"Elmer tries to tell us he is pursuing the two who headed 
 northwest."
 
 PATHFINDER; 
 
 or, 
 The Missing Tenderfoot 
 
 BY 
 
 CAPTAIN ALAN DOUGLAS 
 
 SCOUT MASTER 
 
 M. A. DONOHUE & COMPANY 
 
 CHICAGO :: NEW YORK
 
 COPYRIGHT 1913, BT 
 THE NEW YORK BOOK COMPANY 
 
 Made in U. S. A.
 
 PATHFINDER; 
 
 OR. 
 
 THE MISSING TENDERFOtTiv 
 
 CHAPTER L 
 
 * 
 
 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 cloven end, that grips it like 
 the jaws of a vise." 
 
 " Say, it's a message, all right." 
 
 " And from our crack-a-jack pathfinder, Elmer Chen<x 
 with, too, I warrant you." 
 
 " What do you say, Matty? Is Bed Huggins right? '* 
 
 Seven boys had come to a halt in the heart of the big 
 woods. They were a rather husky -looking set, all told, 
 and evidently bent on getting all the benefit possible from 
 being outdoors through the last few weeks of vacation time. 
 
 The one appealed to, Matty Eggleston by name, was 
 something of a leader among the Hickory Ridge Troop o/ 
 Boy Scouts. 
 
 In fact, he was at the head of the Beaver Patrol, and 
 studying constantly in order to attain the rank of a first- 
 class scout. 
 
 There are so very many things a boy must know in order 
 
 17 
 
 1824O43
 
 18 PATHFINDER. 
 
 te reach this ambition that comparatively few scouts ever 
 attain it. But by concentrating all his energies upon one 
 particular study he may earn a merit badge, which it 
 will make him proud to wear. 
 
 Matty took the piece of bark from the cloven stick. The 
 other six boys clustered eagerly around, anxious to see 
 what sort of message it could be that the assistant scout 
 master had left in the trail. 
 
 They were out to try a new experience, and one that ap- 
 pealed to every boy in the bunch. 
 
 A party of the scouts, their identity and number un- 
 known to Elmer and the balance, had started off for the 
 woods early in the day. 
 
 An hour later, Elmer, with one companion, had taken up 
 the trail, and when a second hour had elapsed the balance* 
 of those who were bent upon playing the game left town in 
 two detachments. 
 
 It had been arranged that Elmer was to act as pathfinder 
 and tracker. He would in turn leave a plain trail that a 
 child could follow. 
 
 Besides this, he had promised to transmit from time to 
 time some sort of message. Thus those who came along in 
 the rear, in two detachments, would be kept in touch with 
 events, and also advised as to what they should do. 
 
 The party bringing up the rear was headed by Mark 
 Cummings, who was Elmer's particular chum. He was 
 really the bugler of the troop ; but for this occasion Elmer 
 himself carried that instrument, with the idea of calling 
 the scouts together at some time later on. 
 
 " Hey, look at that, would you; 'it's all marked up with 
 crow's feet tracks I " exclaimed Landy Smith, a rather fat
 
 PATHFINDER. 19 
 
 boy who had only recently joined the "Wolf Patrol, making 
 the eighth and last member. 
 
 " What's Elmer think we are, a lot of kids, to leave us 
 an illustrated rebus to guess? Look's to me like a little 
 boy's first try to draw cows and Noah's Ark people.'* 
 
 Some of the others laughed when George Bobbins gave 
 expression to his disgust in this way. George was a cousin 
 to Landy, and had also recently signed the muster roll of 
 the scouts, although he belonged to Matty's patrol, the 
 Beaver. 
 
 " You've got a heap to learn yet, George," said Red 
 Huggins, shaking his head 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, or following one that's already found? " asked the 
 latest tenderfoot. 
 
 " A heap, as you'll soon learn, my boy," replied Red, 
 with a pitying look, as if he could not understand how 
 anyone should be so green. " Matty, suppose you en- 
 lighten him a little, won't you that is, if you'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 it with what I make out to be the paw of 
 a wolf. That's the totem of his patrol, while mine is a 
 beaver tail, and the third one would be the claw of an 
 eagle." 
 
 B s 26
 
 20 PATHFINDER. 
 
 " Say, that sounds kind of interesting like," observed 
 Landy. " I rather expect 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 noth- 
 ing hidden about this business at all. In fact, the one par- 
 ticular idea with the one who writes a message in Indian 
 picture writing is to make it so simple a child might un- 
 derstand." 
 
 " Well, I declare," cried the fat scout, who was not in 
 khaki uniform like four of his companions, simply because 
 he and George were waiting until the town tailor, father 
 to Jasper Merriweather, one of the members of the troop, 
 could complete their suits " then, if a baby could under- 
 stand what our pathfinder has left for us, perhaps now 
 there might be 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 the bark 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 what they are. Count them, will you? " 
 
 " One, two, three." 
 
 " That's right. So you see, to begin with, our path- 
 finder tells us the enemy ahead are three in number. Now, 
 do you see anything close by those three figures of men? "
 
 PATHFINDER. 21 
 
 and Matty held the bark directly in front of Landy and 
 George. 
 
 " Sure," replied George. " Under one is a mark say, 
 it looks like the same down at the bottom of the letter, and 
 you said that was the sign or totem 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 in- 
 dicate that they are members of the Beaver and the Eagle 
 patrols." 
 
 " That's so, Matty; I can see 'em," declared Landy, 
 who evidently did not wish his cousin to get all the credit 
 for smartness. 
 
 "All right. Let's get on a little," said Matty. "First 
 notice two have hats on, while the third wears none. Now, 
 you may think that an accident in 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. 
 
 1 ' "Why, it 's dead easy, ' ' was his reply. ' ' Stop and think ; 
 who's always losing 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 who went 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 has guessed that, or did he see the fellows be- 
 fore he wrote this letter? " 
 
 " Neither one nor the other. He just figured it out 
 from something he found. Perhaps he knows what the
 
 22 PATHFINDER. 
 
 print of Nat's shoe looks like, for we all make different 
 tracks, you know." 
 
 " Yes," said Chatz, " that would be just like Elmer. 
 He's the most observing, 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 that wonderful 
 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 Larry exclaimed: 
 
 " That's Ty Collins, as sure as anything! " 
 
 " I guess you've hit the mark," said Matty, " and that 
 was just what Elmer was trying to tell us. Ty's left leg 
 has always been a little crooked since he fell out of that 
 cherry tree three years ago. Now, the third fellow got me 
 at first, but come to look at him he seems a little different 
 from the others. See here, and here, and here. ' ' 
 
 " That's a fact," declared Landy, scratching his nose in 
 a way he had when puzzled. 
 
 " He can't mean he's a dead one, and sprouting wings, 
 can he? " asked George. 
 
 " Wings! I've got it, fellows! " shouted Red. 
 
 " Then pass it around to the rest, because I'm all up a 
 stump," observed Larry. 
 
 " Shucks! don't you know there's only one fellow in 
 the whole troop who's always sighing because he can't fly f 
 and wishes he had wings ? ' ' demanded Red, promptly.
 
 PATHFINDER. 23 
 
 " 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 has told us who the three scouts ahead 
 are. Now he shows them coming to a fork in the trail. 
 One goes to the north, and the others to the northwest. 
 Which party can be carrying the wampum belt we expect 
 to trace down? " 
 
 All of them looked again, and while several shook their 
 heads Red remarked: 
 
 " Seems to me one of the two that kept together fell 
 down just at the fork of the trail. Was that only an ac- 
 cident, Matty, or a part of the play? " 
 
 " I believe it was done on purpose," the other replied. 
 " Because, if you look closely, you'll find that the one who 
 stretched out on the ground was Ty, and that from that 
 time on he has a funny little wiggly line drawn around his 
 waist." 
 
 " Sure, he has. That must be the wampum belt," ex- 
 claimed Red. 
 
 " Yes. No doubt he was instructed by our scout mster, 
 Mr. Garrabrant, that when they separated the fellow carry- 
 ing the belt must do something to show it. That was a 
 clever dodge of Ty's to lie down, and make an impression 
 in the earth." 
 
 " Yes, and smarter yet for Elmer to discover the impres- 
 sion, and read it," declared Chatz. 
 
 " What else does the letter say? " asked Landy, who 
 seemed quite enthused now, after discovering how exceed- 
 ingly interesting this communicating by means of Indian 
 picture writing might become.
 
 24 PATHFINDER. 
 
 * ' Elmer tries to tell us he is pursuing the two who headed 
 northwest. You see he has made an arrow showing this 
 fact," Matty continued. > 
 
 " But there are some other marks; can you make them 
 out at all? " asked Landy. 
 
 " This is certainly a fire. Before separating, the three 
 enemies built a fire and pretended to *eed. Here they are 
 sitting around the blaze and eating; and if you look over 
 yonder right now, you'll see the ashes where 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 Beaver Patrol; " this was only a little cooking blaze, 
 not a camp fire." 
 
 " But what's the difference? " demanded the new re- 
 cruit; " I thought a fire must be a fire." 
 
 " Well," said Matty, " when hunters are in a hostile 
 country and want to prepare a meal they dig a hole and 
 make a small blaze in it that will be hot enough for their 
 purpose, but which might not be seen fifty feet away. ' ' 
 
 " And a camp fire? " continued the novice. 
 
 " Quite a different matter. That is generally a rousing 
 blaze made for comfort, and at a time when no danger is 
 feared. This was only a cooking fire," Matty went on to 
 explain, as he again thrust the " message " into the jaws 
 of the cloven stiek. 
 
 " Do you know how long ago this fire was made? " asked 
 George.
 
 PATHFINDER. 2k 
 
 " The ashes are cold now, but they must have been warm 
 rhen Elmer was here. He says so anyhow, that's the way 
 I read it. Here are four hands held up. Counting fingers 
 and thumbs he wants us to know he has gained on the 
 enemy, and was only twenty minutes behind when they 
 separated at this fire." 
 
 " Well, that takes the cake! " ejaculated Landy, whose 
 whole appearance indicated amazement. 
 
 " I wonder if it's going to turn out so? " remarked 
 George, who was always unbelieving, and hence sometimes 
 called by his friends " Doubting George." 
 
