look around theinterior. This assured him that there were certainly no low-browed mencrouching in the corners, and ready to hurl themselves upon the younginvaders. 

The next thing Elmer did was also a very natural move. He saw a candlein a bottle, standing on an upturned box, and stepping forward heapplied his match to the waiting wick. 

Then he looked around again. 

There could be no doubt about this shack having been recently used assleeping quarters by a number of men. 

Several heaps of straw told where they lay, and Elmer counted four ofthese. Then there were a few bits of old clothing hanging from nails, apair of heavy shoes, a frying pan, a kettle in which coffee might havebeen made, some broken bread, part of a ham, and some ears of corn; thislast possibly stolen from the field of some farmer. 

It looked like a tramp's paradise, but the puzzle was, what would trampsbe doing so far away from all customary sources of supply?

Elmer sniffed the atmosphere, which was both heavy and far frompleasant. And Lil Artha, who had pressed into the shack, hot upon theheels of his chief, took note of his significant action. 

"I should say yes, it's rank as all get out, " he remarked, holding hisnose between a finger and thumb. "Even beats that fishy smell we struckwhen we looked down into the cellar at the cottage. Whew!"

Others expressed themselves about as strongly, and little JasperMerriweather, who had unwisely pushed into the shack, found it necessaryto hurry out again, white of face and gasping. 

But Elmer had conceived an idea, even while suffering from theunpleasant odor of the place. 

"Howling cats!" exclaimed Lil Artha, "I don't see how you can stand it, Elmer. Talk to me about tramps, and the way they hate water, here's therank evidence of it. Wow, ain't I sorry for poor Nat if he's got toassociate with this hobo crowd for long!"

"But how do we know they're hoboes?" asked Elmer, turning on the tallscout. 

"Hey? What's that?" exclaimed Lil Artha, actually so surprised that heneglected to hold that firm grip on his nose any longer. 

"What makes you so sure they're tramps?" pursued the scout master. 

"Why, goodness gracious alive, Elmer, you don't mean to say you doubtthat now?" cried the tall boy, sweeping his hand around as though todraw attention to the various articles that seemed to stamp that theorya positive fact. 

"Seeing these things here is what makes me question that idea verymuch, " began Elmer; and then he picked up one of the old shoes, to holdit at arm's length. "Look at that, fellows; never made in this country, and you know it. Hobnails such as no one but foreigners use on theirshoes. "

"Well, I declare; I guess Elmer's right!" exclaimed Red. 

"He certainly is, suh, take my word foh it, " was the way Chatz expressedhimself. 

"Now look here, whoever saw a tramp's nest with anything like this init?" and Elmer picked up a string of beads, evidently a rosary, thatmust have been overlooked in a hasty flight. 

"Whew, that's going some!" ejaculated Phil Dale who, with his cousinLandy, happened to be in the shack eager to see all that went on. 

"Perhaps he can even tell us what brand of foreigners these fellowsare, " remarked Landy, who was beginning to look upon Elmer pretty muchin the light of a wizard. 

"Oh, that ought to be easy, fellows, " said the young scout master, as hereached up and took down a worn letter his quick eye had noticed stuckin a crack. 

Every eye was immediately focused on the scout master. They knew hisreasoning powers of old, and expected that Elmer would quickly put themon the right track now. 

Indeed, hardly had the latter glanced at the well-worn letter he heldthan he smiled. 

"What is it?" asked Red, impatiently. 

"Yes, tell us what you've found out, Elmer, " said Lil Artha. 

"Why, look here at the name. As near as I can make out it's GiuseppiCaroni, " replied the other. 

"Wow, that is plain enough!" exclaimed Red. 

"Sure Italiano, " echoed the tall scout. 

"Just as I thought, " replied Elmer. 

"But you can prove it, " remarked Chatz. 

"That's easy enough, " added Dr. Ted, "the thtamp ought to be enough, youthee. "

"And if it isn't, fellows, here's the postmark as plain asanything--Naples, Italy, " continued Elmer. 

"Naples, hey?" remarked Lil Artha. "Say, I was just reading about Naplesthe other day, and it said that next to the island of Sicily we get moreof our Black Hand crowd from there than any other part of Garibaldi'sold land. "

A gasp seemed to go the complete rounds of all the khaki-clad warriorswho thronged that mysterious little shack. 

"Black Hand, you say, Lil Artha?" exclaimed Red. 

"Yes, and anarchists, too; the kind that blow up the kings and queens ofthe Old World. The kind that abduct people so as to make their richrelatives whack up a big ransom. "

"Oh!"

Some of the boys looked a little timid, and glanced aroundapprehensively, as though they anticipated seeing a whole bunch offierce-looking dynamite users rise up around them. 

Others shut their teeth together harder than ever, and these moredetermined fellows, it might be noticed, tightened the grip they hadupon their sticks. 

All eyes were turned again upon Elmer, who had listened to these remarkswith an amused smile. 

"Hold on your horses, boys, " he said, raising his hand just then tostill the rising dispute. 

"Shut up, everybody; Elmer's got something more to tell us, " Lil Arthacried. 

The hubbub died away, and an eagerness to listen took its place; forevery one of them was anxious to pick up points concerning the cleverway their leader figured things out. 

It was an important part of a scout's duty to learn how to read signs, not only when following a trail, but at all times. 

And especially valuable would this qualification become when confrontedby a baffling mystery such as the Hickory Ridge troop was now upagainst. 

"Those who occupied this shack were four in number, " Elmer began. 

"How did you find that out?" asked Red. 

"By the various tracks. So far as I could see there were just fourseparate kinds leading up to this place, and each one different. "

"Hurrah! I tell you, fellows, that's the way to learn things. Elmerknows how to do it, " cried Lil Artha. 

Without even smiling at the implied compliment Elmer went on:

"Two of them wore shoes with hobnails just as you see on this oldcast-off shoe here. A third one had on American-made brogans, and Iexpect they hurt him some, too, because he was limping as he walked. Heis undoubtedly the chap who used to own these old foreign-madegun-boats. "

"Hold on a minute, please, Elmer, " pleaded Red. 

"All right. You want to ask me something, and I think I know what itis, " remarked the other. 

"You say this fellow's new shoes hurt him, and made him limp; pleasetell us how in the wide world you ever found that out?" Red continued. 

"Well, it might be possible that the fellow was always lame, but histracks show plainly that he limped. Something was wrong with his leftleg or foot, because the toe dug deeply into the ground. "

"Well, I declare is that dead-sure evidence, Elmer?" demanded theastounded tenderfoot, Landy, who was listening with all his might tothese intensely interesting facts as brought out by the scout master. 

"Try it yourself sometime, Landy, " remarked Elmer. "Pick out a nicepiece of ground where the marks will show plainly. Limp as naturally asyou can with the left leg. Then go back and examine the trail. You willfind that not only does the left foot dig deeper at the toe than theright one, but that same toe drags a little over the ground as you bringthe left foot forward each time. "

"Just listen to that, will you!" remarked Red, "but I know Elmer isright. I can grab the principle of the thing. "

"But how about the fourth one, Elmer; seems to me you've been holdingback something there, that you mean to spring on us, " said Lil Artha. 

"Well, I have, " remarked the other, quickly. "This fourth track wassmaller than the others, and the person also wore American-made shoes. "

"Ah, a boy, eh?" asked Red. 

The scout master shook his head. 

"Wrong that time, my boy. You'll have to guess again, I reckon, " hesaid. 

"Was it a woman, Elmer?" demanded Lil Artha. 

"Just what it was--an Italian woman, squatty like most of her race; andI should say between fifty-five and sixty years of age, " Elmer replied, soberly. 

CHAPTER IX. 

SETTING A TRAP. 

At that there arose new exclamations of wonder, as well as of disbelief. 

"Oh, come off, now, " remarked Red, quite forgetting in his amazement therespect supposed to be shown for an acting scout master, even though inthe private walks of life he might only be a fellow playmate; "you can'texpect us to swallow that, now, Elmer. "

"Do you mean about the woman's height, or her age?" asked the other, calmly. 

"Why--er--both I guess, " faltered Red, weakening as he saw the positivefront of the other. 

"Stop and think, did you ever see any other than a short, squatty womanamong the Italian laborers? And I reckon nobody else ever did. Theycarry heavy burdens on their heads, and people say that's one reasonthey're always dumpy, " Elmer began. 

"He's right, fellows, " broke out Landy; "why, I've seen a dago womancarrying a mattress, a stove and some chairs on her head all at the sametime. Gee, looked like a two-legged moving van:"

"But see here, you notice a shelf with a few things on it, some hairpinsamong the lot. It was built unusually low, so _she_ could reach it. Andwhat's this you see here, fellows? A piece of broken looking glassfastened to the wall. Notice how low down it is? No man ever used thatglass, you can depend on it; and the woman who did was surely small, wasn't she now?"

"A regular sawed-off, " assented Lil Artha, emphatically. 

"Elmer's sure proved his point there, fellows, " declared Red Huggins, grinning. 

"But what makes you think the woman is old, Elmer?" asked Landy, curiously. 

"That's so; how in the wide world could you know such a thing withoutever seeing her?" demanded Toby. 

"Nothing could be easier, fellows; see here!"

As Elmer spoke he reached out his hand and took something off the lowshelf. 

Those in the room crowded around, fairly wild to follow out the cleverdeduction of their young leader. 

"Why, it's a comb, " cried one. 

"Only an old broken comb, " echoed another, with a shade of uncertaintyin his voice. 

"What is there about that to tell you, Elmer?" queried Red, staringfirst at the article in question, and then at the smiling scout master. 

"I know, " burst out Matty just then. 

"Tell us, " pleaded several. 

"Yes, throw some light on the dark mystery, " added Lil Artha, "becauseto the untrained eye it's all as gloomy as the inside of my pocket. Acomb, and how to tell a woman's age from that! Well, I own up beat. "

"Why, it's as easy as falling off a log, or coming down in a smash whenyou're first learning how to fly, " Matty began. 

"Hey, don't you drag me into this thing, " spoke up Toby, whose manyexperiments as a new beginner in the science of aviation had usuallyended in his enjoying a disastrous tumble. 

"All you have to do is to examine the comb, " Matty went on. "Then you'llfind that it holds a few long hairs, and, fellows, just see how graythey are, will you?"

"Well, what d'ye think of that!" burst out Red. "And I guess we're a lotof chumps, fellows, not to have seen through it before. "

"Would a woman be among anarchists, Elmer?" demanded Toby. 

"Oh, I don't know, " came the reply. "Perhaps so, though not as a usualthing. But understand that I haven't said I agreed with you altogether, when you gave such a hard name to these people. "

"Then you don't count 'em as Black Hand kidnapers, who expect to raise abully good sum by holding our pard, Nat Scott, for ransom?" demandedRed. 

"I've seen nothing to tell me that's the way matters stand, " Elmercommenced saying, "and several things seem to say just the opposite. Thepresence of the woman, and her having such an article as this preciousstring of beads don't seem to go along with such a thing as a band ofrascals. "

"Yes, yes, go on, Elmer, " several called out. 

"We haven't found the slightest sign of a bomb factory here, or even abook teaching how to bring about a revolution. These things make mebelieve that these three men and a woman may not be such terribly hardcases after all. "

"But you believe they've got our chum, and are holding him a prisoner, don't you, Elmer?" asked Matty. 

"I do believe it, " Elmer went on. "In fact I know it, because if youlook back of that empty box yonder, which they use for a table, you'llfind a hat--Nat's hat, if I'm not mistaken. "

A rush was made for the box in question, and there followed a confusionof tongues, as half a dozen fellows tried to talk at once. 

"You found a hat, didn't you?" demanded Elmer. 

"We sure did, and here she is, " cried Red, holding up the article inquestion. 

"It looks like a scout's regulation hat?" Elmer remarked. 

"Which nobody could deny, " sang Lil Artha. 

"And as every scout present has his own hat on his head right now, itstands to reason this couldn't belong to any of us, eh, fellows?"

"To clinch the matter, Elmer, " observed Matty, "if you look inside thehat you'll find two little silver letters fastened there. The N. S. Stands for Nathaniel Scott. "

"Well, that point seems proved. Nat was here. Perhaps in wandering abouthe struck this place. But the indications are he was captured first, andbrought to this shack. "

"But, " said hasty Red, interrupting Elmer, "if you admit that theseItalians have made our pard a prisoner, how can you say they are not badmen, thieves wanted by the officers of the law, even if not anarchists?"

"Some things I can only guess at, without being able to explain myconviction. But, honestly, fellows, I hardly think these people are asbad as you make out. I know blackmail is practiced over in Italy a lot. And that one of the favorite ways to get money is to kidnap the son ordaughter of a rich man, and demand a heavy ransom. But in this case theywould hardly pick Nat Scott for a pigeon to be plucked. His father isonly a schoolmaster. There are others here who would seem to be moreattractive bait. "

"Hear, hear!" cried Lil Artha, casting a meaning look in the directionof Larry Billings, whose father, being a banker, was reckoned therichest man in all Hickory Ridge. 

"But ain't we wasting a heap of time here?" asked Red, impatient asalways to be doing something. 

"That's just what I was saying to Ted here, " declared Larry, whom themeaning glance of Lil Artha had plainly rendered uneasy. 

"You may think so, " remarked Elmer, "but this is a case of the morehaste the less speed. I reckon it's wise for us to make sure about thecharacter of these Italians before we go to chasing after them. They'rean excitable lot, you know, and we might bring on trouble that couldjust as well be avoided if we went slow. "

Matty looked at his leader sharply. 

"Say, see here, Elmer, " he remarked, "you know, or anyhow you've got apretty good hunch, who these people are?"

"Why, yes, Italians, " laughed the other. 

"Now, that ain't what I mean, " Matty went on. "No dodging, but own up. "

"You're wrong there, " Elmer said. "I don't know, and my suspicions sofar are founded on such slight evidence that I don't care to commitmyself before the whole of you--yet. "

"But from what you said just now, " Matty continued, "you don't seem toagree with the rest of us when we call these Italians anarchists. "

"Because there hasn't been a solitary thing to prove it. We pathfindersmust always discover some trace of the trail, or else we'd go astray. And I've owned up that I'm more than half inclined to believe thesepeople are not the bad lot you'd make out. "

"But they've got our chum a prisoner, " said Red. 

"Looks that way, " assented Elmer, cheerfully. 

"And honest men would never do a thing like that, " declared Red. 

"Oh, wouldn't they?" replied the other. "Perhaps now the shoe might beon the other foot. "

"Eh?"

"And perhaps these honest people might suspect that you three fellows inuniform represented the great United States army about to surroundthem, and make them prisoners because they had been occupying privateproperty here at Munsey's mill. "

The scouts looked at one another, astonished. Here was a theory thenwhich had never appealed to them before. 

"Well, I declare!" gasped Red. 

"Don't it just beat the Dutch how he gets on to all these things?" saidLil Artha. 

