"You deserve considerable praise, Jasper, for making that discovery," he declared, presently. "I can see what you mean now; though when I looked across before I didn't happen to notice. Yes, that's our other squad, climbing up just like we are, and not making any better job of it either, I think."

"Ho! they ain't near as far up, for a fact," said Nat Scott, with pardonable pride, since he had developed into a pretty good climber.

"Well, that mountain is not so tall as ours; but then it may be even rougher, for all we know," observed Elmer. "I picked out this one because it was so high, and I always want to tackle the hardest job, if I've got any choice. It makes you feel all the better if you win out.

But come on, fellows, let's pitch in. Given one more good hour's work, and I think we ought to be pretty near the crown."

"I hope so!" sighed poor Larry, who was puffing still, and rubbing his leg where he had hurt it a little on the previous day; though it was nothing so bad as Red's injury, aggravated as it had been by his stubborn determination to return to the lone hut and accompany the relief party.

Once more they struggled upward. Sometimes they found the going so very difficult that they were obliged to give each other a helping hand.

Of course the view grew finer the higher they went.

"Say, Elmer," remarked Toby, as they halted later on to get their breath; "d'ye suppose now we'll be able to glimpse dear old Hickory Ridge when we get up to the top of this mole hill?"

"Sure we will," replied the leader, cheerily. "And that alone ought to pay us for all our trouble. We've only been away a couple of days or so, but I reckon it seems an age to a lot of us, since we saw the home folks."

There was an ominous silence after that remark. Doubtless every scout was allowing his thoughts to roam tenderly back to that beloved home which he knew sheltered those who were so dear to his heart. And possibly, unseen by his fellows, a tear may even have rolled unbidden down more than one cheek. For they were but boys, after all, and same of them had never even been so far away from the home nest before.

Elmer proved to be a true prophet, for ere the full hour was up even the doubting Larry was obliged to confess that they had gained a point not far from the summit.

This seemed to inspire the laggards to renewed efforts, so that presently, with loud cries of delight and admiration, the whole bunch struggled to the apex and had the view of their lives around them.

"Ain't this just too grand for anything?" gasped Larry, as he squatted down on a stone and tried to pick out the distant village on the ridge where home lay.

The others were doing the same; and all manner of exclamations followed, as this one or that discovered familiar landmarks, by means of which their untrained eyes could find the one particular spot about which their thoughts cl.u.s.tered just then.

It was not far from noon, and when Elmer declared that they had well earned the right to eat the hearty luncheon carried along, he was greeted with cries of joy: for it was a jolly hungry batch of scouts that gathered on that mountain top.

While they ate they discovered that their mates had also managed to reach their goal. But no communication was attempted until they had thoroughly rested.

Then Mr. Garrabrant started operations himself, after which he probably handed the flags over to the scout who was to make the first test of his knowledge along the line of wigwagging a message, and receiving a reply.

It proved to be interesting work, and all the boys with Elmer declared that it held a peculiar fascination and charm about it. Of course, in war times, such business must carry along with it more or less danger.

They could easily picture how an operator must take great risks first of all to mount to some exposed position, where his flag could readily be seen, and then keep up a constant signaling with another flagman far away, while the enemy would doubtless be making every effort to break up the serious communications that might spell disaster for their cause.

"Anyhow, it won't take us near so long to go down the mountain as it did to climb up here," remarked Larry, with satisfaction in his voice.

"All the same," remarked Elmer, "every fellow has got to be mighty careful just how he goes. No rushing things, you understand. It's easier to take a tumble going down than coming up. And we want no more cripples on this trip."

About three o'clock they started to descend from the peak. Every boy had to just tear himself away, after one last look at the distant ridge that lay bathed in the warm sunshine. And no one had a word to say for quite a time.

The descent was made in safety, though several times one of the boys would slip on a piece of loose shale; and once Larry might have had a severe fall only that Elmer, happening to be close beside him at the time, shot out a hand and clutched him as he was plunging headlong, after catching his heel in a root.

They all breathed a sigh of relief when the bottom of the mountain was reached. After that the going was much easier, and they soon drew near the camp.