 " Well, we'll prove it later," said Matty, " because I 
 am putting all these things down in my record. When we 
 come together Elmer will tell us what he meant, and read 
 our answers out loud. Then we'll see how that second 
 squad come out. But let's be on the move again, fellows. 
 Plenty to do before we overhaul our pathfinder, and find 
 out if he secured the wampum belt. Come along, every- 
 body! " 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 AT THE HAUNTED MILL. 
 
 ONCE more the little squad of scouts resumed their for- 
 ward movement. 
 
 Matty remained at their head, as before. This game 
 was growing more delightful to him every minute, and 
 some of the others were f eeling the same way.
 
 26 PATHFINDER. 
 
 Of course it was easy work for those who came after, 
 and the second bunch, headed by Mark Cummings, would 
 have, as Red expressed it, a " snap." 
 
 The real work of following the trail was falling upon 
 Elmer and his companion, 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 reading of the signs, and leave a plain track for 
 those who came after. But the two detachments of scouts 
 were expected to pick up as much knowledge concerning 
 the methods used as they could. 
 
 Besides this, they must read the messages left occasion- 
 ally by their pathfinder. 
 
 For quite some time the boys scurried along. More than 
 once they had to quicken their pace to what Matty called 
 a " dog-trot." This happened especially 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 in athletics. 
 
 " Because we want to gain on Elmer when we have the 
 chance," replied the leader. 
 
 ' ' But look here, Matty, ' ' said Landy, ' ' do you mean to 
 tell me Elmer is getting along about as fast as we 've been 
 doing, when he has a blind trail 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
 
 PATHFINDER. 27 
 
 up where our blizzards come from. He used to ride a 
 wild broncho, throw a rope, hunt antelope and wolves, and 
 was once in at the death of a big grizzly bear that 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 be seen by any fellows like us scouts. He 
 knows a dozen signs that tell him the 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're getting pretty close to the meeting place 
 anyhow. Besides, here's a chance for me to show you 
 how Elmer manages." 
 
 The others crowded around, eager to see for themselves 
 what object lesson Matty expected to lay before them. 
 
 " Now I want you to notice right here," he said, point- 
 ing to the ground, " that the footprints of the two boys 
 ahead suddenly stop. Here are the plain marks left pur- 
 posely by Elmer and Lil Artha. Do you notice how they 
 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 on this 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 trick that Elmer guessed 
 it at a glance. He must have gained quite a lot on 'em 
 here."
 
 28 PATHFINDER. 
 
 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 of his head. 
 
 " Oh, the more you study up on this thing," said Red, 
 " the better you'll like 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 we expected to 
 round up both foxes and hounds? " 
 
 " Yes, I'm looking to hear the bugle any minute right 
 now," replied the leader. 
 
 " Where was it fixed for? " asked Landy. 
 
 ' ' Oh, I thought you knew, ' ' Matty replied, as they once 
 more took up the broad 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 to it," remarked Landy, carelessly. 
 
 " Then you've got to turn over a new leaf, old fellow, 
 if you expect to ever 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 on the alert, ' ' a scout to succeed must for- 
 ever keep his wits about him and observe things. In fact, 
 Elmer says he should take as a motto, besides the 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,
 
 PATHFINDER. 29 
 
 " but perhaps some day I'll surprise you wide-awake Slim 
 Jims by doing something real smart. But tell me more 
 about this mill." 
 
 " You sure must have heard of Munsey's mill? " re- 
 marked Matty. 
 
 " Oh, I believe it does sound kind of familiar, but then 
 I must have forgotten all I ever heard about it," Landy 
 confessed. 
 
 Eed and Matty exchanged glances, and shook their heads 
 mournfully. It seemed a pretty tough proposition to ever 
 expect to make a good and profitable scout out of such poor 
 material. 
 
 " Well," said the patrol leader, " there is a long story 
 connected with the old ramshackle mill. No use of my go- 
 ing into all the details. It's been abandoned a good many 
 years now. People have tried to live there three times 
 since old Munsey was found dead there, but they had to 
 give it up." 
 
 " Yes, suh," Chatz broke in, his eyes shining bright- 
 ly, for this was a subject that appealed very strongly to 
 him, ' ' they just couldn 't hold out. Got cold feet after go- 
 ing through the experience and had to quit." 
 
 " But why? " demanded Landy. 
 
 " Because they declared the old mill was haunted! " re- 
 plied Matty. 
 
 " Yes, suh, it was haunted," echoed Chatz. 
 
 The Southern boy had always confessed to a streak of 
 superstition in his make-up. He admitted that he must 
 have imbibed it from association with the ignorant little 
 negro lads with whom he had been accustomed to play down 
 on the plantation.
 
 30 PATHFINDER, 
 
 He had even admitted once to carrying in his pocket, as a 
 charm, the left hind foot of a rabbit, which animal had been 
 killed by himself in a graveyard when the moon was full. 
 
 The boys plagued Chatz so much that he had by degrees 
 shown signs of considering most of his former beliefs as 
 felly. 
 
 Still, the mere mention of a haunted house set his nerves 
 to quivering. Chatz might be a timid fellow when up 
 against anything bordering upon the 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! Thrilling whispers! Ice-cold hands! Oh, 
 my, what a lark! I've always wanted to get up against a 
 thing like that. Don't believe in 'em the least bit. You 
 could talk to me till you was gray-headed, and I'd just 
 laugh. There never was such things as ghosts, never! " 
 
 Chatz looked at him rather queerly. 
 
 " Oh, well, perhaps you're right, George," he said, hold- 
 ing himself in check, " but I've read of some people who 
 had pretty rough experiences." 
 
 " Rats! They fooled themselves every time," declared 
 the boy who would not believe. ' ' Bet you it was the wind 
 whistling through a knot hole, or a parcel of rats squeaking 
 and fighting between the walls. Ghosts! It makes me 
 laugh." 
 
 " Same here," declared Red. 
 
 " Listen ! " exclaimed Larry just then, making them all
 
 PATHFINDER. 31 
 
 start. Through the timber ahead of them came the sweet 
 clear notes of a bugle. 
 
 " Told you so, fellows," declared Matty, smiling; 
 " that's Elmer. He's learning to use the bugle nearly aa 
 well as Mark himself. ' ' 
 
 ' ' Then we 're at the end of our trail following, are we ? " 
 asked Landy, not without a sigh of relief, for it had not 
 been as easy work in his case as with his less stout com- 
 rades. 
 
 " Well, pretty near," Matty replied. " We've got to 
 keep it up till we come 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 show itself. 
 
 " Oh, well, there might be one more opening for a mes- 
 sage, and our main business 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 a wink. 
 
 " As what? " demanded Landy. 
 
 " Chatz thinks he'd like to prowl around some, and see 
 if that ghost has left any signs. 'Tain't often he's had a 
 chance to meet up with a real haunted house, eh, Chatz? " 
 and Red gave the Southern boy a sly dig in the ribs. 
 
 ' ' Never had that pleasure in all my life, fellows, I assure 
 you," replied the Southern boy, with ill-concealed delight 
 in his manner. 
 
 ' ' But say, no respectable ghost was ever known to walk 
 except at midnight, and we don't intend camping out at
 
 32 PATHFINDER. 
 
 the old mill, do we, just because 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't understand, and which were 
 never meant for us to understand, there's just 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 plainly for their guidance. 
 
 It was not long before another stick that held a bark 
 " message " was discovered. And Landy felt immensely 
 elated to think that by some chance he had been the first to 
 see the " sign." 
 
 ' ' I '11 surprise you fellows yet, just mark me, ' ' he chuck- 
 led, while Matty was trying to read the queer little char- 
 acters Elmer had marked upon the brown inner side of the 
 fresh bark torn from a convenient tree close by. 
 
 " "Wish yon 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 that clumsy and slow-witted I just don't see 
 now I'm ever going to keep up with the procession." 
 
 " Elmer says it's only keeping everlastingly at it that 
 makes a good scout," remarked Chatz. 
 
 Evidently, from the way these boys continually quoted 
 " Elmer," the assistant scout master must be a very popu-
 
 PATHFINDER. 33 
 
 lar fellow in Hickory Ridge, and those who have made a 
 study of boy nature can understand what rare elements 
 the said Elmer must have in his composition to make so 
 many friends and so few enemies. 
 
 " Come around and see what I've made out of this mes- 
 sage, ' ' said Matty just then. 
 
 It proved to be the concluding communication, and in 
 plain picture language informed those for whom it was 
 left that the two foxes had stopped here, made a dense 
 smoke to attract their missing comrade, and when joined 
 by him, the three had gone on together to the rendezvous 
 at the old milL 
 
 ' ' Fine, ' ' cried Landy, when he heard what a remarkable 
 story those rude drawings told. 
 
 " Very good if true," admitted George. 
 
 " Well, come along and we'll prove it," laughed 
 Matty ; " for unless I miss my guess the mill is close by." 
 
 " Sure," declared Red. " I can hear the noise of water 
 tumbling down some rocks, 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 the greatest 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 Hickory Ridge for fishing purposes. 
 And besides, the dear familiar old " swimming hole " was 
 more convenient than this place, nearly seven miles away. 
 
 " I see Elmer and Lil Artha," observed Larry.
 
 34 PATHFINDER. 
 
 " Yes, and there's another fellow just beyond. I reckon 
 it must be Ty Collins," said Chatz. 
 
 Elmer waited for them to come up. He and his com- 
 panions were standing on the edge of the dam which had 
 long ago been built in order to hold up the water and form 
 the big lonely looking pond beyond. 
 
 * ' Ugh, what a spooky looking place this is ! " exclaimed 
 Larry, as soon as they drew up where they could look out 
 on the big pond, its surface in places partly covered with 
 lily plants, and the long trailing branches of weeping wil- 
 lows dipping down to the water. 
 
 ' ' It sure is, suh ! ' ' remarked Chatz, plainly interested, 
 and not a little excited. 
 
 " Here we are, Elmer," called out Matty; " and I guess 
 the second bunch will 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 old mill, 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 had made this surprising, as well as alarming, 
 admission.
 