"But, Elmer, why take poor Nat a prisoner, bottle him up so he couldn'tcall for help, fetch him to this old shack, and finally carry him offwhen they light out!"

It was Matty who asked this question. Elmer smiled and shook his head. 

"I can figure out a lot of things, " he said, "just as I can read Indianwriting; but please don't expect me to tell you what people _think_. Ionly know that these Italians were surely frightened at the suddenappearance of three fellows in khaki, and that they probably took themfor soldiers. They must have had some idea in view when they capturedNat, and hustled him to this shack. Perhaps they only meant to hide hereuntil the rest of us had gone. "

"And they got more scared when you sounded that bugle, I reckon, "remarked Lil Artha. 

"Yes, and then the coming of another bunch of six scouts may have madethem believe the worst was about to happen, " Elmer continued. 

"Say, I thought I heard low voices when I was just going to peep in thatwindow there, and the bugle called me back to duty, " Landy spoke up. 

"Yes, " Elmer added; "and it may be the coming of Landy just finishedtheir panic. After he went away they must have vamosed the ranch in ahurry. "

"Well, all this is mighty interesting, sure, " declared Red, with anappreciative nod, "but it ain't bringing us any closer to finding ourchum Nat. "

"Yes, what's the programme, Elmer?" asked Chatz. "Do we take up thetrail right away, and try to follow these heah rascals to their newcamp? You can count on all of us, suh, to do the troop credit. "

"There may be another way, " remarked Elmer, who seemed to be ponderingover the matter. 

"Tell us about it, then, please. "

"Sometimes it's the best policy to hike after an enemy as fast as youcan put. Then again, there are other times when a whole lot can be wonjust by waiting for the enemy _to come to you_. "

"That's so, fellows, " declared Matty; "I see what Elmer means. He thinksthat if we hid out here, we'd be able to bag the whole blooming crowdsoon. "

"Sounds all right in theory, " admitted Red, "but for one I'd like toknow why Elmer believes that push will come back after a little. "

"I only feel pretty sure on one point, " explained the acting scoutmaster. "And that concerns the woman alone. "

"Meaning, I take it, that you think they'll send her back, the cowards, to find out whether the coast is clear, " ventured Red. 

"No, they will never have to send her back, fellows, " Elmer went on, positively. 

"Won't, eh?" remarked Lil Artha. 

"I firmly believe that once we withdraw from this same old shack thewoman will steal back of her own free will. "

"To get her precious old comb, mebbe, " sneered Red. 

"To recover something which I guess she values above ten thousandcombs, " and Elmer as he spoke held up the string of beads forming therosary. 

"In her hurry to get away she must have forgotten all about this. But Iwarrant you, fellows, she's discovered the loss by now. What follows?She makes up her mind that she's just _got_ to return and find it, if sobe we haven't taken it from that nail where it was hanging when we camein. "

"Good! You've got things down just pat, Elmer. And then what?" askedMatty. 

"I expect to hide near by while the rest of you go noisily away. Shecan't know how many came, and she'll think all have departed. Then, whenshe comes in I'll make her a prisoner. Perhaps they'll be glad toexchange Nat for their woman. Or else, if we can make her understandthat we're only toy soldiers, and mean the men no harm, she will lead usto their hide-out. "

The scouts were listening attentively, as they always did when Elmer wastalking. He possessed such a fund of interesting information that theyknew full well they could learn many useful things by trying to graspthe ideas he advanced. 

CHAPTER X. 

HOW THE TRAP WORKED. 

"There's only one thing about it that I object to on generalprinciples, " remarked Mark. 

"What's that?" asked Elmer. 

"You shouldn't think to stay here alone, " the other went on. "Perhapsone of the men might return with the woman--if she does come. "

"Yes, that's true; there is a chance, " Elmer admitted. 

"Well, you see how you'd be up against it then, " Mark went on, earnestly. "A savage Italian woman, who might have a knife along, wouldbe bad enough for one fellow to handle. "

"That's so, Mark. "

"And should there be a dago man along, why, I guess you'd just have tosit sucking your thumb and not making a move, " Mark continued. 

"I reckon I would, " laughed Elmer. "All of which means that you think Iought to pick out a couple of husky fellows to keep me company. "

"That's what I'd do. "

"And that you wouldn't mind being one of the same guards, eh, Mark?"

"I'd enjoy it all right, Elmer. "

"Well, I'm thinking that way myself now. You can hold over with me, then. I'll want another fellow, too. Let's see, " and he glanced at theeager faces by which he was surrounded: "oh, well, Lil Artha will be theother. "

"Oh, shucks!" grumbled Red, bitterly disappointed, because he dearlyloved action. 

"Matty, " said the acting scout master. 

"On deck, " replied the leader of the Beaver Patrol, saluting. 

"You might try and see how far you've gone in the art of following atrail. I don't believe these rough fellows know the first thing abouttrying to hide their tracks, so you oughtn't to have a great deal oftrouble. "

"Oh, I guess I'd be equal to the job so long as they keep down on thelow ground. But if they once start up the side of the hill, where it'sall rocky, I reckon my cake will be dough, then, Elmer. "

"Do your best, anyhow, Matty, " the scout master went on; "nobody can domore. But to tell you the truth, I believe the first chance lies here. "

"You really think, then, the woman will return?" queried Mark. 

"I am almost dead certain of it, " Elmer replied. "I've been among theItalians some in the colony they have on the outskirts of our town. AndI've studied them more or less. They seem a queer people to us, buttheir religion is a big part of their lives--at least that goes with thewomen part of the settlement. "

"I think you're right, Elmer, " remarked George, who had not spoken up tonow; "I happen to know a little about the Italians, too, because myfather employs a lot of 'em, you see. Wouldn't be surprised one bit ifshe sneaks back here to recover those beads. They mean a heap to her, fellows. "

Everybody stared to hear George talk like that, for as a rule he washard to convince; which fact, as has been stated before, had caused himto be known as "Doubting George. "

"Well, let's get busy, " suggested Red, who, if he could not hold over toassist Elmer, at least felt that the sooner he and the rest started onthe trail the better. 

"That's the stuff, " added Toby, also anxious to be doing something, hecared little what. 

"All right, " remarked Elmer, "and, as a first move, suppose you fellowsbegin to back out of here. Keep in a bunch outside. Mark, you and LilArtha watch for a chance to drop down in the bushes, and lie as quiet aschurch mice till I give the signal, which will be a whistle. Understand?"

"Sure, " replied Lil Artha, pausing in the doorway to watch Elmer hang upthe beads again on the nail where he had found them; "but why ought webe so particular about dropping out of sight, if you don't mind tellingus?"

"Well, it might be the woman has already returned, and is hidingsomewhere close by, waiting for the crowd to move. "

"That's so, " admitted Lil Artha. 

"And of course if she even suspected that any of us hung out shewouldn't try to enter the shack at all, " Elmer pursued. 

"Then we'll have to be mighty careful, Mark, how we do the greatvanishing act, " the tall scout remarked. 

"Wait till the boys happen to bunch around you, then just drop, and letthem go on. But Mark, as you will be the last one out, suppose you closethe door after you, just as if the shack were empty. "

"Are you expecting to hide behind that box, Elmer?" demanded his chum, pointing to the affair that had evidently served as a rude table. 

"Just what I am, " replied the other, promptly. 

"Oh, I see. "

And with one last look around, Mark advanced toward the exit, beyondwhich the scouts could be seen talking and gesturing as Matty looked forthe trail left when the Italians fled in such haste. 

Evidently it was Mark's idea to take a good mental impression of theinterior of the shack away with him. This would prove useful in casethere arose a sudden necessity for his presence, and that of Lil Artha, on the scene of action. 

When the last of his companions had gone, and the rough door of theshack was swung shut, Elmer hastened to softly move the big box alittle, so that it might suit his purpose better. 

He did not imagine that this would appear suspicious in the eyes of thewoman, should she return for her rosary, because it was to be expectedthat in a search of the cabin such changes were apt to take place. 

He could still hear the chatter of many voices outside, but they weregrowing fainter. Evidently Matty must have found the trail he wanted, showing where the four Italians, together with their prisoner, had leftthe concealed shack. 

So, knowing the value of time in an affair like this, Elmer hastened tocrawl behind the big box. 

Anyone entering the room could not see him, nor would his crouching formbe visible from the hole in the shack wall, intended as a window. 

At the same time Elmer had so contrived things that, by making use of anold bunch of straw which he allowed to hang over the edge of the table, he was easily able to keep watch upon both openings, the window and thedoor. 

Then he waited patiently for something to happen. 

Some minutes passed. 

Outside all seemed as quiet as a Sunday in Hickory Ridge. 

The sound of boyish voices had utterly died away, proving that Mattymust be showing considerable skill in leading his detachment along atrail. 

Indeed, once the presence of human beings no longer acted as adisturbing element, a little frisky red squirrel hopped up in the openwindow and peeped within the shack. 

Perhaps the little chap was more or less at home there. At any rateElmer was pleased to see him sit up on his haunches and begin to gnaw ata stray nut he had evidently discovered. 

To his mind the red squirrel was apt to serve in place of a vidette. Should anyone approach the shack now the little nut-cracker would givewarning by frisking away in sudden alarm. 

So the wide-awake scout finds opportunities to make use of the mostordinary and commonplace things to be met with in the woods. 

Everything may have a meaning, if only the scout possesses the key ofknowledge so necessary for the unlocking of the door. 

Not moving a finger Elmer simply awaited the turn of events. 

And not once did he doubt the outcome, so positive was he that hisreasoning must be correct. 

If the woman returned alone, he believed they ought to easily take herprisoner; but, on the other hand, should one or more of the menaccompany her, he must expect the conditions to be changed, and alterhis own plans in consequence. 

Two minutes must have gone by now. 

Elmer was not simply guessing this, or, as Lil Artha would say, "makinga blind stab at it. " He knew because, as he crouched there watching, hewas continually marking the flight of time by counting to himself. 

In imagination his gaze followed the swinging pendulum of the biggrandfather clock that stood in the hall of his home. 

"Tick, tick, tick!" he could see it go back and forth, each movementmarking the passing of another second of precious time. 

Ah! the squirrel had ceased to work at his nut now. He even gave signsof sudden alarm, as though his keen little ratlike ears had caught aforeign sound indicating the coming of a human being. 

And yet Elmer knew positively that he himself had not moved in theslightest degree, so that the squirrel's panic could not be laid at hisdoor. 

"I guess something's going to happen, " he thought, "unless either Markor Lil Artha showed themselves recklessly; and I don't believe they'd doit. "

He continued to watch his four-footed little sentinel perched up therein the apology for a window. 

Even as he looked the timid squirrel vanished as suddenly as it hadappeared. 

Elmer only silently chuckled, quite satisfied with the way things wereworking. 

And he somehow still continued to keep his eyes glued on that hole inthe wall, as though laboring under the impression that when the Italianwoman did come she would first of all appear in that particular quarter. 

And he was right. 

Even as he looked he discovered a suspicious movement in the gap. Thiswas brought about by the uplifting of a human hand, upon the fingers ofwhich he could count at least five broad rings without settings. 

Perhaps the owner of that hand was on her knees, and in this mannersought to rise up. 

Elmer, still looking, saw a head presently fill part of the crudewindow. 

It was a woman who stared in, there could be no questioning that fact. And so far as he could tell she seemed to be alone, for he neither sawnor heard any sign of a second party. 

Once he knew her burning gaze was fastened upon the bunch of straw whichhe had arranged so as to serve as a veil, back of which he mightcontinue to watch what was taking place. 

Elmer fairly held his breath, fearing that she might have discovered thelurker, or at least entertained suspicions regarding his presence there. 

But not so. 

Her eyes, having swept back and forth until they had fairly covered thewhole interior of the dimly lighted shack, seemed to be attracted towardone particular spot. 

This was where the string of beads hung from the nail driven into a log. 

It was the lodestone which had served to draw this woman once more intothe danger zone. 

And from that instant, if Elmer had allowed the slightest doubt to creepinto his mind before, it no longer found lodgment there. 

The woman was bound to enter in order to obtain possession of thatprecious string of beads. 

Once she thrust her head and shoulders through the opening and attemptedto clutch the rosary, but the effort was useless. 

"Now she is coming!"

Elmer whispered this to himself as he saw that the woman no longeroccupied the opening--she had undoubtedly started for the door. 

Yes, now he could see the closed door begin to quiver, as though eagerhands had started to open it. 

Elmer held his breath with eagerness, and all the while watched thedoor. 

Between his strong teeth the scout master held a little German silverwhistle, such as patrol leaders usually carry for signaling purposes. 

This he expected to sound when the time was ripe, and he had everyreason to believe that his two comrades would rush into the shack thevery instant they heard the call. 

Now the door was surely opening wider. Even in her hurry the Italianwoman did not forget the need of due caution when all these enemiesseemed to be hanging around. 

Her experiences across the ocean may have made her exceedingly illdisposed to trust anything that wore a uniform. 

Yes, the door had given way by now to admit a moving figure, and then itwas drawn shut again. 

Elmer smiled to see how closely his guess had come to the actual truth. The Italian woman was not only squatty, and "broad of beam, " as LilArtha would have put it, but, as Elmer had said, might be close on sixtyyears of age, for she had many wrinkles, and her hair was certainlygray. 

She left the door unfastened behind her. Elmer chuckled to himself underhis breath, for he saw that in doing this the woman had not only left away of speedy escape open for herself in case of necessity, but also afree passage for the scouts when the signal whistle blew. 

CHAPTER XI. 

RUN DOWN. 

Straight across the floor of the shack glided the woman. 

She was making a bee line for the string of beads with the little silvercross at the double end. 

And the hidden scout could hear the low words of musical Italian flowingfrom her lips when she reached out an eager hand to seize upon thesacred article. 

Now was his time. 

The critical moment had arrived when he must proceed to spring his trap. 

As silently as he could, then, Elmer arose to his feet. He was behindthe woman and could never bring himself to believe that he had made eventhe slightest sound when rising. 

Then the only explanation left was that the woman happened to be infront of the broken looking glass at the moment, bent on fastening thebeads about her thick neck. And if so, she must have discovered him ashe arose from behind the big box. 

At any rate she uttered a cry that to his mind was not unlike the snarlof a wild beast. He saw the almost savage look that came over herswarthy face, and knew that after all, such a woman was fully as much tobe feared as the stoutest ladrone. 

And so Elmer did not think it was unworthy of a true scout to send outthe call for help. 

The woman might be disposed to defy just one half-grown lad, whereas ifshe believed herself to be up against the whole troop she would submitwith the best grace she could command. 

And so he blew a shrill blast that must bring both Mark and Lil Arthadashing to the spot. 

The effect upon the woman was rather surprising. 

Perhaps Elmer might have expected seeing her cower down, seized with asudden overwhelming fear, but nothing of the kind occurred. 