"Wonder if the other fellows made as quick a getdown as we did?"

remarked Toby, who was hobbling along, footsore, and with his muscles paining from the many severe strains they had been compelled to endure during the day; but only too glad to realize that he would soon arrive where he could once more be in touch with that wonderful sky traveler that had so fortunately dropped into their hands.

"I think it will be pretty near a tie," laughed Elmer; "for just a bit ago I had a glimpse of them, where the timber opened up, and I judged that they were as close to home and supper as we are. Put your best leg forward, boys, and don't let on that any of you are near tuckered out.

Where's your pride, Larry? Brace up, and look as if you felt as fresh as a daisy!"

Larry tried to obey; but it was hard to smile when he felt as though he had been "drawn through a straw," as he declared.

"Listen!" cried Elmer, five minutes later, throwing up his hand for silence.

"It's Ginger, and he's yelling to beat the band!" exclaimed Toby.

"Oh! I wonder what's happened!" gasped Jasper.

"Run for all you're worth, fellows!" said Elmer, starting off himself at full speed.

Quickly they broke cover, and neared the camp, to see the other party close by, also on the run. Ginger was dancing up and down, still whooping things up, while Red stood just outside of a tent looking startled and puzzled.

"What's that Ginger's yelling?" called Toby, and it thrilled them as they heard.

"'Twar de debble dat time nigh got me! He's gwine tuh grab us all away in de chariot ob fire! I'se a gone c.o.o.n, I is! Runnin' ain't no use;"

and Ginger threw himself on his knees with clasped hands and rolling eyes.

CHAPTER XI.

THE HAIRY THIEF THAT WALKED ON TWO LEGS.

NO wonder the returned scouts stared, hardly daring to believe their eyes and ears. Some of them of course thought Ginger might have gone out of his head. Only on the preceding night had Elmer been telling them what queer antics animals out on the plains go through with, when they have been eating the loco weed.

There were a few who seemed to have a hazy suspicion that possibly Red might be concerned in this strange fright on the part of poor Ginger.

True, the boy with the lame leg had apparently just dragged himself out of the tent, and the look on his face under that fiery shock of hair would indicate astonishment as genuine as their own; but then, how were they to know but what this had been a.s.sumed?

Mr. Garrabrant, however, made direct for the moaning and wabbling negro, who had fallen on his knees, and with clasped hands was bowing back and forth in an agony of fear.

"Here, what's the matter with you, Ginger?" he demanded, catching hold of the other, and while Ginger gave a little screech at first, upon turning his rolling eyes upward he appeared to recognize the genial face of the young scout master.

"Oh! Mistah Grabant, am dat youse?" he cried, seizing hold of the other's arm. "I'se mighty glad tuh see yuh, suh, 'deed an' I is. Am it gone foh suah?"

"What gone?" demanded Mr. Garrabrant, sternly. "See here, Ginger, have you kept a black bottle hidden away all this time while we have been in camp?" For he had a sudden inspiration that possibly Ginger might be addicted to the failing that besets so many of his color.

"'Deed an' 'deed an' I ain't touched a single drap, suh," declared the demoralized one; "'clar tuh goodness if I has. It war dar, jes' ober yander, whar de box ob crackers am alyin' right now. An' he scolded me, suh, foh interferin' wid de liberties he am takin' wid dem provisions, dat he did! Ugh! tuh t'ink dat I'd lib tuh set eyes on de Ole Nick!"

"But what makes you think it was Satan? Perhaps it was only some wandering hobo who thought he saw a good chance to steal something to eat?" and the scout master sought to hold Ginger's roving eyes fastened upon his own orbs, so as to rivet his attention, and secure a coherent answer to his question.

"Sho! dat was no human animal, suh!" exclaimed Ginger, earnestly. "He done hab a cover ob red hair, an' de wickedest grin on his face yuh ebber see. Reckon I knows de debble w'en I sees him."

"Well, from what you say, Ginger, this queer visitor seems to have had a very human weakness for crackers," remarked Mr. Garrabrant, smiling.

"Was he carrying that package of biscuit when you saw him first?"