 PATHFINDER. 33 
 
 The others were looking, first at Elmer, then at each of 
 his three companions as well ; and finally out upon the dis- 
 mal pond that assumed much the appearance of a lake, it 
 stretched so far up the valley, almost a quarter of a mile, 
 in fact. 
 
 Just then the only sound they heard was the noisy scold- 
 ing of the water as it went over the spill or apron of the 
 stout dam that had stood all these long years, defying 
 floods and the ravages of time. 
 
 And somehow, there was something chilling in the very 
 lonesome character of their surroundings. 
 
 Of the ten scouts present, Chatz seemed to be the only 
 one who did not look solemn. There was an eager glow in 
 the Southern boy's dark eyes, as though the situation ap- 
 pealed to that element of superstition in his nature. 
 
 And Elmer, noting this expression, that was almost of 
 glee, knew that when the companions of Chatz fondly be- 
 lieved they had cured him of his silly faith in ghosts and 
 such things, they had made a mistake. The snake had only 
 been " scotched," not killed. It was already awakening 
 again, 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 find him grinning at us, perhaps astraddle of 
 a limb up in a big tree? " remarked Larry. 
 
 " I asked these fellows," said Elmec, seriously, " and 
 both Toby and Ty gave me their word of honor that no 
 game or joke was set up between them. If Nat is playing 
 
 a prank then he's doing it on his own account." 
 BS 27
 
 36 PATHFINDER. 
 
 " And Nat ain't generally the fellow to think of play- 
 ing a joke on his chums," declared Larry. 
 
 " Gee, this is getting wild and woolly now! " remarked 
 Landy; "I'm all of a tremble. What if the poor fellow 
 fell over this dam here, struck his head on a rock, and lies 
 right now at the bottom of that black pool where the foam 
 keeps on circling around and around. Ugh! It makes 
 me shiver, fellows, honest and truly." 
 
 George, as usual, scoffed at the idea of anything having 
 happened to Nat Scott. 
 
 ' ' He '11 show up as soon as he feels like it, make sure of 
 that," he declared. 
 
 ' ' Have you called him ? ' ' asked Matty. 
 
 ' ' Yes, all of us did, ' ' replied Lil Artha, whose customary 
 rollicking good nature 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," de- 
 clared Toby Jones, uneasily. 
 
 Then they all looked around again, their eyes naturally 
 roving in the quarter 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 the sluice had partly fallen to pieces with the 
 passage of time and the ravages of neglect. What was left 
 seemed to be almost entirely covered with green moss, 
 among which the clear little fingers of water trickled. 
 
 Suddenly a discordant scream rang out. It was so fear- 
 ful that several of the fellows turned pale, and all of them 
 started violently.
 
 PATHFINDER. 37 
 
 " There! " ejaculated Chatz. 
 
 His manner was almost triumphant; just as though he 
 would like to demand whether these chums of his could 
 not find some reason to believe as he did, after such a 
 manifestation. 
 
 " Oh, glory, what was that! " quivered Landy, as he 
 filutched the arm of Elmer Chenowith. 
 
 " But it didn't come from the mill," declared Larry. 
 " Sounded to me like it 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 up yonder, perhaps you'll notice a big black- 
 and-white bird come to the surface. It dived just after 
 scolding us for disturbing its fishing excursion." 
 
 Following the direction indicated by Elmer's extended 
 finger the scouts all watched eagerly. 
 
 " I see something moving just behind that bunch of lily 
 pads," exclaimed one with keen vision. 
 
 " There it swims out now, and it's a big water bird, too. 
 Looks like a goose 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 heard their wild laugh you'll 
 never forget it." 
 
 " Huh, sounds just like the shout of a crazy man to me," 
 ventured Lil Artha. 
 
 " Everybody says that," Elmer declared. " And I
 
 38 PATHFINDER. 
 
 never knew a single fellow who liked to hear a loon call. 
 Some say it's a sign of ill luck to be scolded by a loon." 
 
 " 111 luck! " echoed Chatz, once more looking in the di- 
 rection of the ramshackle old mill. 
 
 " But see here," remarked Matty, " tell us about Nat, 
 won't you? "When was his queer disappearance first 
 noticed, Elmer? " 
 
 " Well, when Lil Artha and myself arrived here we found 
 Toby and Ty throwing stones out in the pond, scaring the 
 little red-marked turtles that were sitting by dozens on 
 every old log and rock, and great big bullfrogs 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 just wandered off to look around. Ty and 
 me, why, we felt too tired to explore 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 Toby immediately aroused to 
 defend himself. 
 
 " 'Twa'n't that at all, Matty Eggleston; prove it by 
 Ty here if either of us was afraid to go inside your old 
 haunted mill, was we, Ty ? "he exclaimed, with a fine show 
 of righteous indignation. 
 
 " Course we wasn't," Ty hastened to declare, with a de- 
 cided shake of his tousled head. " "We walked along the 
 shore till we came to a nice shady place, 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 
 of us were letting fly."
 
 PATHFINDER. 39 
 
 " "When did you miss Nat, and where was he the last you 
 saw him? " asked Matty, who was expected some day to 
 become a lawyer. 
 
 " Oh! " answered Toby, "he said he'd hang around 
 the dam here and look into things. You know Nat always 
 did want to pry into everything he saw." 
 
 " What then? " Matty went on asking. 
 
 " "Why, we saw Elmer and Lil Artha coming, and went 
 to meet 'em, that's all," replied Ty. 
 
 *' Have any of you been inside the mill? " 
 
 " Why, no," Toby spoke up. " Elmer and Lil Artha 
 eat down to rest, and you see we expected Nat to pop out 
 on us any minute, so we just didn't say anything 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 we could 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, and sounded the assembly. If Nat heard 
 that he is scout enough to know it was a command for him 
 to come in if he could." 
 
 " Whew! this is something we didn't expect to run up 
 against a mystery right in the start," remarked Matty, 
 mopping his face with his big bandana handkerchief, which 
 he wore about his neck, cowboy fashion, with the knot be- 
 hind. 
 
 " You never can tell, suh! " said Chatz, in a solemn
 
 PATHFINDER. 
 
 manner; and somehow none of the boys seemed quite as 
 ready to scoff at the Southerner's superstitious belief, as 
 usual. 
 
 " But hadn't we better be looking around? " remarked 
 Matty. " Nat may have gone into the old mill, bent on 
 investigating, and some accident have happened to him. ' ' 
 
 " As what? " queried George, cautiously. 
 
 " Oh, well, perhaps he tripped and fell, striking his 
 head as he went down. Then again, a rotten plank might 
 have given way tinder him, and let him get an ugly fall," 
 Matty replied. 
 
 " That sounds reasonable enough," said Elmer, " and 
 now I want some of you to scatter around and see if you 
 can discover any trace of our missing comrade. 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, be- 
 cause there isn't a mark of blood on the rocks, as there 
 would be if he had fallen from up here on the dam." 
 
 The boys looked aghast. 
 
 Up to this point perhaps Landy and several others may 
 have indulged in a hope that after all perhaps this might 
 only be a little finish to the remarkable game of fox and 
 hounds which they had been playing. 
 
 Indeed, Red and Larry had once or twice even exchanged 
 sly winks. They actually suspected that Elmer had secretly 
 ordered Nat to conceal himself, up among the branches of 
 a tree, perhaps, so as to have the whole party guessing, 
 and running around like a pack of dogs off the scent. 
 
 Now the last vague hope in this particular seemed shat- 
 tered by Elmer's thrilling suggestion.
 
 PATHFINDER. 41 
 
 And more than Red 's horrified eyes roved in the direction 
 of the ugly black pool, across the surface of which the 
 foamy white bubbles kept circling constantly, as the sur- 
 plus water ran over the dam. 
 
 ' ' Where will the rest of us look, Elmer ? ' ' asked Matty, 
 breaking the awful silence that had gripped them after 
 hearing the scout master's suggestion. 
 
 " Any old place," replied Elmer; " only I guess you 
 needn't go far along that farther shore, because Toby and 
 Ty were there where you see that big 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. An old blue jay was screechin' in the woods 
 near us. Yep, a feller might 'a' called out and we not no- 
 ticed it." 
 
 " Iwant two of you to go with me to the mill," said 
 Elmer. 
 
 ** Count me for one! " cried some one, instantly; and 
 of course that was the eager Chatz, who would have started 
 a new rebellion had he been debarred that privilege. 
 
 " And I'm tke second victim," declared Lil Artha, with 
 a grin, but at the same time looking very determined. 
 
 " All right," said Elmer; " fall in behind me, and we'll 
 see what the inside of the mill looks like."
 
 42 PATHFINDER. 
 
 CHAPTER IV, 
 
 THE SEARCH FOB A CLEW. 
 
 FOLLOWING the lead of Elmer, the tall lanky scout and 
 \&.Q wiry Southern boy quickly found themselves at the 
 other end of the mill dam. 
 
 Lil Artha had cast his eyes about him as he cautiously 
 made his way along. He seemed to be figuring on what 
 chance there might be for an active chap like Nat Scott 
 slipping on one of the wet and moss-covered stones, 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 strange vanishing of their comrade must have 
 some connection with the mystery of the old mill. 
 
 Did they not admit that three separate times people had 
 tried to live there in the dwelling that was part and parcel 
 of the mill; and on every occasion they had given it up 
 as a bad job ? 
 
 Why? 
 
 Well, it seemed to be understood that none of them could 
 stand the sights 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 it seemed as if there must be something in it. 
 
 At any rate, everyone of those three families believed 
 the mill house haunted. And for many years now, no one 
 had had the nerve to occupy the place
 
 PATHFINDER. 43 
 
 And yet it had once been a paying venture, for the main 
 road was only a few hundred yards away from this lonely, 
 forbidding-looking pond, where the frogs grew so large 
 and the red-marked " turkles," as Ty Collins called them, 
 were so saucy. 
 
 "Careful here!" warned Elmer, as they arrived at 
 the runway, where in times 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 a wet 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 on his hands and knees, as though ex- 
 amining something that had just caught his 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 I ought to know what his footprint 
 looks like. Here it is on this clay just beside the sluice. 
 Wait till I cross and see if he made the other side all 
 right." 
 