To his surprise she snatched out a wicked-looking knife from the bosomof her dress. It looked to Elmer like a broken kitchen knife that hadbeen ground down to a point. With such a blade he remembered seeing theItalian women from the settlement just outside Hickory Ridge wanderingaround in the early spring, digging dandelion plants for "greens. "

He could hear the rush of approaching footsteps even as the woman sprangfor the door with a wild look on her face. 

The other two scouts had of course caught his shrill signal, and werehastening to join their leader. 

Undoubtedly both Mark and Lil Artha must have seen the woman, if notwhile she was looking in at the window, then when she turned the cornerof the hidden shack to enter by the door. 

And hence they would surely understand that there was no man opposed totheir combined force. 

The fact of the woman being armed with so terrible a weapon as a knife, and that look of grim determination on her dark face, alarmed Elmer. 

What if she attacked the two scouts--what if in her sudden panic shewounded either of his chums? There could be no telling what afear-crazed, ignorant woman, strong as an ox, and almost asirresponsible, might do in an emergency like this. 

Of course he would have only been too well pleased could he have shownthe woman that it was all a mistake, and that they meant her no ill. 

But with her brandishing that wicked-looking knife and leaping for thedoor, there was certainly no opportunity for argument. 

Elmer sprang forward. 

His main idea was to try and knock that blade from her grasp by strikingsharply on her arm or her knuckles. 

At the same time he thought to warn the other scouts, so that they mighttake due precautions when suddenly brought face to face with the Italianwoman who was running amuck. 

Perhaps when they heard him shout they would just naturally believe hewas being hard pressed. And in that case, instead of deterring them, hiscries would only further spur the others on. 

Nevertheless Elmer lifted his voice in warning:

"Look out, boys! She's got a knife, and is coming out at you! Take carethere!"

Just then something happened. 

The woman had not turned her head as Elmer thus gave tongue, as might ahound on the warm trail of the fox. 

She kept straight on. The door was before her, and while she had drawnit shut after entering, it has been mentioned before that she made noattempt to fasten the same. 

So now, when she hurled her whole weight against the barrier it flewoutward with a jump. 

As luck would have it, the two scouts had managed to reach the door atexactly the same time. And that second chanced to be the identical onewhen the frightened foreigner crashed into the door. 

There could only be one result, and that filled with bitterness and woeto both Lil Artha and Mark. As the uncouth door was thrown suddenlyoutward, as if forced by a battering ram from within, it struck thescouts a tremendous blow. 

They crumpled up and went over. A couple of ten-pins struck by a swiftlyhurled ball could hardly have collapsed more ingloriously than did LilArtha and his mate. 

Indeed, the long-legged scout seemed to perform a complete revolution inthe air, landing on his knees among the bushes. 

Two seconds later, when Elmer dashed out of the shack, this was theastonishing spectacle he saw--the woman running away as best her bulkallowed, casting glances that were half frightened, half triumphant, behind her; while Mark was sitting up, rubbing a bump on his foreheadruefully, and Lil Artha had taken out a handkerchief to dab at hisbleeding nose. 

Still, nothing short of an earthquake could ever bottle up the flow ofanimal spirits that usually possessed the lanky one. 

While he applied his handkerchief until it looked particularly gory, hewas bent upon giving expression to his views. 

"Wow! and again I say, wow! What cyclone was that we ran up against, Elmer? Did you let fly with that club of yours, or did the old shackjust take a notion to fall over on us? It felt like I was being kickedby an army mule. "

"Same here, Elmer, " lamented Mark, as he succeeded in struggling to hisfeet. 

"Well, it wasn't anything like that at all, " declared Elmer, hastily;"and if you take the trouble to look yonder, before your eyes begin toclose up, you'll see what hit you, running away like a scaredhippopotamus. "

"Glory be! Was it that dago woman?" yelled Lil Artha, now on his feetagain. 

"Yes, she burst the door open when she saw me, and as you chanced to bein the way, why, you got the benefit, that's all, " Elmer remarked. 

"Don't let her get away, fellows! Come on, who's afraid? We can coverthree feet to her one. Let's make her a prisoner, " shouted Lil Artha, whose usually even temper seemed to have been decidedly ruffled by hisrecent mishap. 

So the three scouts left the shack and began to rush after the fleeingItalian woman. 

Of course she knew immediately that she was being pursued. She tried toincrease her pace, but evidently with little success. Short, dumpypeople can never hope to compete with slim, long-legged greyhounds likeLil Artha. 

And so, almost from the start, the three scouts began to close in uponthe fleeing Italian woman. 

"Say, she's got a bloody old knife, " gasped Lil Artha, as they struggledon through the woods where the creeping vines and the underbrush, not tomention frequent logs and occasional woodchuck holes, made running adesperate business. 

"That's so, Elmer, " piped up Mark, "I saw her shake it at us then. "

"I know it, fellows, " said the scout master, "and that's what I wasshouting about, to warn you. "

"Are we gaining any, Elmer? I can't see just as well as I'd like, withthis thing up to my nose, " the lanky runner asked. 

"Pulling up on her fast, my boy, " came the reassuring answer. 

"And what're we goin' to do when she turns on us?" demanded Lil Artha. 

"First of all, surround her. "

"That sounds good as far as she goes. What next?"

"We must try and knock that nasty thing out of her hand by a sharp blowon the arm, " continued Elmer, who strangely enough seemed as cool as acucumber, while both of his companions showed the effect of the madpace. 

"I tumble to it, Elmer, " gasped Lil Artha, "and I'm the fellow to givethat lovely little tap. I made Red drop his stick seven times when wewere having a bout with long sticks, and which we pretended were theold-style quarterstaves. "

Even the long-legged Lil Artha must see now that the distance separatingthe pursuers from the fugitive had been greatly shortened. Another fiveminutes would see them overhaul the woman, unless something not down onthe bills came to pass. 

Five minutes--why there would surely be ample time to bring this resultabout, judging by the way they were covering two yards to her one. 

The woman knew it, too. 

She was becoming more and more anxious. This was shown by the way shekept turning her head from time to time as she ran. 

Elmer knew what was apt to happen. For himself he found that he hadneed of both his eyes with every step forward he took through thattangle, where trailing vines lay in wait to trip him up, and brancheshung low as if seeking to catch in his hair, to make him anotherAbsalom. 

Already had Lil Artha gone down with a thud, but as he said himself, his"dander" was aroused, and no little things like this could be allowed tointerfere with his pursuit. 

So he had hastily scrambled to his feet and followed at the heels of hismore fortunate chums, a sight calculated to excite wild laughter amongthe rest of the troop, with his blood-flecked face. 

At any rate Lil Artha was game to the backbone, and Elmer oftenremembered it afterward when "trying out" his scouts. 

The closer they drew to the fleeing woman the greater her fright seemedto become. 

Whenever he saw her looking backward over her shoulder Elmer would makepantomime gestures with his free hand. 

He was trying the best he knew how to tell her to give over this foolishflight, and that they had no hostile intentions. 

But the chances were she interpreted these movements just the other way, and believed he must be threatening her with all sorts of terriblethings unless she yielded herself a prisoner to their prowess. 

Well, no matter, it could hardly last more than another minute or so. Dowhat she would the woman must find it utterly impossible to get away. 

Already the active mind of the young scout master was busy, weaving aclever scheme by means of which they could surround the woman, and byattacking her all at once, succeed in knocking the shining knife out ofher hand. 

No doubt he would have succeeded in doing the job, too, had conditionscontinued to make such a move necessary. 

But they did not. 

The fickle hand of Fate came in between just in time to share in thematter. 

It seemed to Elmer that they were constantly getting into a more tangledmess of undergrowth. All around and ahead were traps calculated to slylycatch unwary feet and trip them up. 

Suddenly Elmer gave vent to a low gasping cry; but while Markinvoluntarily turned his head to learn if his companion had gone lame, to his surprise and gratification he found the other running as smoothlyand easily as ever, as though perfectly fresh. 

"The woman!" shrieked Lil Artha, who, apparently, from his position inthe rear had been enabled to see just what had happened. 

"Where--is--she?" gasped Mark, once more allowing his eyes to travelahead. 

For, apparently, the fleeing Italian had vanished at that instant, ascompletely as though the earth had opened and swallowed her up. 

"She's down--caught her foot in a root!" cried Elmer, not slackening hiswarm pace, for he wanted to make a quick job of the thing. 

Then Mark saw that some object was threshing the bushes furiously. Twicethe woman tried to rise, but on each occasion she fell back again. 

Then presently he gave a shout as he guessed the true situation. 

"She's caught fast in a vine, Elmer. Even the woods work with us! I tellyou she's a prisoner right now! All we've got to do is to tie herhands!"

"But look out for that dandelion knife, boys, " warned Elmer, as thethree of them reached the spot. 

CHAPTER XII. 

THE LANGUAGE OF SIGNS. 

It happened just as the boys had expected. While turning her head sooften to see how near these persistent pursuers were, the woman hadcaught her foot in a stout vine. 

She had been hurled to the ground with considerable force, butapparently received no serious injury. When she tried to regain herfeet, however, on each occasion the clinging vine refused to release itshold. As a consequence she went down again. 

Finally, as though realizing the uselessness of further strugglingagainst Fate, the woman stopped trying to get up. 

Having twisted around in some manner, she just sat there and stared atthe three boys in khaki. 

"Now she's wondering what we're going to do, " said Mark, as they stoodwith the woman between them. 

"Yes, she's frightened again, poor thing, " remarked Elmer. "I'm afraidit's these uniforms that have done it. She surely takes us for soldiers, and thinks we've come here just to arrest the whole bunch. "

"I'm glad of one thing, though, " said Lil Artha. 

"What might that be?" asked Elmer. 

"Looks like she must have dropped that fierce frog sticker when shefell, because you notice she hasn't got the old knife in her claws justnow. "

"That's right, " admitted Mark, cheerfully, for the fact naturallypleased him. 

"And here it is, right at my feet, " said Elmer, as he stooped and tooksomething from the ground. 

It was the knife which the Italian woman had flourished so recklessly. 

"My stars, what a savage-looking thing!" ejaculated Lil Artha, as hestared at the knife. 

"Well, it does look wicked for a fact, " remarked Elmer; "but after all, I reckon she's never done anything with it but cut dandelion greens, orelse prepared fish, " and he took occasion to bring the blade close tohis nose while speaking, only to make a face, as though the fishy odorthat clung to the steel might be far from pleasant. 

"Well, we've overhauled the lady; now whatever are we going to do withher?" demanded the tall scout. 

"I wonder if she understands English?" remarked Elmer. 

"Try her and see, " Mark suggested. 

The woman had been watching them keenly all this while. Her mannersuggested that she might be trying to read her fate more from theiractions than any words which they would let fall. 

Accordingly, Elmer stepped forward a pace. 

"No hurt, " he said, in the gentlest tone he could muster;"friends--boys--no soldiers. "

"She don't savvy worth a cent, Elmer, " said Lil Artha, in disgust. 

"And her eyes keep following your movements with the knife, as if shethought you meant to strike her, " observed Mark. 

Elmer himself saw that this was a fact. Plainly, then, the woman couldnot understand English, and in her present state of fright she seemedincapable of reading his reassuring gestures. What he meant to be a signof friendliness she interpreted as a symbol of hostility. 

"Seems to me we ought first of all to get her foot free from that nastytangle, " he remarked. 

"Sure, and I guess the only way to do it is to cut the plagued oldvine, " said Lil Artha. "But I guess I hadn't ought to run the thingdown, because it served us a mighty good turn just now. "

"Step in and cut the vine, Elmer, " suggested Mark. 

When, however, the young scout master had taken a step or two forward, knife in hand, the woman's fears were once more aroused. 

She threw herself forward, struggling violently to release her trappedfoot. But the vine proved as strong as a new clothesline, and heldtenaciously. 

"Good gracious, what a silly goose!" exclaimed Lil Artha, "when all wewant to do is to set her free. "

"But you see she don't look at it that way. The poor creature thinkswe're conspiring to turn the tables on her, just because she threatenedus with this knife. Here, hold it, Mark. "

Elmer handed over the knife to his chum at a moment when he saw that thewoman's eyes were fastened upon him. 

Then he held up both his hands as he smiled reassuringly. It was theuniversal "peace sign" known throughout the world. Hardly a savage tribein the heart of Darkest Africa but would recognize the meaning itexpressed. 

This time when he advanced the Italian woman did not struggle again. Shewatched him. Curiosity was overcoming fear. Perhaps she had even begunto realize that these dreadful soldiers did not present such a savagefront after all. 

So Elmer dropped down on his knees, at a point where he could come incontact with her imprisoned foot, and the wiry vine that gripped it. 

A brief examination convinced him that since she had turned aroundseveral times during her violent struggle to break away, the only meansof freeing the entrapped foot was to cut the vine. 

Of course that meant the knife again, and if he asked Mark to hand it tohim, possibly the foolish foreigner would have another fit of terror. 

So Elmer commenced to use tact again. 

First of all he commenced to work at the vine, the woman watching himeagerly. 

"No use, pardner, " remarked Lil Artha. "That thing is like steel bands, and the old woman has managed to tie herself up handsomely. Nothing buta knife, and a sharp one, too, will do the business. "

"I know it, " replied Elmer, quietly. "I'm only pretending to try and gether foot out just to make her understand that we want to help her. Nowjust watch me, and see how I manage. "

Presently, as if despairing of success, he ceased his labor. Then hepointed to the vine, and made several slashes across it with hisforefinger, after which he pointed to the knife Mark was holding out, and nodded his head. 

The woman was interested. 

"Go through it all again; she's beginning to understand, " said Mark, himself deeply interested in the success of this deaf and dumb method ofcommunication. 

"Well, of all the stupids going, give me one of these same dagoes, "grumbled Lil Artha. "Why, you make it plain enough for a Hottentot tograb, Elmer. But I'm beginning to hope she'll get on soon. Try her oncemore, pardner. You're the boss hand at wig-wagging. Give her the highsign, Elmer. "

Deliberately Elmer again pretended to cut the vine with his forefinger, then shook his head and afterward pointed to the knife. 

The woman's black eyes followed each movement, and evidently she beganto grasp the idea that he did not desire the weapon so as to injure, butto assist her. 

"Glory be!" ejaculated Lil Artha, who had been almost holding his breathwith suspense while all this pantomime business was going on, "look atthat, would you, fellows? A bright thought has managed to get a footholdin her brain. I bet you it needed a sledge hammer to pound it in. Say, she's beginning to smile at you, Elmer. You've won out. She believes youmean all right. Give him the toad-sticker, Mark, and let him get towork. "

Elmer knew that his actions would no longer be misconstrued. The Italianwoman understood. 

So he held out his hand and received the knife from Mark. The womanmoved uneasily, but the smile Elmer gave her was surely enough to disarmany lingering suspicion she may have entertained. 

Of course it was only a small job now to cut through the obstinate vineat a point where the greatest holding point lay. 

"There you are!" remarked Lil Artha, as the knife severed the laststrand. 

The woman got slowly to her feet. She folded her arms across her bosomwith what seemed to be an air of resignation. Yet Elmer knew that allthe while those sparkling black eyes were watching him intently. 

The woman had guessed that Elmer must be the leader of the threestrangers in uniform. Hence she looked to him for orders. 

"Well, what're we going to do with this pretty thing, now that we've gotit?" remarked Lil Artha. 

"I suppose, first of all, we ought to go back to the shack, " said Elmer. 

"You mean to hold her a prisoner, I take it?" asked Mark, who had theutmost faith in the acting scout master's ability to grasp thesituation. 

"That's about the only thing open to us, " Elmer replied. "Through thewoman perhaps we can get in touch with the three men who are holding NatScott a prisoner, and bring about his release. "

"I don't see how, " grumbled Lil Artha. "If you had all that troublegetting her to understand you only meant to cut the old vine, and nother foot off, how in the dickens d'ye expect to get her to know we don'tmean to do her bunch any harm?"

"Oh, there may be ways, " smiled Elmer. 

"But you don't speak Italiano, Elmer; that's dead sure, else you'd haveused it right now to tell her you only wanted to cut the vine, " LilArtha went on. 

"How about George?" remarked Elmer. 

"What! George Robbins?" asked the tall scout. 

"Why, yes, you remember he told us his father employs a large number ofthese foreigners, and unless I'm mistaken I think I remember hearingGeorge say he'd been picking up quite a lot of Italian words. "

"That sounds all to the good then, " declared Lil Artha, with enthusiasm. "Bully for George! His knowledge may be the key that's going to unlockthis old padlock for us. "

"Then let's get back to the shack. Fall in around the woman. That oughtto tell her what we want her to do. "

Elmer, as he spoke, took up his position alongside the prisoner, whileMark and the long-legged scout clapped their sticks to their rightshoulders as though parading arms. 

Then Elmer pointed backward in the direction they had just come from. 

"Go!" he said, impressively. 

Whether the prisoner understood the word, or judged from their actionswhat was required, Elmer could not say. All he cared for was the factthat when he started off she accompanied him, limping a little as thoughshe might have twisted her ankle somewhat in the violence of herstruggles, looking sullen rather than fearful now, and apparentlyresigned to her fate, whatever that might prove to be. 

There was no difficulty about reaching the abandoned shack again. AllElmer had to do was to follow the broad trail they had made when chasingafter the fleeing woman. 

They found no change when they presently drew up at the hidden retreat. Nor was there any sign of the other scouts, though once Elmer thought hedid hear loud and excited voices up on the side of the mountain, asthough Matty and his detachment might have found it necessary to leavethe lowlands, and were having troubles of their own. 

"Well, " remarked Lil Artha, as they arrived in front of the shack, "herewe are, all to the good, and right side up with care. The question is, what d'ye expect to do with the signorina, now that you've got her?"

"She must be kept a prisoner in the shanty until we can decide on ourcourse, and get George here, " replied Elmer, so readily that the othersunderstood how he must have his plan of action fully mapped out in hisown mind. 

"Let's see you usher her in, then, " chuckled the tall scout, just asthough he anticipated enjoying a treat when Elmer tried to "shoo" theItalian woman into the place. 

But it proved the easiest thing possible. When Elmer took her by the armand pointed to the open door the woman gave him one look, shook herselffree from his grasp, and hastened to vanish within the shack. 

"Easy as falling off a log, " declared Lil Artha, a shade ofdisappointment in his voice, for he had anticipated more or less of astruggle. 

Elmer quietly closed the door. 

"How are you going to fasten it?" asked Mark. 

"I wish that was the hardest nut I had to crack, " laughed the scoutmaster. "Fortunately the door opens outwardly. "

"Unfortunately, you mean, " echoed Mark, as he touched the painful lumpon his forehead. 

"I say yes to that, " grinned Lil Artha, whose nose had stopped bleedingby this time, but whose face was a sight to behold, being smeared withall manner of strange red marks that made him resemble an Apache Indianon the warpath. 

"As it does open outwardly, however, " Elmer went on saying, with asympathetic smile for the woes of his chums, "it ought to be easy enoughfor us to barricade the door. Look around, boys, and see if you can findseveral good stout sticks about three or four feet long. Even a smalltree trunk would be about what we want. "

"And I think I know where to find one, " said Lil Artha, hastening away, "because I took a header over it when we were chasing the dago woman. "

CHAPTER XIII. 

THE CALL OF THE WOLF. 

"That's the ticket, Lil Artha, " said Elmer, as the tall scout returnedpresently, bearing on his shoulder quite a good-sized log about fivefeet in length. 

"Reckon that ought to hold all right, " panted the burden bearer, as hecast the small tree trunk at Elmer's feet. 

"Fine and dandy, " commented Mark, beginning to get the barricade inposition. 

Of course the log had to be planted in such a way that it might secure agrip on the door. This meant that it must incline at an angle of morethan forty-five degrees. 

Elmer dug a little hole, first of all, at a certain distance from thedoor, after the length of the log had been tested. 

Then, with the help of his chums, he seated one end of the log firmly inthis. When the other end was allowed to slip down the face of the doorit rested about halfway. 

"No danger of that slipping loose if she tries to push out, " remarkedElmer. 

Mark gave several additional pulls downward at the upper end of the log, to make it still firmer. 

"I'll just wager, " he said, finally, "that nobody, man or woman, couldopen that door now from the inside. "

"How about the window?" asked Lil Artha. 

"You might manage to crawl through that small opening, but thatbroad-beamed woman, never, " declared the scout master, positively. 

"Then we've got our wild bird safely caged. "

"Looks like it, for the time being, anyhow, " was the way Elmer replied. 

"Say, see here, you don't seem to go very strong on the jail business. What's on your mind now, Elmer?" and Lil Artha confronted the other ashe spoke, lifting a reproachful finger at him. 

"Well, there's many a slip between the cup and the lip, you know. "

"Oh, rats! Get down to business, Elmer. What might happen to upset ourplans?" asked the tall scout. 

"One of the men might return. "

"And of course throw down the log and liberate our prisoner. But betweenyou and me and the lamp-post, Elmer, I don't believe that's going tohappen. 'Cause why? Well, it's my honest belief that this Italianowoman's got all the nerve there is in that crowd. The men are cowards. "

"I'm rather of the same opinion, Artha, " remarked Elmer. "And I'vethought that same thing more than once when watching some of them intheir settlement. "

"But how about your other reason, Elmer?" asked Lil Artha. "Suppose nowthe men don't come, what danger is there of her getting out? D'ye expectshe could burrow under the walls like we did once up at that old lumbercamp?"

"Perhaps. But I was thinking of another thing. Notice how poorly thisshack is put together? Why, if that Amazon got on the rampage and justtook a notion, I believe she could bring the whole business down inruins about her head. "

"Wow, I guess she could, Elmer!" remarked the tall boy, nodding hishead, "just like Samson did long ago when he yanked the temple down, andkicked the bucket himself, with all his enemies. But I don't think thisdull-witted creature's got sense enough for that; do you?"

"Perhaps not. I hope she won't, anyhow, because I mean to leave you andMark here to guard our prisoner while I'm gone, " said Elmer. 

"Oh, I see, you want to join the rest of the troop. Perhaps you've got ahunch they might be needing you about now?" Lil Artha observed. 

"One thing I know, and that is they've left the low ground and gone upthe side of the mountain. "

"I guessed that myself when I heard some of the fellers callin' upyonder. So it stands to reason they've lost the trail among the rocks, "Lil Artha went on. 

"I expect as much, " Elmer said, "and you know that since the men carriedNat Scott away with them we've just got to find them sooner or later. "

"But why d'ye suppose now they'd be so pesky mean as to climb the hill?"demanded the tall scout. 

"Oh, perhaps they guessed it would be harder for anyone to track them upthere, " Elmer answered. 

"Yes, that's so, " Mark put in; "or it might be they know of some finecave up yonder where they can hide. You often run across caves, big andlittle, on stony hills. "

Elmer seemed to agree with this suggestion, for he nodded his head afterMark had advanced it. 

"Do you think you can manage?" he asked. 

"Well, we'd be a pretty pair of scouts, wouldn't we now, if we failed tomake good on a job like this?" scoffed Lil Artha. 

He threw his staff over his shoulder, gun fashion, and began tramping upand down before the door of the hidden shack, just as though he were amilitary sentry on duty. 

"I guess you'll do all right, Lil Artha, " laughed Elmer. 

"Before you go, Elmer, " said Mark, "please tell us just why you believethese Italians haven't meant to hurt our chum Nat. "

"Well, I just seem to feel it in my bones, and that's about all I cansay, " returned the other. "I'm more convinced now than ever that it'sgoing to turn out only a silly mistake on their part. Perhaps they'vebeen doing something here that's against the law, and the sight of ouruniforms threw them into a panic. They've carried Nat off with them justso he couldn't give the alarm, and bring the rest down on 'em. "

"Counterfeiting, perhaps, " suggested Mark. "Seems to me I've heard thatthe Italians are pretty smart at that sort of thing. "

"Well, I don't imagine it's anything as serious as that, " Elmer replied. 

"Then tell us what you _do_ think, " demanded Lil Artha. 

"You _will_ force my hand, will you?" laughed Elmer. 

"It's only fair to tell us, " pleaded the tall scout. 

"Well, all right, seeing that I'm more than ever convinced I'm on theright track. Here, smell that, both of you and tell me what it remindsyou of. "

He thrust the queer, sharp-pointed knife that had been taken from thewoman into the hand of Lil Artha. 

That individual immediately raised it to his nose, took one good smell, and made a wry face. 

"Ugh! rank fishy odor, all right!" he declared. 

"Then look back a bit, Lil Artha, " Elmer continued. "Don't you rememberthat in the mill and cottage we discovered a strong fishy smell when wetried to investigate that underground place?"

"You're right, we did, " assented the tall scout; "it made me feel a bitsqueamish, too, for if there's one thing I can't stomach it's rank fish. Ugh!"

"I see what you're leading up to, Elmer, " announced Mark, briskly, "andI must say it looks as if there might be a whole lot of truth in it, too. "

"These Italians are often fishermen. A cousin of mine once told me thatalong the Gulf coast and around New Orleans the whole fishing industrylies in their hands, " Elmer went on. 

"Then you believe this bunch is getting fish out of Munsey mill pond, and selling them, perhaps over in Scarsdale?" said Mark. 

"They are netting fish illegally, I imagine, " Elmer answered. "Thatwould explain their alarm. Perhaps the game warden has been around andthreatened to have them hauled in if they didn't take warning. And eversince that time they've been on the nervous lookout. "

"Gee, I bet you now that's what it means, fellows!" declared Lil Artha, filled with new enthusiasm, as he grasped the startling idea advanced bythe scout master. 

"And I never saw so many big frogs as there are around here, " Elmer wenton. 

"That's because even the boys keep away from the haunted mill, " Markadded. 

"You know how frogs sell in the market, and how it would pay anybody tocatch a few hundred such jumboes as there are here, " Elmer remarked. 

"Well, it does take you to figure things out just, I must say, " laughedMark. 

"He's a wizard, that's what, " declared Lil Artha, whose admiration forhis leader was boundless. 

"Not at all, " smiled the other; "a little common sense was all that wasneeded. The strong odor of fish in that cellar put me on the trackfirst. You know there's an old saying to the effect that where there'ssmoke there must be fire. "

"And then this knife, too--like as not the woman does all the cleaningof the fish. I thought she reminded me of black bass or pickerel, Iwasn't sure which, " Lil Artha stated, with a chuckle. 

"But we've been around more or less, Elmer, " Mark put in, "and I don'tremember seeing any signs of fish cleaning, scales or anything. "

"Of course not, " came the quick reply. "If these people knew they werebreaking the law, and expected the game warden to pop in on them anyday, you can just believe they'd be mighty careful to hide all traces ofthis thing. "

"Perhaps they throw it all back in the pond for fish bait, " suggestedthe tall scout. 

"Not a bad idea, " commented Elmer. 

"And the cellar under the mill cottage?" asked Mark. 

"They might use that as a cool place to keep the fish until they can getthem to market, " Elmer replied. 

"That's a fact, seeing they have no ice to pack them in, " Lil Arthaobserved. "And the more I think of it all, the better it looks to me, fellows. "

"Then you believe my explanation may be the true answer to our chum'svanishing?"

"I sure do. "

"That they came upon him by accident, " Elmer went on, "and filled with asudden panic, just captured him to keep Nat from calling out, andbringing the rest of us around?"

"That's what they did, " Lil Artha affirmed. "And no matter how sorrythey might be afterward because they did it, they just can't drop himnow. "

"Then, since we've agreed on that point I don't see the need of myhanging around here any longer, " Elmer observed, drawing his belt onenotch tighter, as though preparing for new labors. 

"And your orders are just the same?" Mark asked. 

"Yes, you two keep guard over the shack, and don't let the prisoner getaway, if you can prevent it. "

"Depend on us, Elmer. And say, " Lil Artha remarked, "don't you think nowit would be a good thing to send George down here?"

"That's an idea worth while, " Elmer quickly replied. 

"Oh, I get 'em once in a long time, " grinned the other. 

"A good scheme, and I'll send George back as soon as I can. When hecomes, take him in to see the woman. Have him try and get her tounderstand that we mean her men no harm, and only want them to set ourchum free. "

"And then what? Supposing George is able to get that pounded into herhead?" asked Lil Artha. 

"Why, he must make her understand that we want to conduct an exchange ofprisoners. "

"By that, Elmer, " Mark broke in, "I suppose you mean well give the womanup if they let Nat go free?"

"That's it, " returned the leader. "And as she is the only one who knowstheir new hiding place, she must lead us to them. "

"That puts me wise, all right, " declared Lil Artha. "But get good oldGeorge here as soon as you can, Elmer. I'm just crazy to see if he knowshow to tell the old woman all this. "

"That's all, boys; I'll be going now. "

But although Elmer said this he continued to stand there immovable. Neither of his comrades thought it strange, for they, too, had caughtthe same sound that had reached his ears. 

It was evidently a pretty good imitation of the howl of a wolf. 

Now, as this was the signal call of Elmer's own patrol they knewimmediately that some scout belonging to that section of the HickoryRidge troop must be approaching, and took this customary method ofannouncing his coming. 

All eyes were accordingly turned toward that quarter from whence thenote of the wolf had seemed to come. 

This was a little up the side of the mountain. Elmer, thinking to givethe other his location, sent out an answering signal. 

"You're scaring the old woman again with your howls, " remarked LilArtha, pointing to the shack, at the small window of which they couldsee the face of the prisoner, filled with wonder and awe. 

Perhaps the Italian woman was beginning to suspect she had fallen intothe hands of a pack of crazy people. 

"There he comes!" suddenly announced Mark, pointing as he spoke. 

"Looks like Dr. Ted, " remarked Lil Artha. 