 " He must, because he ain't in the sluiceway," remarked 
 the tall bey. 
 
 A minute later and Elmer, who had carefully crossed 
 over, testing each board before trusting his weight on it, 
 called out: 
 
 " The maiks are here, all right, fellows. Nat did start 
 to look into the old mill Come over, but be careful, Go
 
 *4 PATHFINDER. 
 
 flow, Chatz," he warned again, as the impetuous Southern 
 hoy slipped, and might have landed in the slimy sluice 
 only that Lil Artha threw out a hand and clutched him. 
 
 They were now almost in the shadow of the deserted 
 mill. It looked gloomy and forbidding to the eyes of at 
 least Elmer and the tall lad, though Chatz may have con- 
 sidered it an object well worth coming a long distance to 
 see. 
 
 " Wow! I must get some pictures of this same old ruin 
 while we're up here," said Lil Artha, who carried a little 
 pocket camera along, and was a very clever artist indeed. 
 
 " A fine idea," remarked Elmer; " but there are a lot 
 of good people in Hickory Ridge who would think a picture 
 of Munsey's mill very tame and incomplete 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 to tempt that same ghost to pose for me. 
 Anyhow I mean to ask him, if so be we happen to run across 
 his trail." 
 
 He looked at Chatz, and then winked one eye humorously 
 at Elmer. But the Southern boy did not deign to take any 
 notice. 
 
 " Come, let's go in, fellows," he said, impatiently. 
 
 With that th three started for the other side of the mill, 
 where an entrance could most likely be much more easily 
 effected. 
 
 Elmer continued to watch the ground, and from the sat- 
 isfied look on his face Lil Artha felt sure the scout master 
 must be discovering further traces of the missing boy.
 
 PATHFINDER. 45 
 
 Perhaps, after all, they would find Nat hiding inside the 
 mill or the dwelling alongside. Perhaps he had been so 
 busy investigating that he had not noticed their shouts, 
 or the bugle call, for the falling water made quite a little 
 noise. 
 
 Or, on the other hand, possibly Nat may have been seized 
 with a sudden desire to tease his comrades in return for 
 many a practical joke of which he had been the victim. 
 
 But one of the three was quite firm in his belief that 
 neither of these explanations would turn out to be the true 
 one. 
 
 Of course this was Chatz Maxfield, through whose mind 
 had run the conviction that poor Nat Scott must have paid 
 dearly for his temerity in invading the haunted mill. 
 
 Yes, Chatz feared that the ghost must have got Nat, 
 though he was afraid to 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 be much 
 bolder than they naturally are. 
 
 Once around the end of the mill and they saw the dwell- 
 ing attached to it. 
 
 Here, too, was the old road, now overgrown with weeds 
 and almost hidden from view. And yet, twenty years ago, 
 in Miller Munsey's time, no doubt farmers daily drove 
 up here with sacks of corn, wheat, or rye, to have the 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 open- 
 ing where some boards are off the side of the mill. Perhaps 
 we'd better do the same."
 
 46 PATHFINDER. 
 
 " A good idea," remarked Chatz, with the air of one 
 who could not get inside the walls of the mill too speed- 
 ily to please him. 
 
 " Just as you say, Elmer," the lanky scout observed; 
 for having been in the company of the other when the lat- 
 ter was acting as pathfinder to the expedition, Lil Artha 
 was more than ever filled with admiration for his wonder- 
 ful talents in discovering things supposed to be lost. 
 
 So Elmer without further hesitation ducked through 
 the opening, with his two 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, shut out some of the noise caused by the falling 
 water. 
 
 Lil Artha and Chatz both looked about them eagerly, 
 even anxiously, as soon as they found themselves within 
 those walls which had once resounded 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 Nat Scott lying somewhere 
 about, Chatz, on the other hand, was anticipating discov- 
 ering some token of ghostly visitors. 
 
 Nothing rewarded either of them, however. The interior 
 of the mill was of course in a generally dilapidated con- 
 dition. What remnants of the crushing and milling ma- 
 chinery remained were rusty and broken, as though tramps 
 may have made the place a refuge, and tried to destroy 
 what they could not carry away to sell. 
 
 The boards creaked dismally under their tread. More
 
 PATHFINDER. 47 
 
 than that, they were loose in places, and Lil Artha, stepping 
 upon the end of one, might have vanished through a gap 
 in the floor only that his agility saved him. 
 
 " "Wow, would you see that, now, Elmer! " he exclaimed, 
 his voice sounding strange amidst such singular surround- 
 ings. 
 
 " You made a neat side step, old fellow," said the one 
 addressed. " Some of us, more clumsy, would have slid 
 down into the cellar." 
 
 " Say, now, I wonder " began Lil Artha, and then 
 stopped to stare at the treacherous 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 over the loose plank. 
 
 It required considerable tugging to get it out of the bed 
 it had occupied 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 was secretly shivering with the anticipation of 
 making a grewsome discovery, but who would not have his 
 comrades know the true condition of his nerves for a good 
 deal. 
 
 " It sure does that," was Elmer's reply. 
 
 " I can just make out something or other lying down
 
 48 PATHFINDER. 
 
 there ; it might be an old log, you know, and again, p 'raps it 
 ain't." 
 
 Lil Artha did not venture to say plainly that he more 
 than half feared lest the object he could see might turn out 
 to be poor Nat Scott. But that was a fact. 
 
 " Well, let's find out for sure." 
 
 Elmer, while speaking, was taking something from his 
 pocket. It proved to be an old newspaper, from which 
 he tore a sheet, crumpling it up into a ball. 
 
 " I generally carry a newspaper along when I go into 
 the woods," he said in explanation. " And it's wonderful 
 what a help it sometimes turns out to 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 elec- 
 tric hand torch my father gave me on my birthday, you 
 remember, Elmer? " 
 
 " Oh," laughed Elmer, " well, who'd ever think we'd 
 have any need of a torch on this hike! Why, it was an 
 altogether daylight affair, and we expected to be back 
 home long before supper time. I even promised Mark to 
 practice battery work some this afternoon. There, now 
 watch when it drops. 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 the opening, after Elmer released 
 his fire ball. 
 
 The burning paper seemed to alight upon the damp
 
 PATHFINDER. 49 
 
 earthen floor of the cellar. Immediately both boys tried to 
 secure a mental photograph of all there was below them. 
 
 " It's only a log! " cried Lil Artha, in a relieved tone 
 of voice, and at the same time betraying more or less dis- 
 appointment, for perhaps he had made up his mind that 
 they were to be treated to some species of horror. 
 
 " You're right," added Elmer, " that's what is it an 
 old log that has lain there, goodness only knows how long. 
 Nat doesn't seem to have slipped down into the cellar, then, 
 does he? " 
 
 " Not that you could notice," replied Lil Artha, and then 
 he added: " but Elmer, didn't you notice something jump 
 when that paper first went down ? ' ' 
 
 " 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 in fairy tales or hobgoblin yarns. But something 
 sure moved." 
 
 " A big rat I guess, perhaps a muskrat from the pond 
 above. They sometimes 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 ft 
 large dog," replied Elmer.
 
 BO PATHFINDER. 
 
 Then he and the tall scout scrambled hastily to their 
 feet, for Chatz had suddenly given utterance to an ex- 
 clamation that seemed to contain much of both surprise 
 and mystification. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE TEAIL GROWS WARMER. 
 
 " SAY, just look up there, fellows ! " 
 
 Chatz pointed a quivering finger upward as he gave ut- 
 terance to these words. 
 
 Of course both Elmer and the lengthy scout followed his 
 directions, and turned an inquiring gaze toward the dimly 
 seen rafters of the old deserted mill. 
 
 " Gee whittaker! what in the dickens are they? " ex- 
 claimed Lil Artha, as his startled eyes rested on what 
 seemed to be countless numbers of queer little bunches of 
 dusky gray or brown hair. 
 
 They looked for all the world like some farmer's wife's 
 winter collection of herbs, tied up in small packages, and 
 fastened in regular order along the different beams. 
 
 " Well, I declare," laughed Elmer. 
 
 " You know what they are, Elmer; let us in on it, won't 
 you?'" demanded Chatz. 
 
 " Nothing whatever to do with the ghost, but all the 
 same^ often found in haunted houses, church belfries, and 
 old towers. fc.'ee here." 
 
 He stooped and picked up quite a good-sized stone that 
 happened to be lying on the floor.
 
 PATHFINDER. 51 
 
 Elmer was a pitcher on the Hickory Ridge baseball nine, 
 and could hurl a pretty swift ball. 
 
 When he shot that stone upward it went like a young 
 cyclone, struck the rafters with a loud bang, clattered 
 around from one beam to another, and finally fell back to 
 the floor with a thud. 
 
 This latter sound was certainly not heard by any one 
 of the three scouts, for it was utterly drowned in a tre- 
 mendous rush as of sturdy wings, and several openings 
 above were filled with some rapidly flying objects. 
 
 " Wow, did you ever see the like of that now! " cried 
 Lil Artha. 
 
 " What were they, Elmer ? " asked Chatz, who had really; 
 been too startled to 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 to me that I had bats in my belfry; but 
 sure not that many. Why, I reckon there 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 scout master made reply. 
 
 So they went from one end of the deserted mill to the 
 other, peering into every place where it seemed there might 
 be the slightest hope of discovering their missing comrade. 
 
 Elmer even entered a small room off the main floor, and 
 B s 28
 
 52 PATHFINDER. 
 
 which had possibly been used as an office when the grist- 
 mill was in business. 
 
 " Nothing doing, Elmer? " announced Lil Artha, as the 
 other came out again. 
 
 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 seen from his manner that he was eager to make 
 the change. 
 
 After one more careful glance around, as if to make ab- 
 solutely positive that 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 knew their little lesson full well, and were ready 
 to follow their leader wherever he might choose to go. 
 
 Elmer had previously noticed a door leading, as he be- 
 lieved, from the main mill into the cottage that had once 
 been the miller's home. 
 
 Toward this he now pushed. He wondered if he would 
 find the door fastened in any way. One touch told him it 
 was not. 
 
 And so, without hesitation, Elmer strode across the 
 threshold into what had 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 boys passed from one apartment to another
 
 PATHFINDER. 53 
 
 until presently they had been over all the territory com- 
 prised within those four walls, so far as they could see. 
 
 Both Chatz and Lil Artha uttered exclamations that 
 breathed their disappointment. 
 
 Because each of them had failed to discover that upon 
 which he had set his mind he failed to see anything else. 
 
 Not so Elmer, who carried out the principle which he 
 was forever holding up before the others as a ca/dinal vir- 
 tue which should govern a true scout 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 certain groove. 
 
 A frown came upon Elmer's face also, as though he did 
 not wholly like the looks of things. 
 
 " Well, he ain't here, that's sure," remarked Lil Artha, 
 shrugging his shoulders in disgust. 
 
 " He certainly isn't," muttered Chatz, who, however, was 
 thinking of an entirely different object than the one the 
 tall boy referred to. 
 
 " Suppose we give him a shout, and see if there's any 
 result ? ' ' suggested Lil Artha. 
 
 " Do so, if you like," replied Elmer, in a tone that did 
 not seem to promise much faith in the outcome of this plan. 
 
 So the tall boy raised his voice and shouted in his loud- 
 est key. A few stray bats that had taken up lodgings in 
 various dark corners of the four rooms went flapping 
 through a broken sash. But beyond that nothing came to 
 pass. 
 
 " This sure beats the Dutch," remarked Lil Artka, using 
 his bandana again to wipe off the perspiration that had 
 gathered in beads upon his forekead.
 
 54 PATHFINDER. 
 
 Elmer was looking around again. 
 
 " Wonder if there can be a cellar under here? " he re- 
 marked, presently. 
 
 " I should suy yes," replied the tall boy. 
 
 " Then there ought to be a trapdoor in the floor some- 
 where about. Look around and see if you can find it, boys. ' ' 
 Elmer continued, himself stepping into the kitchen. 
 
 Chatz aud the tall boy had hardly gotten well started 
 in their search than they heard Elmer calling. 
 
 "He's found it, sure! " observed the Southern lad. 
 
 " The luckiest chap e T er, take that from me," declared 
 Lil Artha, and then adding hastily: " but then, he always 
 deserves his luck, because he works for it." 
 
 Although he did not exactly mean to do so, the one 
 who said that expressed one of the greatest truths known. 
 Deserve good luck, and it will many times knock at your 
 door. Do things worth while, and obtain pleasing re- 
 sults. 
 
 Of course they hastened into the kitchen. Here they 
 found Elmer bending over and examining the floor. 
 
 " It's a trapdoor, all right," declared Lil Artha, as he 
 noted the dimensions of the cracks that formed an almost 
 perfect square. 
 
 " But how to get it up's the question," said Elmer; " for 
 there seems to be no ring in sight. All the same, boys, I 
 reckon this same trap has been 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
 
 PATHFINDER. 55 
 
 sort of tool has been used to pry tip the thing," Elmer 
 went on. 
 
 " Say, I had a glimpse of an old broken kitchen knife 
 lying over there by the sink. "Wonder if that would do 
 the trick? Shall I get it? " remarked Lil Artha, 
 
 " If you will," replied Elmer. 
 
 The article in question was speedily placed in the hand* 
 <yf the scout master. 
 
 "* Just the very thing to lift this trap with," he declared, 
 oo he started to insert the stout remnant of the blade in the 
 crac'v. 
 
 * 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 enough to allow the others a chance to insert their 
 ready fingers. After that it was easily completed, and the- 
 square of wooden flooring removed. 
 
 " Dark as Egypt," remarked Lil Artha, as he tried to 
 pierce the gloom with his gaze. 
 
 Elmer made a move, and Chatz, thinking he intended de- 
 scending the ladder that 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 what lies there, either. If anybody must 
 go, send me." 
 
 " "Well," laughed Elmer, " I like your nerve, Chatz. 
 Tou think something might hurt me, but you don't care
 
 56 PATHFINDER. 
 
 so much for yourself. That's like you Southern fellows } 
 though. But make your mind easy, my boy, because just 
 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 I thought you were going." 
 
 " Oh, I only meant to get out my newspaper again, and 
 make another little candle, ' ' said Elmer, with a chuckle. 
 
 * ' Well, say what you will, boys, ' ' remarked Lil Artha, 
 who had been thrusting his head below the level of the 
 floor and sniffing at a great rate ; ' ' 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," admitted Ebner. 
 
 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 some- 
 thing 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 to say. 
 
 Meanwhile Elmer had, as before, taken a section of 
 the newspaper, crumpled it into a ball, and after that 
 drew out his match box.
 
 PATHFINDER. 57 
 
 *' Guess it's safe to drop this down," he remarked. " It 
 seems so damp there 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 in- 
 stantly applied to the paper 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 complete inventory of the contents of the little 
 damp cellar under the deserted mill cottage. 
 
 For perhaps a full minute the paper ball continued to 
 burn, lighting up the 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 his manner 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 stone walls, a hard earth floor, and a few old 
 boxes lying around, but not another blessed thing." 
 
 Something about Elmer's manner caught his attention 
 and aroused his suspicions. 
 
 " See here, did you discover anything? " he demanded*
 
 58 PATHFINDER. 
 
 " "Well," replied Elmer, " I can't say that the evidence 
 is so plain a fellow who runs may read ; but from a number 
 of things I've seen since coming here to the Munsey mill 
 pond I've about made up my mind this place isn't quite 
 as deserted as people seem to believe. ' ' 
 
 ' ' Do you mean, Elmer, ' ' cried Lil Artha, excitedly, 
 " that tramps or some more 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't believe they dare spend a night under 
 this roof. There's no sign of that." 
 
 " But what would they kidnap our chum for? " de- 
 manded the excited tall scout. 
 
 " 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? " 
 dsked Chatz Maxfield, after staring at the scout master in 
 a puzzled manner for half a dozen seconds. 
 
 " 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't understand, suh, what those fellows would 
 want to make a prisoner of poor Nat for. In all our troop 
 he's about the most harmless scout, except perhaps Jasper
 
 PATHFINDER. 59 
 
 Merriweather. Nat is strong as an ox, but he wouldn't 
 hurt a fly if he could help it." 
 
 " That's so," echoed Lil Artha. " I've seen him walk 
 around so as not to step on a harmless little snake on the 
 road. And it wasn't because he was afraid of snakes, 
 either. Remember he killed that fierce big copperhead last 
 summer, after the other fellows had skipped out? " 
 
 " There's one chance, though," Elmer went on, " that 
 after all Nat may be hiding." 
 
 11 But he knows the sound of the bugle, and what pen- 
 alty follows disobedience on the part of a scout, ' ' declared 
 Lil Artha. 
 
 ' ' That 's true enough, fellows, ' ' Elmer said, as if he him- 
 self might be trying to see through a haze ; ' ' but perhaps 
 Nat finds himself in a position where he can't answer us 
 without betraying himself to these unknown men." 
 
 Again did Chatz and the tall scout look at each other 
 helplessly. And judging from the way they shook their 
 heads, the puzzle was evidently too deep for them. 
 
 " Say, Elmer, you manage to get on to these things in 
 a way to beat the band ; could you give a guess now about 
 how many men there are holding out around this old 
 haunted mill? " 
 
 Lil Artha asked this in good faith. He had come to be- 
 lieve, with most of his comrades, that Elmer Chenowith 
 was next door to a wizard. Of course they realized that 
 his knowledge was at all times founded on facts and com- 
 mon sense ; yet this did not detract from the wonder of his 
 accomplishments.
 
 60 PATHFINDER, 
 
 " I think there are three at least, perhaps four or fire 
 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 in contact with one who, according to recognized 
 scout law, must be considered 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 we didn 't find, ' ' remarked Lil Artha. 
 
 " Yes. There doesn't seem to be anything more to poke 
 into here; for I'm dead certain those men, whoever they 
 are, don't make their headquarters in either the mill or 
 the cottage." 
 
 " You mean they don't sleep here; is that it, suh? " in- 
 quired 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 this place; 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 it would be so handy, in a thunderstorm 
 like we had the other day, for instance, that looks as if 
 they believed some in the ghost story, don't it, Elmer? "
 
 PATHFINDER. 61 
 
 " Why, I suppose it does, Chatz." 
 
 " All right. I'm not saying anything more," remarked 
 the Southern boy, Aath a look of conviction on his dark 
 face, ' ' but I only hope we run across one or more of these 
 mysterious unknowns while we 're up at Munsey 's mill. ' ' 
 
 ' ' Listen to that, would you, Elmer ! I declare if he don 't 
 mean to interview these fellows, and find out what they've 
 gone and seen here in the night time! " and Lil Artha 
 chuckled as he said this. 
 
 " All right," remarked Chatz. " There are a lot of 
 things I've always wanted to know, and I'd be a silly to 
 let the chance slip past me." 
 
 " Hey, how about this bally old trapdoor, Elmer? " de- 
 manded 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 he helped lift the wooden square back to 
 where it belonged; " why, you could do better than ask- 
 ing questions of an outsider, because, Chatz, you might 
 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 in question if there really is such a thing. I'm 
 only wanting to know; and I come from South Carolina, 
 suh, not Missouri."
 
 62 PATHFINDER. 
 
 Elmer, after one last glance around the kitchen, was 
 heading for the other room where an exit could be made. 
 
 And it was almost ludicrous to see with what haste the 
 other two followed after; just as if neither of them cared 
 to be left alone inside the walls of the haunted mill cot- 
 tage. 
 
 Once outside, they found several of their comrades clus- 
 tered near by, evidently awaiting them. That curiosity was 
 apidly reaching fever heat it was easy to see from the 
 anxious looks cast upon those who had been investigating 
 the interior of the buildings. 
 
 No doubt every fellow had meanwhile been industriously 
 engaged in ransacking his brain to remember all he had 
 ever heard concerning Munsey's mill, and the troublesome 
 spirit that had frightened away three separate tenants in 
 years gone by. 
 
 They were rather a demoralized trio of boys who wel- 
 comed the coming of Elmer, 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 little bunch. 
 