"Just who it is, " said Elmer. "I wish it had been George Robbins, now, because that would have saved time. No such luck, it seems, so we'lljust have to make the best of it. "

"But what d'ye suppose Ted's coming back after?" pursued the tall scout. 

"Help, " declared Mark, decisively. "You heard what Elmer said when heturned the troop over to Matty? If they found themselves up a stump theywere to let Elmer know, just so he could swing in somehow, and pull themout of the hole. "

"They're up against it, good and hard, bet you a cooky on it, " declaredLil Artha, as the other scout drew near. 

CHAPTER XIV. 

THE NEED OF A PATHFINDER. 

As Dr. Ted approached he made the scout salute in due regulation style. 

"You're wanted above, thir, " he said to the acting scout master. 

"By that I suppose you mean they've struck a snag?" questioned Elmer. 

"The rockth bothered Matty. Tho long ath they left a trail in the earthhe could follow it all right. But when it kept on athending it gottougher and tougher. Then he lotht it altogether, and thent me to fetchyou along, thir. "

"All right, I'll go with you, Number Three. You'll be interested to knowthat we've got a prisoner here in the old cabin, " remarked Elmer. 

Ted glanced that way, and caught sight of the face in the window. 

"The old Italian woman, eh?" he exclaimed. 

"Sure, " said Lil Artha, as proudly as though the honors of the capturebelonged exclusively to him. 

"Then she did come back for her beadth?"

"Yes. Tell you all about it on the way, for we must be moving now, Ted, "the scout master remarked. 

"All right. I'm with you, Elmer. Come on, then, " and, wheeling sharplyaround, Ted started to retrace his steps. 

So Mark and his long-legged comrade were left to guard the prison of theold Italian woman, while the other two scouts climbed the hill. 

"No uthe going over the trail we made, " remarked Ted. "It wound aroundand then climbth the hill. We could thee about where the cabin lay, andI made a bee line downhill for the thame. "

As they toiled upward Elmer, keeping his promise, related all that hadhappened in the neighborhood of the hidden shack. 

Ted seemed to enjoy the narrative very much indeed. He was particularlypleased with the account of where the old woman in her panic had burstthe door open, and upset both Mark and Lil Artha. 

"I wondered what happened to our friendth, " said Ted. "And if you hadn'tbeen in thuch a big hurry to cut out, I'd have tried fixing both thepoor fellowth up. Lil Artha lookth like a pirate chief, and ath forMark, you'd think hith brains might be breaking out. "

Elmer had no trouble at all in following the plain trail left by Tedwhen he came down from above. His practiced eye could easily see themarks on turf, leaf mold, or even where the other's heels with theirsteel nails had scraped along a slanting rock. 

"Tell me thome more about that, pleath, " said Ted, while they were stillclimbing. 

Nothing loath, for he really believed he had solved the secret of thewhole business, Elmer gave him the story, from his first faint suspicionupon looking down into the strange-smelling cellar of the mill house, upto his detecting such a strong odor of fish about the Italian woman, andparticularly the knife she carried. 

"That'th a bully good idea, all right, " said Ted, when the story wasfinished. 

"Do you think it sounds fishy?" laughed Elmer. 

"Yeth and no, " answered the other, immediately. "While it theemth to bea fish yarn, yet it ith all to the good. I really believe you've goneand figured it out, Elmer. And if that ith tho, it ith going to beanother big feather in your cap, don't you forget it. "

"We ought to be close to where you left the rest of the boys, by now, "suggested the scout master, desirous of changing the conversation, for, strange to say, Elmer never liked to hear himself praised. 

"I reckon we are, " replied Ted. "Suppothe you try your whistle, and give'em a call. "

So the patrol leader's whistle was brought into play again. Hardly hadit sounded than there came an answer from a point not far distant. 

"There they are!" cried Ted, pointing, "I thee Red waving hith hat touth right now. We'll join 'em in a jiffy, if the walking ith good. "

It proved to be decent enough for the two climbers to reach the spotwhere Matty and the rest of the troop awaited them. 

"I'm all in, Elmer, " admitted the leader of the Beaver Patrol, as hethrew up both hands in disgust. "Just as I said, it was all hunk till Istruck the rocks, and I've been up in the air ever since. "

"Yes, Matty has even hinted that he believes those Italians must havehad wings somewhere around here, and just flown away, " laughed Chatz. 

"Well, that wouldn't be so very queer, " declared Toby Jones, alwaysthinking of things touching on aviation. "It's a bully good place tomake a start, anyway, if a feller only had the wings. "

"Yes, and a gay old place to bring up on all the rocks down there. Andhow about our chum Nat; he never had any longing to soar through theair. But tell us what's doing, Elmer, " said Red, impatiently. 

"Oh, he's got lots to tell you, " declared Ted, with the air of a highlyfavored one who had been already taken into the great secret. 

Of course his words stirred the scouts as nothing else could have done. They crowded around and began to beg for particulars. 

"Where's Lil Artha?" one questioned. 

"And Mark?" exclaimed another. 

"Say, Elmer, did she come back, and step into the nice little trap youwere going to get ready?" asked a third scout, with intense interestaroused. 

When Elmer nodded his head they broke out into a rousing boyish cheer. 

"Tell us all about it, Elmer, " was flung at the scout master from allquarters. 

As this was Elmer's intention anyway he lost no time in briefly thoughforcibly describing all that had taken place down below. 

"And now I want George to go down with Ted, here, " Elmer went on, "andtry to engage the woman in conversation. Tell her, if you can, who andwhat we are, and the reason for our coming here in uniform. Tell her wemean them no harm, but that we want our chum set free. Do you follow me, George?"

"Of course I do, " came the ready answer. 

"You understand Italian, and talk it some, I've been told?" Elmer wenton. 

"Oh, yes, I can really converse with some Italian men. Don't know abouta woman, though. But I'll do my best to make her see things straight. "

"I like to hear you talk that way, George, " continued Elmer; "the truescout is always ready to do his best. And I think you're going to make afine addition to our troop before long. "

"After I've told her, what then?" asked George, who looked pleased athearing these words of praise from one he respected as highly as he didElmer. 

"Why, you must bring her along, and rejoin us. Lil Artha and Mark willaccompany you, because all ought to be in at the finish. You understand, don't you, George?"

"I sure do. Come on, Ted, show me the way down to the old shack. As wego along I'll be brushing up my Italian words so as to spring 'em on theold lady. This way, Ted. "

"And while you're jabbering with the woman, why, perhaps now I might beamuthing mythelf doctoring the noble woundth of our two chumth, "declared the fellow who was never so happy as when engaged in the workof a doctor. 

Why, some of the boys often called Ted "Sawbones, " because he gavehimself over, heart and soul, to his one great hobby. 

So the two of them vanished down the side of the hill. As their voicesdied away among the thickets Elmer turned his attention to the task offinding and following the trail of the Italians. 

"Show me where you saw it last, Matty, " he said. 

"Here you are, then, " came the reply; "that footprint is as plain asanything. "

"So it is, " remarked Elmer, after studying the mark briefly. "Our chummade that, I'm positive. "

"Then he must have done it on purpose, " said Matty, "because I'venoticed that one footprint right along. "

Elmer smiled. 

"Good for Nat, " he remarked. "If he don't dare use his voice and callout to us, he's doing everything in his power to show us the trail. That's what he's learned of scouting tactics. I'm glad he remembered. Itshows how much a fellow can learn. "

"That's right, " remarked Matty; "I see it all plain enough right now;but d'ye know the suspicion never did break in on me that these trackshad been made purposely, and by Nat? Why, I just had an idea one of thebunch was a little careless, that's all. "

"Well, you'll know better after this, Matty. But stand back, and let'ssee what luck I'll have, if so be you fellows haven't killed the trailby running around. "

They watched his actions eagerly, each fellow bent on learning all hecould of the science that was already proving to be so interesting. 

First of all Elmer took a comprehensive survey of the ground above; foreveryone understood that those they were tracking must be aiming toreach some cave or crevice farther up the slope. 

Then, having settled in his mind about where the fugitives might beaiming for, the scout master began to look for marks on the rocks. 

For a little while he found it very hard work, indeed, but afterreaching the limits of the search maintained by Matty and those withhim, the task became considerably easier. 

And mindful of his position as acting scout master to the troop duringthe temporary absence of Mr. Garrabrant, Elmer made it a point toexplain more or less as he went along. 

"See, here is where one of the men slipped on this rock, and left a newscratch. And this shows where another broke a twig off this branch inpassing. You can see it has been freshly done, because the green leavesdo not show much sign of wilting. "

In this fashion, then, he not only intensely interested his followers, but continued to make progress all the while. 

Most of the boys were eager to get points on such an engaging subject astrail finding. These hung upon his every word, examined the marks towhich Elmer drew their attention, commented upon the same amongthemselves, and several even went so far as to take out memorandum booksin which they hastily scribbled such notes as would enable them toremember. 

All the while they were climbing higher, and by degrees found themselvesin a wilder section than any of them had dreamed existed so near theirhome town of Hickory Ridge. 

"Looks like there might be a few caves around such a place as this, "remarked Red, as he wiped his face with the red bandana handkerchiefwhich he had hung cowboy fashion around his neck, with the knot at theback. 

"Oh, that's a dead-sure thing, " replied Ty, who happened to be close athis elbow at the time. "Fact is, I've seen several myself. Anyhow, theywere dark, ugly looking holes between big rocks, and if this was a gamecountry I'd say they might be bear dens or the homes of wolves. "

All this sort of talk tended to key the anticipations of the boys up toa point where they were expecting almost anything to happen. 

Elmer paid no attention to side issues. There might be a dozen likelylooking hiding places along the route, but they did not interest him aniota so long as that faintly marked trail continued. 

He had about all he cared to do, moving from one spot where a stone hadbeen freshly dislodged to another point at which the moss and lichen hadbeen torn from a sloping rock by a foot that accidentally or purposelyslipped. 

There were possibly some little indications, which to his mind told thatthey might now be drawing near the place where the panic-strickenItalians were hiding. If so, Elmer did not confide this to hiscompanions, perhaps because he might not himself be so very sure, butmore probably on account of not wishing to waste more or less precioustime in explaining on what vague grounds he founded his theory. 

The trees still grew around them, springing out of spaces between therocks. They were more stunted than those in the great forest thatcovered the richer bottom lands, but as a rule they served as a canopyoverhead, and only occasional glimpses could be obtained of the countrybeyond. 

By this time some of the scouts had begun to feel the effect of theclimb, for there is nothing more fatiguing than ascending a steep hill. 

Still they proved their grit by keeping on, as if determined to stick itout. 

Even fat Landy Smith, while actually panting for breath, and mopping hisforehead with a damp handkerchief, stubbornly declined to own himselfin the "has been" class, as Red called it. 

They were moving along what seemed to be a little plateau, at the end ofwhich arose a cliff seamed with numerous cracks and scars. 

Elmer had smiled when he cast a glance toward the rocky wall, just as ifhe could scent the end of the trail close at hand. 

But he was already halfway across the level territory, with the scoutsscattered back of him, when without the least warning there suddenlysounded a shot that seemed to come from somewhere ahead; and the reportgave each scout a strange chill in the region of his heart. 

CHAPTER XV. 

RESCUED--CONCLUSION. 

"Scatter, and hide!"

It was Elmer who shouted this order. He had not heard any sound as of abullet passing, and did not know but that the shot had been fired simplyfor the purpose of a warning. 

Still, there was no need of their taking chances. And as he gave thecommand, Elmer was one of the first to seek the shelter of a near-byrock. 

Immediately the valiant scouts scurried around, each eagerly desirous offinding some sort of snug retreat. 

No further shots came, much to the satisfaction of the boys, and insideof half a minute not a figure was to be seen upon the little plateau. 

It chanced that Red had selected the same rock as Elmer picked out, behind which to crouch. 

And of course Red could not long remain silent, since his overchargedfeelings just had to find a vent. 

"Whew, this is what I call warm!" he said, puffing. 

"Do you mean the weather, or the fact that we have been under fire?"asked Elmer, who was looking out from his end of the rock, and trying tosize the situation up. 

"Oh, well, I guess both of 'em would pass muster, all right, " Red wenton. "You don't think any fellow got hurt, do you, Elmer?"

"Not any. Fact is, " continued the scout master, "I've a pretty goodhunch the shot was not fired at us, but into the air, warning us to keepoff or we might get hurt. "

"The ginnies fired it, of course, Elmer?"

"I'm sure of that. "

"And we've cornered the bunch at last, hey? You did the trick, Elmer. Trust you for following even half a trail blindfolded. But say, do youknow where they're holding the fort?"

"I've got something of an idea, " replied Elmer. "If you look up the faceof the cliff, Red, you'll notice a bunch of green stuff growing. I thinkthere must be a shelf of rock there, and perhaps a cave back of it. "

"But what makes you think that, Elmer?"

"Because I saw the powder smoke puff out from those little bushes whenthe report sounded, " replied Elmer. 

"But my stars! that's all of fifty feet up. How d'ye suppose thosedagoes could get up there?" continued the one who sought information. 

"Oh, that would just as likely as not turn out to be easy enough, onceyou got started. Perhaps there's some sort of path leading up the faceof the cliff, and which we just can't see from here. "

"What're we going to do, Elmer?"

"Nothing--just now, anyway. "

"Just sit on our haunches, and wait for our birds to drop into ourhands, eh?" pursued Red. 

"Oh, perhaps we may have to fight for it in the end, but I'm hoping foran easier wind up to the affair, " Elmer continued, musingly. 

"You think the old woman may help out?"

"I know she will, if George can only succeed in convincing her thatwe're friends, not enemies. "

"Then we're waiting till they arrive?" asked Red. 

"I'm going to give the signal for retiring as soon as the boys get theirbreath back, " remarked the scout master. 

"Well, they might be in better places, because the sun feels scorchingto me right now, " grumbled Red. 

"Then pick out your new roost, and be ready to migrate as soon as youhear the whistle. Pass the word along, too, Red. "

Presently it was understood that when the scout master gave the signalevery fellow was expected to crawl or dart away, seeking through one wayor another to get out of the fire zone. 

"I hope George has succeeded in explaining everything to the woman bynow, " remarked Red. 

"I'm sure he has, and that the whole of them are even now on the wayhere to wind up this business, " Elmer declared most confidently. 

When ten minutes had gone by, and he felt sure that all of the scoutsknew what they were expected to do, Elmer took out his whistle. 

Then the shrill notes sounded, cutting the air as though charged withirresistible force. 

Immediately everybody got busy. Khaki-clad figures could be seen dartingthis way and that, but none of them made any attempt to advance. Thissort of move might be expected to anger the Italians, without doing anygood, and the scouts had been warned against it. 

There came no second discharge of firearms, and from this fact it seemedevident that the unseen enemy understood that there was nothing hostileconnected with this action on the part of the scouts. 

Again did Red and Elmer find themselves good neighbors as they arrivedat a pile of rocks, behind which they sought shelter. 

"All safe?" asked the former. 

"Yes, as far as I know, " came the answer. "Landy fell all over himself, and started to roll downhill, but one of the other fellows pulled himup. He was limping to beat the band, but I hope it's nothing serious. "

"No danger, " chuckled Red. "Landy is too well padded to suffer much froma fall. Now do we just wait here till the others fetch the lady?"

"That's a part of the contract, " said Elmer; "so just make yourself ascomfy as you can. "

"And watch the big rock there, eh, Elmer?"

"Oh, if you want. We would feel pretty cheap if they took a sly sneak, and left us in the lurch. "

Elmer settled down as though he thought there was no use borrowingtrouble. And seeing their leader take things in such a matter-of-factway the balance of the scouts followed suit. 

Confidence thus begets confidence in others; and this in itself was oneof Elmer's reasons for acting as he did. 

The minutes passed. 

Several times did impatient Red get up on his knees to take a look downthe hill. 

"Shucks! but they're a long time coming, " he mumbled. "Perhaps, afterall, the old woman was too sharp for the bunch--perhaps she's tucked 'emaway in the cabin--turning the tables on our four chums--perhaps, now----"

Right there Red stopped in his predictions of evil. 

"There they come, " said Elmer, quietly. 

One hasty look satisfied Red that his comrade spoke only the truth. Moving figures caught his eye just a little way down the slope. 

These presently developed into four boys, three of whom were clad inkhaki. The other, who was, of course, George, the interpreter, keptclose at the side of the Italian woman. 

Now and then she seemed to address some remark to George, which hedoubtless answered to the best of his ability. When his vocabularyproved unequal to the task he would finish with a series of gesturesand shrugs as he had seen chattering Italians do. 

And presently they reached the spot where the balance of the scouts heldforth. 

The woman surveyed them as she came up, but Elmer noticed that she didnot seem afraid now. 

"I guess you've done the business, George, " he remarked to the newrecruit. 

"Well, " replied the other, with a broad grin, "that's what I thinkmyself, Elmer. "

"She understands now who we are, and that we haven't any intention ofdoing her men any harm--you explained all that?"

"Sure. And you can see now that instead of looking scared, she's readyto grin if you give her any encouragement, " replied George. 

"And she knows that we want her to go out with us and have a talk withher old man, telling him what a fool he's been making of himself. Sheunderstands all that, does she?"

"Like a book, and is ready to do the trick. We'll have our Nat back inshort order, now, " George continued, looking proud and happy because hehad been able to prove of such valuable assistance to his fellow scouts, even before he got his uniform. 

"All right, then. The sooner we start the ball rolling the better. Comealong, George. "

Presently the two of them were escorting the Italian woman toward thefoot of the cliff. 

When two thirds of the way there an angry, excitable voice stoppedthem. On looking up they could see several heads topping the sparsevegetation that undoubtedly grew along a ledge. 

"Now, tell her to talk, George!" said Elmer. 

There was hardly any need, for the woman had broken loose on her ownaccount. And such chattering as followed--Lil Artha afterward declaredit reminded him of a monkey cage when one of the inmates had taken morethan his share of the dinner provided. 

But the woman did most of the talking. She also scolded, stamped herfoot, and even shook her fist up at those above. 

Evidently her arguments must have had a convincing ring about them, forsuddenly she turned to George and smiled amiably as she said something, and made a suggestive movement of both shoulders. 

"It's all right, Elmer, " declared George. 

"Are they going to do what we want?" asked the scout master, greatlypleased. 

"Sure. And I reckon there he comes now. One of the men seems to behelping Nat down the path that runs along the face of the rock. Bully!We win out!"

A loud cheer from the scouts told how they were enjoying the situation. 

Nat Scott waved his hand to them in greeting, for, having lost his hatat the shack, he was bareheaded. 

The Italian was still a little suspicious, for he would come only twothirds of the way down. But Nat easily made the balance, and was soonshaking hands with everyone of his mates, just as though he had beenseparated from them for a week. 

Leaving the woman to rejoin her people the scouts made their way downthe side of the mountain until they reached the mill pond. 

Nat's story was brief, and just about what Elmer had guessed. Inprowling around he had unexpectedly come upon the three men. 

They had seized upon him and threatened him with their knives if he somuch as gave a yell. He had been kept for a short time in the shack. Then Landy's prowling around seemed to fill the Italians with a newalarm, and the three men, together with the woman, had hastily fled. 

On the way up the mountain the woman had discovered the loss ofsomething, and gone back. 

Then the men forced him to hurry along, and finally landed him on thatsecret ledge where he believed there was some sort of cave. 

That was all Nat knew, and the whole thing smacked strongly of mysteryuntil he heard what Elmer's theory was. 

"Anyhow, " Nat said, with considerable satisfaction in his voice andmanner, "they didn't scare me one little bit. And besides, Elmer, inlots of places I went and made plain marks that I just knew you couldread any old time. "

"That stamps you a true-blue scout, Nat, " declared Elmer, "and I thinkthe troop has reason to be proud of you. "

"Three cheers for Comrade Nat Scott, " suggested impulsive Red; and theywere given with such a vim that many of the big bullfrogs along thefarther bank jumped into the mill pond in great alarm. 

As their main object had been carried out while on the way to thehaunted mill, and there was no further reason for lingering after theyhad eaten the "snack" carried along for this purpose, the Hickory Ridgetroop of scouts took up the homeward march. 

After talking it all over among themselves it was decided that theirduty compelled them to give the game and fish warden a hint as to whatwas probably going on up at Munsey's mill. 

He went there with a deputy two days later, but the Italians had takenwarning and fled. However, the warden found and destroyed several netswith which the fish poachers had been illegally gathering the finnyprizes in the long-deserted pond. 

There was one disappointed scout in the troop however, and this wasChatz Maxfield. 

He always would feel as though he had missed the opportunity of his lifein spending some time at a haunted mill which was supposed to support agood lively ghost, and never once chancing to come upon the hobgoblin. 

However, Chatz would continue to live in hope. 

At any rate, everyone was positive that he had learned a host ofvaluable things calculated to make him take higher rank as a woodsman, and a true scout. And no doubt in the annals of the Hickory Ridge BoyScouts that little hike to Munsey's mill would always be read andre-read with the keenest interest, and take rank with the greatest oftheir achievements. 

THE END. 

ADDENDA

BOY SCOUT NATURE LORE

 BOY SCOUT NATURE LORE TO BE FOUND IN THE HICKORY RIDGE BOY SCOUT SERIES. 

 Wild Animals of the United States } Tracking } in Number I. 

 THE CAMPFIRES OF THE WOLF PATROL. 

 Trees and Wild Flowers of the United States in Number II. 

 WOODCRAFT, OR HOW A PATROL LEADER MADE GOOD. 

 Reptiles of the United States in Number III. 

 PATHFINDER, OR THE MISSING TENDERFOOT. 

 Fishes of the United States in Number IV. 

 FAST NINE, OR A CHALLENGE FROM FAIRFIELD. 

 Insects of the United States in Number V. 

 GREAT HIKE, OR THE PRIDE OF THE KHAKI TROOP. 

 Birds of the United States in Number VI. 

 ENDURANCE TEST, OR HOW CLEAR GRIT WON THE DAY. 

THE REPTILES OF THE UNITED STATES. 

The reptiles are a class of vertebrate animals. By vertebrate animals ismeant those having a backbone. Reptiles are cold-blooded animals havingscaly skins, and breathing by lungs and not by gills as do the fish. Strange as it may seem they are related to the birds. In prehistorictimes they were of enormous size and many of them were capable offlying. Fossil forms of reptiles are very numerous and scientists havegiven these fossil forms such sonorous names as Dinosaurs, Ichthyosaurs, Plesiosaurs and Pterosaurs. These names are made up of Greek wordsmeaning terrible lizards, fish lizards, near lizards and winged lizards. 

The class of reptiles is made up of five orders:

 Sphenodons; Lacertilia; Ophidia; Chelonia; Crocodilia. 

Of the Sphenodons, there is but one living representative. Its home isin New Zealand. Zoologists tell us that this reptile is more closelyrelated to its fossil cousins than any other now in existence. Since weare considering only those reptiles which an American boy may findliving in their natural haunts in his home land, discussion of theSphenodon is out of place in this article. We recommend, however, thatyou read up about this curious creature that links the giganticprehistoric lizards with the little creatures of to-day's world. 

[Illustration: PTEROSAURS. ]

THE LIZARDS

THE LACERTILIA OR LIZARDS. 

 [Illustration: LIZARDS. 1. ZEBRA-TAILED LIZARD. 2. PACIFIC SWIFT. 3. COLLARED LIZARD. 4. WHITE-BELLIED SWIFT. 5. COMMON SWIFT OR FENCE LIZARD. ]

Lizards differ from snakes in that the right and left halves of thelower jaw are joined together by bone instead of elastic ligament and inthat they have legs and eyelids. They are found in the warmer climates. Most of them live on insects, but some types as, for instance, theIguanas, live entirely on vegetable matter, while others prey on birds, mice, frogs, etc. 

THE GECKOS. 

The Geckos form a large sub-order of lizards. Their chief characteristicis their adhesive toes, which enable them to cling to and run onsmoothest surfaces even when upside down. They do not like the hotsunlight and largely feed at twilight and at night. The Reef Gecko isfound in Florida; the Warty Gecko, so called on account of the rows oflarge wart-like scales on its back and sides, inhabits Lower California;the Cape Gecko, Lower California; the Banded Gecko, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. The latter is the most gaudily marked of theGeckos found in the United States and is likewise the most abundant. Itmay be seen at dusk coming out of rock crevices to feed on smallinsects. Many consider this lizard poisonous and its saliva is supposedto produce painful skin eruptions. Authorities, however, tell us thatthis is not so. The first three Geckos mentioned live largely in trees, but the Banded Gecko lives on or near the ground. 

THE CHAMELEONS. 

The American Chameleons are not true chameleons, but belong to the samefamily as the Iguana. They have come to be known as Chameleons because, like the rightful owners of that name, they change the color of theirbodies. This change is occasioned by the differences of temperature andlight. One species is found in the United States and is known undervarious names, such as the green lizard, the fence lizard and thealligator lizard. It is called alligator lizard from its resemblance toa young alligator. This lizard is found in the southeastern UnitedStates from North Carolina to Florida. The common colors of the AmericanChameleon or the Anolis, which is its scientific name, are brown andgreen. These colors vary with conditions. When asleep, for instance, this little reptile is green above and white below, and when fighting orfrightened it becomes green; at other times it is brown. Raymond L. Ditmars, Curator of Reptiles in the New York Zoological Park, says thatin collecting these lizards and placing them in wire-covered boxes, hehas "always noted their change from various hues, prior to capture, to ascrambling collection of several dozen emerald-green lizards. If thegauze cage be laid down for half an hour or so while the collectorrests, the lizards soon take on a brownish tinge, but as soon as the boxis again carried about and the occupants are shaken up and frightened, the brilliant color appears among them all. " He further says that "thereis no relation or influence between the lizard's colors and itssurroundings. The change of color is brought about principally throughtemperature and light and their influences on the creature's activity;also by anger, fear and sleep. "

The Anolis stalks its prey like a cat does a mouse. It crouches andcreeps forward for the final spring with motions that are exactlysimilar. It lives in trees and feeds upon insects. These littlecreatures make interesting pets and will soon learn to take their foodfrom your hand. The proper quarters for it is a wire-covered fernerywhich should be placed in a warm but moist situation and the foliagedaily sprinkled with water. The Anolis is a great water drinker and willfind the drops adhering to the leaves of the plants. 

THE IGUANAS. 

There are but few species of Iguanas found in the United States andthese only in the southwestern part. They are large in size and have acrest of spiny scales running along the neck and back. They use theirtails as weapons of offense and defense. The Cape Iguana is a speciesfound only in Lower California. The tail is ringed with large spines. The Black Iguana is found in southern Arizona. It is a great fighterwhen at bay and is then no mean antagonist. It does not invite a fight, however, but will run if there is any chance of escape. Both of theseIguanas reach about four feet in length. They have large appetites andeat both animal and vegetable matter--birds, small animals and tendervegetation. In central and southern America their flesh is prized as afood and it is said to have the flavor of chicken. They live part of thetime in trees and part of the time on the ground. The Desert Iguana, however, is terrestrial. It is found in the desert parts of thesouthwestern United States--in Colorado, California, Arizona and Nevada. It is largely vegetarian. The tail is brittle, and to free itself whenheld by it, this creature will easily and readily snap it off. 

[Illustration: IGUANA. ]

THE CHUCKAWALLA. 

There is only one of these that is fairly common in the United Statesand that is found in the deserts of the southwest. It is the largestlizard found there except the Gila Monster which will be describedlater. The body of the Chuckawalla is broad and the legs short. Itslength averages about a foot. It lives mostly among the rocks of thedeserts. 

THE COLLARED LIZARD. 

This lizard is so called on account of the markings of the neck, whichhave the appearance of a double black collar. The throat is an orangecolor. It is one of the most gayly colored of the small lizards. It isquite common in the dry and stony parts of the western states and inwestern Texas is very abundant. It is a great eater and is not afraid tofight for its dinner. One peculiarity of this lizard is its ability torun on its hind legs. It will gulp and bolt food as large as itself. 

THE LEOPARD LIZARD. 

In color it is yellow, spotted with dark spots and lined across the backwith dull red lines. Its habitat includes Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. 

THE ZEBRA-TAILED LIZARDS. 

These are small ground lizards found from Texas to California, especially in the dry sections. They run with great rapidity with thetail curved upward, which exposes the markings of the lower surface. Frequently they run like the Collared Lizard, on the hind feet. Theblack-and-white tail markings account for their name. 

THE SPOTTED LIZARDS. 

These are small ground lizards found in many states from Kansas toCalifornia and southward. They are very quick in their movements. Theirfood consists of insects of the more sluggish type. They do not stalktheir prey like the chameleons. 

THE SWIFTS. 

There are a great many species of these small lizards in the UnitedStates. They live on the ground among rocks in dry places and are calledswifts on account of the speed with which they are able to get over theground. Some of them are covered with spiny scales. Clark's Swift isabundant in certain parts of the country. It is found in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah. It is fond of the strongest sunlight. The Yellow Striped Swift is found from Texas to Nebraska on the north, into Mexico on the south and California on the west. 

The Common Swift is found abundantly both in the eastern and in thewestern United States. They like dry, sandy places among fallen trees, fences, old wood, etc. In color they are gray and are usually in harmonywith their surroundings. 

The Collared Swift lives among rocks in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. It has a black collar with very sharp spiny scales. 

THE HORNED LIZARD. 

These lizards are commonly called Horned Toads, because of theirresemblance in the shape of their bodies to that of a toad and of theirspiny scales which have the appearance of small horns. Their habitat isin the hottest and driest parts of the country. They are fond of thehottest sunlight and bury themselves in sand at the approach of evening. 