 But the scout leader instead raised the bugle to his lips 
 and sounded the 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 as though he might have 
 been at some little distance when he heard the summons 
 for gathering.
 
 PATHFINDER. 63 
 
 ** Listen ! ** said Elmer, raising his hand, and imme- 
 diately the confused chattering of many boyish tongues 
 ceased. 
 
 This enabled them to hear distant shouts from the south- 
 east, as though newcomers might be approaching the mill 
 over about the same course as that they had pursued. 
 
 " Mark Cunimings and the last detachment! " declared 
 Matty. 
 
 ' ' Hurrah ! six more good fellows to do battle with thi 
 mtlaws of the haunted mill! " exclaimed Red; at which 
 some of the others gasped in astonishment, and exchanged 
 uneasy glances. 
 
 " Better wait till they all get here, boys," said Elmer, 
 " and then I'll tell you what we've found out, also what 
 we suspect. ' ' 
 
 Chatz and Lil Artha could not but notice how particular 
 Elmer was to use the plural pronoun. But then, that was 
 always his way. "Whatever faults the boy may have had 
 and the best o* fellows comes far from being perfect self- 
 ishness was not one of them. Impatiently they waited 
 for the coming of the six scouts forming the last detach- 
 ment. This would increase their rollcall to sixteen, lack- 
 ing only one of the number that had started out. 
 
 Presently a sight of khaki uniforms among the trees an- 
 nounced their near approach. 
 
 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
 
 64 PATHFINDER. 
 
 their interpretation of the messages might excel that of 
 the first detachment. 
 
 But in the midst of the questioning, the startling news 
 concerning Nat Scott's mysterious vanishing began to cir- 
 culate among the newcomers. 
 
 This put a quietus on all business, and the entire troop 
 clustered around 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's disappearance was brought to his attention 
 by Toby and Ty, just before the coming of Matty and his 
 group of scouts. 
 
 Then he quickly related what he and Chatz and Lil Ar- 
 tha had done in the deserted buildings close by. 
 
 Presently the story was finished, and some of the boys, 
 who had listened with hearts beating much faster than 
 their wont, took the first decent breath in five minutes. 
 
 Of course questions poured in on Elmer as thick as 
 hail stones during a summer storm. Finding it utterly 
 impossible to answer a quarter of these intelligently, and 
 make any kind of progress, Elmer called for silence. 
 
 " It stands to reason, fellows," he remarked, when the 
 last whisper had died away, " that we've got to have sys- 
 tem about this thing if we expect to do any business. Am 
 I right? " 
 
 " Yes, yes," came from every scout; for boys though 
 they were, they recognized the wisdom of what he said. 
 
 * ' All right, then, ' ' Elmer went on. ' ' I 'm going to divide
 
 PATHFINDER. 65 
 
 the troop into three searching parties. "We must scour the 
 neighborhood and see if .we can find any sign of where these 
 unknown men sleep, for there isn't any trace of their 
 staying in cottage or mill at night time." 
 
 " We understand what you mean, Elmer. How shall 
 we divide up? " asked Mark. 
 
 " You keep your detachment as it was, intact, Mark," 
 came the reply; " and Matty, you have your six to back 
 you. Lil Artha, Toby, and Ty will fall in 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 that they envied the good luck of the three 
 fellows who had been picked out to form Elmer's smaller 
 group. 
 
 " What are our duties to be? " asked Mark, who, having 
 only recently arrived, 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 a stout club in the woods, as he passes along," 
 said Elmer. 
 
 " Like this, for instance," remarked 'Jack Armitage, 
 flourishing a husky specimen that would pass muster for an 
 Irishman's shillalah. 
 
 " Or this! " cried Red, whose cudgel was as long as a 
 walking stick, and almost as thick through as his wrist. 
 
 " Suit yourselves about that, boys," continued the scout 
 master, " only don't be in a hurry to use them as weapons 
 until you have the order. Now, each detachment must
 
 66 PATHFINDER. 
 
 keep close enough, together so that the members may com- 
 municate 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, or the 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 on the solving of the 
 puzzle must immediately summon his leader. This he can 
 do by the whistle which all of you know, as it has been 
 used before." 
 
 " Is that all, Elmer? " asked Mark. 
 
 ' l If the matter seems very important to the mind of the 
 leader, let him give the assembly call very loud on his 
 whistle. Upon hearing that, every scout is expected to 
 give up hunting on his own account, and head in toward 
 the place the signal comes from. Is that plain to every 
 fellow? " 
 
 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 hands of these men, who- 
 ever they may turn out to be." 
 
 " If they've hurt our Nat, it's going to be a bad day 
 for them, that's all," blustered Red, as he pounded his 
 club against an inoffensive stone. 
 
 " Now, start out, fellows, and let's see who'll be the 
 lucky one to discover this hidden shack where these men 
 must stay nights," Elmer concluded. 
 
 " Say, hold on here! Is that what you're looking for
 
 PATHFINDER. 67 
 
 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 OP LANDY. 
 
 EVERY boy became suddenly stationary when this sur- 
 prising intelligence broke from the lips of the new member, 
 who, like three others in the troop, did not wear a khaki 
 uniform. 
 
 Elmer had several times let his eye fall on the stout 
 boy, as though trying to guess what his manner indicated. 
 
 He had seen Landy come up last of all, panting so for 
 breath that not one 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 ways proven his right to the title of green- 
 horn. 
 
 Imagine, then, the utter amazement of his comrades 
 when he so coolly declared that he might be able to lead 
 them to a hidden shack. 
 
 Elmer, if surprised, did not allow this fact to interfere 
 with his plain duty. 
 
 " Come here, Landy," he said, and the stout new re- 
 cruit hastened to do as he was ordered. 
 
 Of course Landy would not have been human, and a 
 BS 29
 
 b8 PATHFINDER. 
 
 boy, had he been able to repress the grin that forced itself 
 upon his rosy countenance. 
 
 Perhaps he remembered saying not so very long ago 
 that the time might come when he would be able to prove 
 his ability to carry the name of a scout. 
 
 Of course at the time Landy could never have even 
 dreamed the opening would arrive so soon. That made 
 it all the more welcome. Perhaps now, some of the fel- 
 lows who loved to tease him, and say that he was too 
 fat and 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 center of the stage. 
 
 Mindful of the respect due his superior officer, Landy 
 Baluted as he clicked his heels together, and stood at atten- 
 tion before the scout master. 
 
 " You say you can show us where there is a hidden 
 Bhack or cabin, do you, Number Eight? " 
 
 Elmer frequently addressed the boys by the number 
 they held in their patrol, and as Landy was the last one 
 admitted into the Wolf Patrol he went as Number Eight. 
 
 " Yes, sir," the tenderfoot replied, quite enjoying the 
 fact that fifteen pairs of eager eyes were riveted upon him 
 right then and there. 
 
 Landy looked redder than usual, but for all that he 
 seemed able to command his voice, for it did not tremble a 
 particle. 
 
 " You arrived later than the rest when I sounded the 
 assembly on the bugle, ' ' went on Elmer ; ' ' was that because 
 you were some little distance away? "
 
 PATHFINDER. 69 
 
 " Yes, sir, I was just going to peek in through the 
 window of that funny little 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 you will always keep your duty before your 
 mind. Do you think you could lead us to where you saw 
 that hidden shack? " 
 
 ' ' I expect I can, sir ; anyhow, I 'm ready to try, ' ' Landy 
 promptly answered. 
 
 Several of the scouts exchanged nods and glances. Why, 
 they had never before dreamed that the fat boy had so 
 much business about him. He acted just 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 the making 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 way to get there." 
 
 " But how about us, Mr. Scout Master; do we keep up 
 the formation as arranged? " asked Mark. 
 
 " No, for the present that is all off," Elmer replied, 
 " the whole of you fall in behind; and don't forget to 
 keep an eye out for your sticks. But no talking above a 
 whisper, remember. This may turn out to be serious busi- 
 ness."
 
 70 PATHFINDER. 
 
 The scouts already realized this. Still his words of 
 caution entailing silence 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 was receiving, 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 a novice in the art of picking his way. 
 Landy had imagined that he was just soaking in valuable 
 information while following the lead of Matty or Elmer. 
 But when the crisis arose, and he found himself placed 
 upon his own responsibility, he lost confidence. 
 
 Pretty soon Elmer guessed the truth, and that their 
 guide was getting what Lil Artha would call " wabbly." 
 This was when he took them twice to the same spot and then 
 looked pained. 
 
 " Up a stump, fellows," chuckled Larry, who had per- 
 haps himself felt a little twinge of jealousy because a green- 
 horn had so suddenly leaped into the front when older and 
 more experienced scouts had been unable to score. 
 
 But Elmer was not at all dismayed. In fact, to tell the 
 actual truth, he had rather expected that the new beginner 
 might find more or less trouble in carrying out his orders. 
 
 " Getting mixed up some, are you, Number Eight? " 
 he demanded, as Landy scratched his head and then ten- 
 derly caressed quite a good-sized lump they now saw he 
 had on his forehead. 
 
 '* Well, I'm sorry to say, sir, I sem to be a little con- 
 tused," admitted the fat boy; " but then perhaps that
 
 PATHFINDER. 71 
 
 ain't to be wondered at if you knew just how hard 1 
 bumped into that crooked tree yonder." 
 
 " With your head? " asked Elmer. 
 
 * ' Yes, sir, ' ' replied Landy ; ' ' you see I was trying to 
 hurry, when my foot caught in a vine and I went ker-slam 
 right against that tree. Say, but I saw ten million stars 
 right then! and that's no exaggeration, sir." 
 
 " Why do you say it was this tree, Number Eight? " 
 the young disciple of woodcraft 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 the dent I bet I made when I 
 struck. ' ' 
 
 Some of the boys snickered at this. Not so Elmer, who 
 seemed to feel he had quite a serious proposition on his 
 hands, and that the others had a right 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 saw Elmer advance to where the crooked tree 
 pointed out by the fat recruit stood, and bend down at 
 its base. 
 
 Every eye remained glued on the young scout master. 
 Not a word more was said, for they knew that explanation 
 of Elmer's movements must be the right one. 
 