The Regal Horned Lizard is found in Arizona and Colorado. 

The California Horned Lizard is found abundantly in sections ofCalifornia. 

[Illustration: HORNED TOAD. ]

THE SNAKE-LIKE LIZARDS. 

These lizards have elongated bodies with either small limbs or noexternal evidence of such. Some cannot be easily distinguished fromsnakes. On close examination it will be seen that there is a ridge alongeach side of the body. 

The Keeled Lizard has a habit of keeping its tongue protruded and willwipe its lips with it after feeding. Its tail is easily separated fromits body and when so separated, the broken off portion wrigglesviolently. New tails grow on. It is found in California, Oregon, Washington and eastward from California to Texas. 

The "Glass-Snake" has no limbs and to the eye of anyone but a naturalistwould easily be mistaken for a snake. What distinguishes it from a snakeis the presence of eyelids and ear holes. It occurs in many localities. It is common from the Carolinas to Florida and as far north as Illinois. Like the Keeled Lizard it has the ability to shed a very lively, wriggling tail. It feeds on worms and slugs that it finds by burrowingand will occasionally break and eat the eggs of ground-nesting birds. 

THE BEADED LIZARDS. 

This is a family of large lizards whose bodies look as if covered withbeads. They are held to be poisonous by well-known authorities and arethe only poisonous lizards found in the states. 

The Gila Monster (pronounced Hee-la) has a thick body with short limbsand a short tail. In color it is pink and black. Its length is about afoot and a half. It is found in New Mexico and Arizona and is namedafter the river Gila, the valley of which it inhabits. The creature willdefend itself viciously and will hold on tenaciously with its strongjaws. The eggs are buried in the sand. 

XANTHUS LIZARDS. 

Small lizards that are found where the tree yuccas grow. 

THE RACE RUNNERS. 

These are easily distinguished by the yellow stripes on their bodies. They are to be found in the dry, sandy portions of the western states, burrowing in the sand and when pursued taking refuge in these burrows. 

THE WORM LIZARDS. 

These are a low grade of lizards that live underground like worms. TheWorm Lizard, found in Florida, is scarcely any larger around than anearthworm. It is able to move backward or forward in the earth, the endof the tail being shaped similar to the head. 

THE SKINKS. 

This is a large family. They are burrowing lizards. The Red HeadedLizard is widely distributed throughout the United States. It is verytimid and extremely difficult to capture. Its color changes with itsage. The Black Banded Skink is found in the central portions of theUnited States. The Florida Skink in southern Florida. The Black Skinkfrom Pennsylvania southward to Texas. 

Here we reach the end of the order of reptiles known as lizards; thenext order is that of the snakes. 

THE SNAKES

THE OPHIDIA OR SNAKES. 

Snakes are closely related to lizards. Some lizards, as you have alreadyseen, are very much like snakes in form. The main distinguishingfeatures of the snake are the elastic tissue which connects the twohalves of the lower jaw and the absence of eyelids. Snakes arecarnivorous and are capable of moving with great ease and swiftnessnotwithstanding their lack of limbs. They cast their skins several timesa year. Many of the snakes are poisonous, and authorities tell us thatthere is no external characteristic that indicates which are poisonousand which are not. 

THE BLIND SNAKES. 

This is a low form of snake. They are worm-like and burrowing. The TexasBlind Snake is found in Texas and New Mexico. The California Blind Snakein California and Mexico. 

THE BOAS. 

The most common member of this family that comes within the range ofthis article is a snake that is found in the Pacific states and eastwardas far as Nevada. It is over a foot in length and about half an inch indiameter. Various names have been given to it; in certain sections it iscalled the Rubber Boa, in others the Silver Snake, Two-headed Snake, Worm Snake. The name Two-headed Snake is given it evidently on accountof the stubby appearance of the tail end. 

THE RIBBON SNAKES. 

These snakes have a yellow stripe along the back and the sides. They arelong, slim snakes; specimens have been seen that measured nearly threefeet long, although the average length is about two feet. It is foundeast of the Mississippi, but is not common. It frequents the banks ofwater to feed on young frogs and so forth. They swim well and are athome in the water. In the Western Ribbon Snake the back stripe is darkerthan those on the side, or in some instances a different color. 

THE GARTER SNAKES. 

These are found all over the United States and are perfectly harmless. They are abundant. Burrowing in the ground in the late fall they remainthere all winter. Even the boy living in the large cities may, withoutgoing out of the city limits, find these snakes. They are quite commonlyfound in large public parks. They like frogs and toads and bolt theirfood. There are many varieties of this snake. Both the Ribbon Snakes andthe Garter Snakes belong to the genus Eutænia, which is the mostnumerous of those of the United States. They are all striped snakes andare very much like the water snakes in structure. There is no easilydistinguished characteristic that would enable a boy, at a glance, totell a Garter Snake. They vary widely in color and marking. 

THE WATER SNAKES. 

Here is another genus of snakes that is found commonly in many sectionsof our country. They frequent the vicinity of water and swim with ease, feeding on frogs, toads, fish. The Queen Snake is found generally eastof the Mississippi Valley. It is brown above and has yellow stripes onthe side. The Banded Water Snake is the water snake which is commonlyfound in the southern part of the United States east of Texas. Itclosely resembles the Moccasin, a poisonous snake, and is often mistakenfor it. It attains an average length of over a yard. When alarmed, likeall the water snakes, it takes to the water for refuge. This genus neverpreys on birds or mice. It is one of the most common of the southernsnakes. The Red-bellied Water Snake is found in the east, but not northof Virginia. The Common Water Snake is the northern representative ofthis genus. These snakes are popularly known as "Moccasins. " The DiamondBack Water Snake is common along the lower Mississippi states. Theyaverage four feet in length. May be seen on low branches overhangingwater. The Green Water Snake is similar in habit to the Diamond Backand is found in the Gulf and the Mississippi Valley states. Onepeculiarity of the water snakes is their love of their home. They pickout a particular sunning place and will return to it regularly. 

[Illustration: WATER SNAKE. ]

THE GROUND SNAKE OR BROWN SNAKE. 

This is a common snake, found all over the United States east of theRocky Mountains. It is small in size, about a foot long and slender, andhides under stones, where it probably feeds on the worms and forms ofinsect life that live in such places. 

THE RACERS. 

The serpents of this type are very active and nervous. The Gopher Snake, or Indigo Snake, is one of the largest found in the United States. Ithas been known to measure over eight feet in length. It is found fromTexas eastward in the Gulf states. Its scales have a polished appearanceand are blue black in color. It may be seen in sandy stretches. Whenfeeding it holds its prey down with part of its body. It is notparticular as to its diet and will eat birds with the same relish ascold-blooded frogs and toads. In the Central and South Americancountries this snake is highly valued as a "ratter" and frequents humanhabitations without fear. The Black Snake is abundant in the UnitedStates. It has a bad reputation. It is said to be a fearless fighter, not afraid to attack man even, and to be able to "charm" its prey withinits reach. These attributes are popular beliefs without any basis offact. It is fond of small birds and field mice and is what may be calleda meadow snake. When frightened it speeds away at an incredible rate. The Coachwhip Snake, found in the southeast, is even more agile than theBlack Snake, and like that serpent, will eat smaller snakes. It gets itsname from its slender structure and similarity of the appearance of itsscale distribution to a plaited whip. The Striped Racer of thesouthwestern states is very long and slender. 

THE RAT SNAKES OR COLUBERS. 

These are large, strong snakes that squeeze and crush their prey bycoiling themselves around it. They are useful to the farmer, as theyinhabit grainfields and prey on the rats and mice. An easy way to tellthese snakes is by their flat belly. The Fox Snake is quite common inthe Central states. It averages about four feet long. It derives itsname from an odor which it is able to eject, which smells not unlikethat of the fox. Often it will kill and eat animals as large as rabbits. It deposits its eggs in some natural hollow and leaves them there tohatch. A snake that is abundant in the southeastern states is known bythe various names of Corn Snake, Red Chicken Snake, Mouse Snake, ScarletRacer and Red Coluber. It is red, black and white. It is not as much ofa climber as the Racers are, nor is it as agile; but it is braver andwill fight when cornered. It is frequently found in cornfields, henceits name. The Pilot Black Snake or Mountain Black Snake is often takenfor the Common Black Snake. Its head is larger and it is spotted withwhite. It is a snake frequently found in the same locations as therattlesnake and copperhead. The Chicken Snake is fond of eggs and youngchickens. Like the Fox Snake it will emit an unpleasant odor whencaught. 

THE BULL SNAKES. 

The Pine or Bull Snake is one of the largest snakes found in the east. It is found in the sandy pine woods of the coast. When disturbed it isvicious in appearance, hisses loudly and strikes vigorously. It feeds onsmall animals and birds. It is also called the Gopher Snake. "The YellowGopher" Snake is found in the middle and western states. 

THE GREEN SNAKES. 

The Green Whip Snake or Magnolia Snake is green above, yellow below. Itfeeds on insects and is a good climber. In color it so perfectlymatches the leaves and grass that detection is difficult. The "GrassSnake" is a common snake of the northeastern states. 

THE RING-NECKED SNAKES. 

The eastern Ring-necked Snake is found in the eastern portion of theUnited States. It has a yellow ring about the neck. This snake is notgiven to venturing abroad, but prefers to lie under stones and the loosebark of trees. 

THE KING SNAKES. 

These snakes are remarkable for their colors. They are banded aroundtheir bodies with rings of bright colors. They will eat rats and miceand other snakes. The Milk Snake or "Checkered Adder" is popularlysupposed to be fond of milk. Scientists tell us that this is a fallacy. It feeds on mice, rats, other snakes and lizards. The Red Milk Snake isprettily colored--red and yellow--and is the type found in the south. All the King Snakes have pronounced patterns. More than in any othergenus is the habit of feeding on its kind developed--attacking, andusually successfully, snakes larger than themselves. It is from thischaracteristic that they derive their name. It is bitten by thepoisonous snakes which it attacks but without effect; the King Snaketightens its grip until its adversary is lifeless. 

THE RAINBOW SNAKES. 

These are sometimes called the mud snakes, from the fact that they areabundant in swamps. They burrow in the mud. The Red-bellied Snake isalso called the Rainbow Snake, Mud Snake, Horn Snake and Hoop Snake. 

THE HOG-NOSED SNAKES. 

These snakes are fighters. The peculiar formation of the mouth makesthem easily distinguishable. They hiss when disturbed and flatten theirheads and necks. They are popularly known as "adders" and "vipers. " Theyare found in dry and sandy situations. 

The common Hog-nosed Snake is found in dry, sandy locations practicallyall through the United States except on the Pacific slope. It has thepeculiar habit of feigning death when cornered. Before it tries thesetactics it will make a terrific show of ferocity. It is capable offlattening its head and neck in a formidable manner and while assumingthis attitude it hisses sharply. If this show does not scare away itsenemy it will suddenly be seized with a spasm, ending by turning on itsback, limp and apparently lifeless. When it thinks danger is past itrecovers its normal position and quickly gets away. This snake is knownpopularly as the "Flat-headed Adder, " the "Puff Adder, " "Viper" and"Blow Snake. "

THE HARLEQUIN OR CORAL SNAKE. 

Is a strikingly marked serpent. Its colors are scarlet, black andyellow. This snake is found in the southeastern and central UnitedStates. It is a near relative to the deadly Cobra-de-Capello and isitself poisonous. A burrowing reptile. 

THE MOCCASINS. 

These snakes are highly poisonous. The Water Moccasin is one of thelargest venomous snakes found in the United States. Some have beencaught that measured four feet in length and almost two and a halfinches around. Certain kinds of harmless water snakes are popularlysupposed to be and are called "moccasins. " Unless you have a very closeknowledge of which is which, you should be careful how near you approachthem. The Water Moccasin is found quite abundantly in the east from theCarolinas southward and along the Mississippi states as far north asIllinois. It likes swamps and is found abundantly in many southernswampy sections. This snake is often known as the "Cotton Mouth" Snake. It is vicious and pugnacious and will fight snakes of any size. Theprey of this serpent consists of birds, frogs, other snakes, fish andsmall animals. The Copperhead derives its name from the copperish tinton its head. It is not as large a snake as the Water Moccasin, nor doesit like the swamps. It frequents rocky locations that are thicklywooded. It has a peculiar habit of backing away from danger by loopingits body and then drawing it straight again. 

[Illustration: THE MOCCASIN. ]

THE RATTLESNAKES. 

The rattlesnake is the most interesting as well as the most deadly ofthe North American serpents. Its chief distinguishing characteristic isthe rattle at the end of tail. Curator Ditmars, of the New YorkZoological Park, says that although he has "studied living examples ofmany species of deadly snakes--the South American bushmaster and thefer-de-lance, the African puff adder and the berg adder, and such EastIndian species as the king cobra, the spectacled cobra and Russell'sviper, and although there is indelibly stamped upon his mind the bloatedbody, the glassy stare and the rhythmic hissing of the berg adder, therearing, uncanny pose of an infuriated cobra--there is one image vividabove all, the rattlesnake. Thrown into a gracefully symmetrical coil, the body inflated, the neck arched in an oblique bow in support of theheart-shaped head, the slowly waving tongue with spread and tremuloustips, and above all, the incessant, monotonous whir of the rattle. Onestroke--a flash--of that flat head would inject a virus bringing speedydeath. "

[Illustration: RATTLESNAKE. ]

The rattlesnake always warns its enemy of its presence by its rattle. Were it not for this habit there would probably be many more deaths fromthe bites of this snake. The snake does not add a new ring to its rattleeach year, as it is popularly supposed to do. The Massasauga is one ofthe smaller rattlesnakes, averaging about two feet in length. Itinhabits swampy places. The Timber Rattlesnake is found from Vermont toFlorida and west to Kansas. It is abundant in the mountains of New York, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. In the spring and fall the snakescongregate on ledges of rocks; such places are called "rattlesnakedens. " They spend the winter in crevices in these rocky places. TheTimber Rattler is more timid than many of its cousins, preferringflight to combat, but if cornered will fight as fiercely. It feeds onbirds and small animals. The largest rattlesnake is the Diamond-back. Specimens have been caught that measured over six feet long and fourinches around. This snake is one of the most deadly in the world. It isfound most abundantly in Florida. It is never known to strike uncoiledand rarely retreats from danger. The food of this snake seems to consistmostly of small animals. It takes but a minute for the poison from theDiamond-back's fangs to kill a rabbit. 

THE TURTLES AND TORTOISES

THE CHELONIA OR TURTLES AND TORTOISES. 

Turtles and tortoises belong to the order known as Chelonia. There areFresh-water Turtles, Sea Turtles and Land Turtles. 

THE SEA TURTLES. 

These turtles are often carried by storm far north of their customaryhabitat, which is in the warmer waters of the southeastern coast. TheLeatherback, or Trunk Turtle, is the largest of the sea turtles, sometimes reaching a weight of half a ton. It is not found in abundance. The Loggerhead Turtle has a very large head. Its eggs are buried in thesand about May or June and the young turtles hatch out in about twomonths' time. The Green Turtle often strays into northern waters. Theflesh of this turtle is prized by epicures. It will die if not placed onits back, the under shell being pressed by the weight of the upper shellagainst its lungs, causing suffocation. The Hawksbill Turtle isdistinguished by the hawk-like appearance of its head. It is thesmallest of the sea turtles and the one from which is obtained thesought-after tortoise shells. 

[Illustration: SEA TURTLE. ]

THE SNAPPING TURTLES. 

These are the largest of the fresh-water turtles. Like the snakes theystrike at their prey or their enemy, and their sharp mandibles make thema formidable antagonist. They will pull down their prey under the waterwhere they always feed. The Alligator Snapping Turtle is found in theGulf states. A peculiarity of this reptile is the fleshy filament, grub-like in appearance, which it has in its mouth and which acts as abait, attracting fish within the reach of its powerful jaws. 

THE MUD TURTLES. 

The Musk Turtle is a common type of the Mud Turtle and is found inabundance in the muddy streams of the eastern, part of the UnitedStates. It will often be taken on a fish hook. It derives its name fromthe odor it gives forth. Seldom is it found out of the water. It snapswhen taken in a way which rivals the Snapping Turtle. The common MudTurtle is not as abundant as the Musk turtle to which it is similar inhabit, crawling along the muddy bottoms of ponds and rivers. The undershell of the Mud Turtles is much broader than that of the Musk turtles. The Banded Mud Turtle, found in Georgia and Florida, has three yellowstripes or "bands" on its shell. The Yellow-necked Mud Turtle gets itsname from its bright yellow neck. 

THE TERRAPINS. 

The Painted Terrapin or Pond Turtle is brightly colored. The under shellis yellow and the upper shell is bordered with mottled red. It is foundin the eastern United States. You may frequently see it taking a sunningon a partially submerged log, diving into the water upon your approach. It feeds on insects, small fishes and water weeds. In your aquarium itwill eat small pieces of beef, fish, worms or tender greens. The ChickenTurtle or Long-necked Terrapin is found in the southeastern states. TheYellow-bellied Terrapin is found from Virginia to Georgia. It is one ofthe terrapins that are sold in the markets. Many may be seen there, especially in Charleston. The Cumberland Terrapin may be known by thered marking on each side of its head. This, too, is sold in the markets;it is found in the middle western states. The Diamond Back Terrapin isthe most highly prized by epicures--seven-inch-long turtles bringing asmuch as $5 or more apiece. It is found in the marshes of the eastern andsoutheastern coast states. As the size increases, the price advances. They are becoming scarce. It always feeds under water. Grows to largersize in the South. The Spotted Turtle is found in abundant quantities inthe eastern states. It has round yellow spots scattered over its blackupper shell and may be seen near ponds, streams and marshy places. It isfond of water that is grassy, hiding therein. 

THE BOX TURTLES. 

This turtle is fitted with a complete suit of armor, into which it canwithdraw and become practically immune from harm. It is not an aquaticreptile, its food consisting principally of vegetation. It is fond ofberries and is found most abundantly in grassy thickets. It lives manyyears. At the approach of winter it burrows into the ground. 

[Illustration: BOX TURTLE. ]

THE TORTOISES. 

The Tortoises live only on the land. The Gopher Tortoise is found fromSouth Carolina to Florida, and west as far as Texas. It feeds onvegetation. It inhabits principally the dry and sandy places and makeslong burrows into which it retires from the hot midday sun. The eggs ofthis tortoise are buried in the sand and are hatched by the sun's raysAgassiz's Tortoise, or the Desert Tortoise, is distributed over thedeserts of Arizona and southern California. 

THE SOFT-SHELLED TURTLES. 

The shells of these turtles are soft and the head has the distinguishingcharacteristic of a pointed nose. They are aquatic and are much like thesnapping turtles in habit. Large specimens can do damage with theirsharp jaws. They are popularly known as "flap jack turtles, " and they donot look unlike large pancakes. They are vicious and can make severewounds or injuries. Their food is the same as that of the snappingturtles; in fact, they have so many points in common that they are oftencalled "soft-shelled snapping turtles. "

THE CROCODILES AND ALLIGATORS

THE CROCODILIA OR THE CROCODILES AND ALLIGATORS. 

The Crocodiles and Alligators belong to that order of reptiles known asCrocodilia. The Alligator's head is broad and blunt; the Crocodile's isnarrow and sharp. 

 [Illustration: 1. ALLIGATOR. 2. CROCODILE. ]

The Alligators are distributed over the low and swampy ground from NorthCarolina southward, but are becoming rare almost to the point ofextinction. Their skin is valued and their eggs are sought as food sothat they are annually becoming rarer. They are afraid of man, but ifcornered will fight. Their jaws are large, powerful and provided withstrong teeth, capable of inflicting serious injury. They feed on fish, animals and birds. Alligators make a "bellowing" sound. The Crocodile islivelier and more pugnacious than the Alligator, but there are no"man-eating" Crocodiles in the United States. 

INDEX

 Adder, Berg, 177 Checkered, 168 Flat-headed, 169 Puff, 169, 171

 Agassiz's Tortoise, 181

 Alligators, 183, 185

 Alligator Snapping Turtle, 177

 Anolis, 152

 Banded Gecko, 152 Mud Turtle, 180 Water Snake, 164

 Beaded Lizards, 158

 Berg Adder, 177

 Black -banded Skink, 159 Iguana, 153 Snake, 166 Mountain, 167 Pilot, 167

 Blind Snakes, 163 California, 163 Texas, 163

 Blow Snake, 169

 Boas, 163 Rubber, 163

 Box Turtle, 173

 Brown Snake, 166

 Bull Snake, 167

 Bushmaster, 171

 California Blind Snake, 163 Horned Toad, 157

 Cape Gecko, 152 Iguana, 153

 Chameleon, 152

 Checkered Adder, 168

 Chelonia, 147, 177

 Chicken Snake, 167 Red, 167 Turtle, 180

 Chuckawalla, 154

 Clark's Swift, 156

 Coachwhip Snake, 166

 Cobra, King, 171 Spectacled, 171

 Cobra-de-Capello, 169

 Collared Lizard, 151, 155 Swift, 156

 Colubers, 167 Red, 167

 Common Swift, 151, 156

 Copperhead, 171

 Coral Snake, 169

 Corn Snake, 167

 Cotton Mouth Snake, 169

 Crocodiles, 183, 185

 Crocodilia, 147, 185

 Cumberland Terrapin, 180

 Desert Iguana, 154 Tortoise, 181

 Diamond-back Rattlesnake 173 Terrapin, 180 Water Snake, 165

 Dinosaurs, 147

 Eutænia, 164

 Fence Lizard, 151

 Fer-de-lance, 171

 Flapjack Turtle, 181

 Flat-headed Adder, 169

 Florida Skink, 159

 Fox Snake, 167

 Fresh-water Turtle, 177

 Garter Snakes, 164

 Gecko, 152 Banded, 152 Cape, 152 Reef, 152 Warty, 152

 Gila Monster, 158

 Glass Snake, 158

 Gopher Snake, 166, 167 Tortoise, 181

 Grass Snake, 168

 Green Turtle, 177 Water Snake, 165 Whip Snake, 167

 Ground Snake, 166

 Harlequin Snake, 169

 Hawksbill Turtle, 177

 Hog-nosed Snakes, 168

 Hoop Snake, 168

 Horn Snake, 168

 Horned Lizard, 156 Toads, 156 California, 156 Regal, 156

 Ichthyosaurs, 147

 Iguana, 152, 153 Black, 153 Cape, 153 Desert, 154

 Indigo Snake, 166

 Keeled Lizard, 157

 King Cobra, 171 Snake, 168

 Lacertilia, 147, 151

 Land Turtle, 177

 Leatherback Turtle, 177

 Leopard Lizard, 155

 Lizards, 149 Beaded, 158 Collared, 151, 155 Fence, 151 Horned, 156 Keeled, 157 Leopard, 155 Red-headed, 159 Snake-like, 156 Spotted, 155 Worm, 158 Xanthus, 158 Zebra-tailed, 151, 155

 Loggerhead Turtle, 177

 Long-necked Terrapin, 180

 Magnolia Snake, 167

 Massasauga, 171

 Milk Snake, 168 Red, 168

 Moccasin, 165, 169, 170 Water, 169

 Mountain, Black, Snake, 167

 Mouse Snake, 167

 Mud Snake, 168 Turtle, 179

 Musk Turtle, 178

 Ophidia, 147, 163

 Pacific Swift, 151

 Painted Terrapin, 180

 Pilot Black Snake, 167

 Pine Snake, 167

 Plesiosaurs, 147

 Pond Turtle, 180

 Pterosaurs, 147, 148

 Puff Adder, 169, 171

 Queen Snakes, 164

 Racers, 166 Scarlet, 167 Striped, 166

 Race Runners, 158

 Rainbow Snake, 168

 Rattlesnakes, 171, 172, 173 Diamond-back, 173

 Rat Snake, 167

 Red -bellied Snake, 168 Water Snake, 165 Chicken Snake, 167 Coluber, 167 Headed Lizard, 159 Milk Snake, 168

 Reef Gecko, 152

 Regal Horned Toad, 157

 Ribbon Snakes, 163

 Ring-necked Snakes, 168

 Rubber Boas, 163

 Russell's Viper, 171

 Scarlet Racer, 167

 Sea Turtles, 177, 178

 Silver Snake, 163

 Skink, 159 Black-banded, 159 Florida, 159

 Snake-like Lizards, 156

 Snakes, 163 Banded Water, 164 Black, 166 Blind, 163 California, 163 Texas, 163 Blow, 169 Brown, 166 Bull, 167 California Blind, 163 Chicken, 167 Red, 167 Coachwhip, 166 Copperhead, 171 Coral, 169 Corn, 167 Cotton Mouth, 169 Diamond-back Rattle, 173 Water, 165 Fox, 167 Garter, 164 Glass, 158 Gopher, 166, 167 Grass, 168 Green, 167 Water, 165 Whip, 167 Ground, 166 Harlequin, 169 Hog-nosed, 168 Hoop, 168 Horn, 168 Indigo, 166 King, 168 Magnolia, 167 Milk, 168 Mountain, Black, 167 Mouse, 167 Mud, 168 Pilot Black, 167 Pine, 167 Queen, 164 Rainbow, 168 Rat, 167 Red -bellied, 168 Water, 165 Milk, 168 Ribbon, 163 Ring-necked, 168 Silver, 163 Texas Blind, 163 Two-headed, 163 Water, 164, 165 Worm, 163 Yellow Gopher, 167

 Snapping Turtle, 177

 Soft-shelled Turtle, 181

 Spectacled Cobra, 171

 Sphenodon, 147

 Spotted Lizard, 155 Turtle, 180

 Striped Racers, 166

 Swifts, 156 Clark's, 156 Collared, 156 Common, 151, 156 Pacific, 151 White-bellied, 151 Yellow-striped, 156

 Terrapin, 180 Cumberland, 180 Diamond-back, 180 Long-necked, 180 Painted, 180 Yellow-bellied, 180

 Texas Blind Snake, 163

 Timber Rattlesnake, 171

 Tortoises, 181 Agassiz's, 181 Desert, 181 Gopher, 181

 Trunk Turtle, 177

 Turtles, 175 Alligator Snapping, 177 Banded Mud, 180 Box, 181 Chicken, 180 Flapjack, 181 Fresh-water, 177 Green, 177 Hawksbill, 177 Land, 177 Leatherback, 177 Loggerhead, 177 Mud, 179 Musk, 179 Pond, 180 Sea, 177, 178 Snapping, 177 Soft-shelled, 181 Spotted, 180 Trunk, 177

 Two-headed Snake, 163

 Viper, 169 Russell's, 171

 Warty Gecko, 152

 Water Moccasin, 169

 Water Snakes, 164, 165 Diamond-back, 165 Green, 165 Red-bellied, 165

 Whip Snake, Green, 167

 White-bellied Swift, 151

 Worm Lizards, 158 Snakes, 163

 Yellow -bellied Terrapin, 180 Gopher Snake, 167 Striped Swift, 156

 Xanthus Lizards, 158

 Zebra-tailed Lizards, 151, 155

THE HICKORY RIDGE BOY SCOUTS

A SERIES OF BOOKS FOR BOYS

Which, in addition to the interesting boy scout stories by CAPTAIN ALANDOUGLAS, Scoutmaster, contain articles on nature lore, native animalsand a fund of other information pertaining to out-of-door life, thatwill appeal to the boy's love of the open

I. THE CAMPFIRES OF THE WOLF PATROL

Their first camping experience affords the scouts splendid opportunitiesto use their recently acquired knowledge in a practical way. ElmerChenowith, a lad from the northwest woods, astonishes everyone by hisfamiliarity with camp life. A clean, wholesome story every boy shouldread. 

II. WOODCRAFT; OR, HOW A PATROL LEADER MADE GOOD

This tale presents many stirring situations in which some of the boysare called upon to exercise all their ingenuity and unselfishness. Astory filled with healthful excitement. 

III. PATHFINDER; OR, THE MISSING TENDERFOOT

Some mysteries are cleared up in a most unexpected way, greatly to thecredit of our young friends. A variety of incidents follow fast, oneafter the other. 

IV. FAST NINE; OR, A CHALLENGE FROM FAIRFIELD

They show the same team-work here as when in camp. The description ofthe final game with the team of a rival town, and the outcome thereof, form a stirring narrative. One of the best baseball stories of recentyears. 

V. GREAT HIKE; OR, THE PRIDE OF THE KHAKI TROOP

After weeks of preparation the scouts start out on their greatestundertaking. Their march takes them far from home, and the good-naturedrivalry of the different patrols furnishes many interesting and amusingsituations. 

VI. ENDURANCE TEST; OR, HOW CLEAR GRIT WON THE DAY

Few stories "get" us more than illustrations of pluck in the face ofapparent failure. Our heroes show the stuff they are made of andsurprise their most ardent admirers. One of the best stories CaptainDouglas has written. 

BOY SCOUT NATURE LORE TO BE FOUND IN THE HICKORY RIDGE BOY SCOUT SERIES

 Wild Animals of the United States--Tracking--in Number I. Trees and Wild Flowers of the United States in Number II. Reptiles of the United States in Number III. Fishes of the United States in Number IV. Insects of the United States in Number V. Birds of the United States in Number VI. 

 _Cloth Binding Cover Illustrations in Four Colors 40c. Per Volume_

 THE NEW YORK BOOK COMPANY 147 FOURTH AVENUE (near 14th St) NEW YORK

Transcriber's Note:

 Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note. Dialect spellings have been retained.