 No sooner had Elmer dropped to his knees than he felt 
 a thrill of pleasure. 
 
 " It's here, sure enough! " he muttered, as his eye dis-
 
 72 PATHFINDER. 
 
 covered the torn turf where Landy 's toes must have dragged 
 when he fell. 
 
 And with the knowledge of trailing which he possessed, 
 it must surely prove an easy task to follow those plain 
 tracks. Landy knew nothing at all concerning the art of 
 hiding a trail, and which the bearer of the wampum belt 
 and his companion had tried their best to put into prac- 
 tice with the idea of deceiving the pathfinder who came 
 behind. 
 
 When Landy put bis foot down it was with considerable 
 emphasis. Consequently, any one of the more experienced 
 scouts would have been equal to the task of following that 
 trail backward. 
 
 As Elmer moved away he made a swift, beckoning move- 
 ment with his arm. This the boys interpreted as a com- 
 mand 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 came together with a click as he grasped his cudgel 
 tighter in his hand, and resolved to give a good account 
 of himself should it become necessary to do something 
 violent. 
 
 True, the rules counseled peaceful victories; but there 
 may be times when it becomes absolutely necessary for 
 Boy Scouts to show that they have good red blood in their 
 veins. 
 
 And most of those present were of the opinion that the 
 present occasion promised to be just such a crisis that called 
 for strenuous treatment. 
 
 Their companion, Nat Scott, had mysteriously disap-
 
 PATHFINDER. 73 
 
 peared, and they had good reason to believe that he had 
 fallen into the hands of these unknown men who made the 
 vicinity of Munsey's mill their secret headquarters. 
 
 Why they should seize upon Nat, and what object they 
 could have in holding him a prisoner, were questions no 
 one could answer, as yet. But they meant to know, and 
 that before long. 
 
 Now and then some fellow would step aside without a 
 word, and possess himself of some attractive club that had 
 caught his eye while passing. 
 
 Evidently none of them had forgotten the injunction of 
 their leader to arm themselves. And really it was strange 
 how much comfort even a stout walking stick could give 
 a fellow on an occasion of this sort, when unseen and un- 
 known perils hovered about them. 
 
 Meanwhile Elmer stuck to his task. Indeed, it was an 
 easy one for so experienced a tracker and pathfinder, and 
 he did not hurry along faster simply because he wanted a 
 little time to collect his own thoughts, and decide what 
 ought to be done. 
 
 When Landy so obediently gave up his investigation, 
 and sought to rejoin the balance of the troop when the 
 bugle sounded, he managed to make what proved to be a 
 " bee line " through the woods. Even trees that were in 
 the way could not stop him with impunity, as he had 
 proven when he collided with that crooked one. 
 
 This made Elmer's job still easier. And as he advanced 
 farther into the woods he marveled first at the rashness 
 of Landy in wandering so far away; and second at the 
 ability he displayed in getting safely back to the shore of 
 the pond.
 
 74 PATHFINDER. 
 
 Elmer was keeping one eye out ahead as he moved along. 
 Of course he anticipated coming upon the concealed shack 
 at any moment now. When he saw an unusually large 
 cluster of high bushes and undergrowth he felt positive 
 that he must be almost in touch with the place. 
 
 What kind of reception might they expect? If these 
 men, whom none of them had as yet even seen, turned out 
 to be rascals who were hiding from justice, and who 
 suspected them of being a posse sent out to round up the 
 tramp thieves, their manner of greeting might prove to be 
 anything but friendly. 
 
 Could they have one or more fierce dogs among them? 
 Elmer had not seen the first trace of a dog anywhere 
 around, but this could hardly be accepted as positive evi- 
 dence that there were none. 
 
 Frequently such men make it a point to possess canine 
 companions. And these are invariably of some species fond 
 of the spirit of battle. 
 
 It was partly the expectation of running across such 
 four-footed enemies that had influenced Elmer to have 
 the boys arm themselves with clubs. He knew what a 
 power for good a stout cudgel may prove under such con- 
 ditions. 
 
 Looking closely he had to confess that he could see no 
 sign of life about that clump of bushes. 
 
 And yet the trail led directly from it ; and as if to sweep 
 away his last remaining doubt he now discovered a second 
 series of fresh tracks leading straight toward the spot. 
 
 Besides, here was a regular path, beaten down by many 
 feet, and which headed in the quarter Elmer knew the big 
 pond lay.
 
 PATHFINDER. 71 
 
 That settled it. 
 
 Elmer waited for the balance of the troop to come up. 
 Everyone's gaze was fastened on him. Eyes flashed morf 
 brightly than usual, and some of the boys naturally showed 
 their nervousness by the way they kept their cudgela 
 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 he remembered that a scout on duty must wait 
 to be asked before volunteering any information. 
 
 " Yes, sir," he replied, " that is the place." 
 
 " Spread out a little, fellows, " said Elmer, quietly, " and 
 advance slowly. Everyone be ready to give a good account 
 of himself if they rush any 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 had seen a shack. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 BEADING THE SIGNS. 
 
 "HALT!" 
 
 At the command the scouts came to a stop. They had 
 Deen gradually concentrating as they pushed forward, so 
 that when this halt was made they formed half a circle, 
 &nd each fellow was almost touching elbows with the next 
 in line. 
 
 Just before them, even though pretty well concealed by
 
 /6 PATHFINDER. 
 
 the foliage of the bushes, they could make out what ap- 
 peared to be a rough shack. 
 
 No other name would apply, for it was clumsily built out 
 of odds and ends of boards, secured at the mill, no doubt, 
 together with sods, a heap of stones, some mud that had 
 hardened until it resembled mortar; and, finally, a roof 
 thatched with straw, much after the style the boys had 
 seen in pictures of foreign cottages in Switzerland, France, 
 and Italy. 
 
 " Say," observed Red, who found it unusually hard to 
 keep from expressing his views, " I don't believe there are 
 any kiyi dogs around here, fellows." 
 
 " Don't seem like it," remarked another, doubtless 
 breathing a sigh of relief at the improved prospect. 
 
 " Sure we'd have heard them give tongue," observed 
 Toby, advancing boldly to look in through the opening at 
 the side of the shack, and which doubtless served the pur- 
 pose of a window. 
 
 " Careful, Toby; go slow," called out Elmer; for there 
 could be no telling what sort of a storm the appearance 
 of the boys in khaki might raise within the shanty. 
 
 An intense silence followed. Every fellow could feel 
 his heart pounding against his ribs like a trip hammer, and 
 he wondered whether the sound were loud enough to be- 
 tray 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 observ- 
 ing all these doings with round-eyed wonder, began to 
 chatter and scold. A little striped chipmunk sat up on a 
 neighboring stump and took note.
 
 PATHFINDER. 77 
 
 *' Nobody home, fellers," called out Toby, after he had 
 apparently stared in through that opening for more than 
 a full minute. 
 
 Some of the scouts looked relieved; others frowned as 
 if disgusted. This sort of thing might be all very well, 
 but it did not seem to be taking them any closer to the 
 rescue of their comrade, or clearing up any of the dark 
 fog of mystery that hung like a wet blanket between them- 
 selves and the solution. 
 
 Elmer immediately strode forward. By following the 
 well-defined path he was 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 keenest ears among the scouts failed to catch 
 the slightest sound following this summons. 
 
 " Try it once more, Elmer," advised cautious Mark. 
 
 Again the tattoo sounded, but as before it produced 
 no results. So Elmer opened the door, which he saw had 
 been fashioned in the rudest way from boards, and hung 
 upon strap hinges. 
 
 As he pushed the door aside, every scout held his breath 
 and gripped his stick expectantly. But nothing happened. 
 No string of rough men came bustling forth, demanding 
 in coarse language what the boys meant by bothering them. 
 
 It looked as though Toby must have struck the right 
 key when he so confidently 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.
 
 78 PATHFINDER. 
 
 Just as he had expected, Elmer found the interior of thtJ 
 shack pretty gloomy. Under the best of conditions very 
 little daylight could find a way through such small open- 
 ings, and these were now almost filled by the bodies of 
 the curious scouts. But this was a matter easily remedied. 
 Elmer had his matchsafe ready in his hands, and his first 
 act was to strike a light. 
 
 As soon as the match flamed up he cast one quick look 
 around the interior. This assured him that there were cer- 
 tainly no low-browed men crouching in the corners, and 
 ready to hurl themselves upon the young invaders. 
 
 The next thing Elmer did was also a very natural move. 
 He saw a candle in a bottle, standing on an upturned box, 
 and stepping forward he applied his match to the waiting 
 wick. 
 
 Then he looked around again. 
 
 There could be no doubt about this shack having been 
 recently used as sleeping quarters by a number of men. 
 
 Several heaps of straw told where they lay, and Elmer 
 counted four of these. Then there were a few bits of old 
 clothing hanging from nails, a pair of heavy shoes, a frying 
 pan, a kettle in which coffee might have been made, some 
 broken bread, part of a ham, and some ears of corn; thia 
 last possibly stolen from the field of some farmer. 
 
 It looked like a tramp's paradise, but the puzzle was, 
 what would tramps be doing so far away from all customary 
 sources of supply? 
 
 Elmer sniffed the atmosphere, which was both heavy and 
 far from pleasant. And Lil Artha, who had pressed into
 
 PATHFINDER 79 
 
 the shack, hot upon the heels of his chief, took note of his 
 significant action. 
 
 " I should say yes, it's rank as all get out," he remarked, 
 holding his nose between a finger and thumb. " Even 
 beats that fishy smell we struck when we looked down into 
 the cellar at the cottage. "Whew ! ' ' 
 
 Others expressed themselves about as strongly, and little 
 Jasper Merriweather, who had unwisely pushed into the 
 shack, found it necessary to hurry out again, white of face 
 and gasping. 
 
 But Elmer had conceived an idea, even while suffering 
 from the unpleasant 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 the rank evidence of 
 it. Wow, ain't I sorry for poor Nat if he's got to asso- 
 ciate with this hobo crowd for long! " 
 
 " But how do we know they're hoboes?*" asked Elmer, 
 turning on the tall scout. 
 
 " Hey? What's that? " exclaimed Lil Artha, actually 
 so surprised that he neglected 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 doubt that now ? ' ' cried the tall boy, sweeping 
 his hand around as though to draw attention to the various 
 articles that seemed to stamp that theory a positive fact. 
 
 " Seeing these things here is what makes me question 
 that idea very much," began Elmer; and then he picked
 
 80 PATHFINDER. 
 
 up one of the old shoes, to hold it at arm 's length. ' c Look 
 at that, fellows ; never made in this country, and you know 
 it. Hobnails such as no one but foreigners use on their 
 shoes. ' ' 
 
 ' ' Well, I declare ; I guess Elmer's right ! ' ' exclaimed Red. 
 
 " He certainly is, suh, take my word foh it," was the 
 way Chatz expressed himself. 
 
 ' ' Now look here, whoever saw a tramp 's nest with any- 
 thing like this in it? " and Elmer picked up a string of 
 beads, evidently a rosary, that must have been overlooked 
 in a hasty flight. 
 
 " "Whew, that's going some! " ejaculated Phil Dale who, 
 with his cousin Landy, happened to be in the shack eager 
 to see all that went on. 
 
 " Perhaps he can even tell us what brand of foreigners 
 these fellows are," remarked Landy, who was beginning 
 to look upon Elmer pretty much in the light of a wizard. 
 
 " Oh, that ought to be easy, fellows," said the young 
 scout master, as he reached up and took down a worn letter 
 his quick eye had noticed stuck in a crack. 
 
 Every eye was immediately focused on the scout master. 
 They knew his reasoning powers of old, and expected that 
 Elmer would quickly put them on the right track now. 
 
 Indeed, hardly had the latter glanced at the well-worn 
 letter he held than 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 Giuseppi Caroni," replied the other.
 
 PATHFINDER. 81 
 
 " "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, you thee." 
 
 " And if it isn't, fellows, here's the postmark as plain 
 as anything Naples, Italy," continued Elmer. 
 
 " Naples, hey? " remarked Lil Artha. " Say, I was just 
 reading about Naples the other day, and it said that next 
 to the island of Sicily we get more of our Black Hand 
 crowd from there than any other part of Garibaldi's old 
 land." 
 
 A gasp seemed to go the complete rounds of all the 
 khaki-clad warriors who 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 of the Old "World. The kind that abduct 
 people so as to make their rich relatives whack up a big 
 ransom. ' ' 
 
 " Oh! " 
 
 Some of the boys looked a little timid, and glanced around 
 apprehensively, as though they anticipated seeing a whole 
 bunch of fierce-looking dynamite users rise up around them. 
 
 Others shut their teeth together harder than ever, and 
 these more determined fellows, it might be noticed, tight- 
 ened the grip they had upon their sticks. 
 
 All eyes were turned again upon Elmer, who had listened 
 to these remarks with an amused smile.
 
 82 PATHFINDER. 
 
 " Hold on your horses, boys," he said, raising his hand 
 just then to still the rising dispute. 
 
 " Shut up, everybody; Elmer's got something more to 
 tell us," Lil Artha cried. 
 
 The hubbub died away, and an eagerness to listen took 
 its place; for every one of them was anxious to pick up 
 points concerning the clever way 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 confronted by a baffling mystery such as the Hickory 
 Ridge troop was now up against. 
 
 " 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 four separate kinds leading up to this place, 
 and each one different." 
 
 " Hurrah! I tell you, fellows, that's the way to learn 
 things. Elmer knows 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 old cast-off shoe here. A third one had on American- 
 made brogans, and I expect they hurt him some, too, be- 
 cause he was limping as he walked. He is undoubtedly 
 the chap who used to own these old foreign-made gun- 
 boats."
 
 PATHFINDER. 83 
 
 " Hold on a minute, please, Elmer," pleaded Red. 
 
 " All right. You want to ask me something, and I 
 think I know what it is," remarked the other. 
 
 " You say this fellow's new shoes hurt him, and made 
 him limp; please tell 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 his tracks show plainly that he limped. Some- 
 thing was wrong with his left leg or foot, because the 
 toe dug deeply into the ground." 
 
 " Well, I declare is that dead-sure evidence, Elmer? " 
 demanded the astounded tenderfoot, Landy, who was lis- 
 tening with all his might to these intensely interesting 
 facts as brought out by the scout master. 
 
 " Try it yourself sometime, Landy," remarked Elmer. 
 " Pick out a nice piece of ground where the marks will 
 show plainly. Limp as naturally as you can with the left 
 leg. Then go back and examine the trail. You will find 
 that not only does the left foot dig deeper at the toe than 
 the right one, but that same toe drags a little over the 
 ground as you bring the left foot forward each time." 
 
 " Just listen to that, will you! " remarked Red, " but 
 I know Elmer is right. I can grab the principle of the 
 thing." 
 
 " But how about the fourth one, Elmer; seems to ma 
 you've been holding back something there, that you mean to 
 spring on us, " said Lil Artha. 
 
 " Well, I have," remarked the other, quickly. " This 
 fourth track was smaller than the others, and the person 
 
 also wore American-made shoes." 
 B s 30
 
 84 PATHFINDER. 
 
 " Ah, a boy, eh? " asked Red. 
 
 The scout master shook his head. 
 
 ' ' "Wrong that time, my boy. You '11 have to guess again, 
 I reckon," he said. 
 
 " Was it a woman, Elmer? " demanded Lil Artha. 
 
 " Just what it was an Italian woman, squatty like most 
 of her race; and I 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 the respect supposed to be shown for an 
 acting scout master, even though in the private walks of 
 life he might only be a fellow playmate ; ' ' you can 't ex- 
 pect 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 positive front of the other. 
 
 " Stop and think, did you ever see any other than a 
 short, squatty woman among the Italian laborers? And 
 I reckon nobody else ever did. They carry heavy burdens 
 on their heads, and people say that's one reason they're 
 always dumpy," Elmer began.
 
 PATHFINDER. 85 
 
 " He's right, fellows," broke out Landy; " why, I've 
 seen a dago woman carrying a mattress, a stove and some 
 chairs on her head all at the same time. Gee, looked like 
 a two-legged moving van:" 
 
 " But see here, you notice a shelf with a few things on 
 it, some hairpins among the lot. It was built unusually 
 low, so she could reach it. And what's this you see here, 
 fellows? A piece of broken looking glass fastened to the 
 wall. Notice how low down it is ? No man ever used that 
 glass, you can depend on it; and the woman who did was 
 surely small, wasn 't she now 1 ' ' 
 
 " 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 without ever seeing her? " demanded Toby. 
 
 " Nothing could be easier, fellows; see here! " 
 
 As Elmer spoke he reached out his hand and took some- 
 thing off the low shelf. 
 
 Those in the room crowded around, fairly wild to follow 
 out the clever deduction of their young leader. 
 
 " Why, it's a comb," cried one. 
 
 " Only an old broken comb," echoed another, with a 
 shade of uncertainty in his voice. 
 
 " What is there about that to tell you, Elmer? " queried 
 Red, staring first at the article in question, and then at 
 the smiling scout master. 
 
 " I know," burst out Matty just then.
 
 86 PATHFINDER. 
 
 " Tell us," pleaded several. 
 
 " Yes, throw some light on the dark mystery," added 
 Lil Artha, ' ' because to the untrained eye it 's all as gloomy 
 as the inside of my pocket. A comb, 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 when you're first learning how to fly," Matty 
 began. 
 
 " Hey, don't you drag me into this thing," spoke up 
 Toby, whose many experiments as a new beginner in the 
 science of aviation had usually ended in his enjoying a 
 disastrous tumble. 
 
 " All you have to do is to examine the comb," Matty 
 went on. " Then you'll find that it holds a few long hairs, 
 and, fellows, just see how gray they are, will you? " 
 
 " Well, what d'ye think of that? " burst out Red. " And 
 I guess we're a lot of chumps, fellows, not to have seen 
 through it before." 
 
 " Would a woman be among anarchists, Elmer? " de- 
 manded Toby. 
 
 " Oh, I don't know," came the reply. " Perhaps so, 
 though not as a usual thing. 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 a bully good sum by holding our pard, 
 Nat Scott, for ransom ? ' ' demanded Red. 
 
 " I've seen nothing to tell me that's the way matters 
 stand," Elmer commenced saying, " and several things seem 
 to say just the opposite. The presence of the woman, and
 
 PATHFINDER. 87 
 
 her having such an article as this precious string of beads 
 don't seem to go along with such a thing as a band of 
 rascals. ' ' 
 
 " Yes, yes, go on, Elmer," several called out. 
 
 " We haven't found the slightest sign of a bomb fac- 
 tory here, or even a book teaching how to bring about a 
 revolution. These things make me believe that these three 
 men and a woman may not be such terribly hard cases 
 after all." 
 
 " But you believe they've got our chum, and are hold- 
 ing him a prisoner, don 't you, Elmer ? ' ' asked Matty. 
 
 ' ' I do believe it, ' ' Elmer went on. ' ' In fact I know it, 
 because if you look back of that empty box yonder, which 
 they use for a table, you'll find a hat Nat's hat, if I'm 
 not mistaken." 
 
 A rush was made for the box in question, and there fol- 
 lowed a confusion of 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 in question. 
 
 " It looks like a scout's regulation hat? " Elmer re- 
 marked. 
 
 " Which nobody could deny," sang Lil Artha. 
 
 " And as every scout present has his own hat on his 
 head right now, it stands to reason this couldn't belong to 
 any of us, eh, fellows ? ' ' 
 
 " To clinch the matter, Elmer," observed Matty, " if 
 you look inside the hat you'll find two little silver letters 
 fastened there. The N. S. stands for Nathaniel Scott."
 
 88 PATHFINDER. 
 
 " Well, that point seems proved. Nat was here. Per- 
 haps in wandering about he struck this place. But the 
 indications are he was captured first, and brought to this 
 shack. ' ' 
 
 " But,'' said hasty Red, interrupting Elmer, " if you 
 admit that these Italians have made our pard a prisoner, 
 how can you say they are net bad men, thieves wanted by 
 the officers of the law, even if not anarchists? " 
 
 " Some things I can only guess at, without being able 
 to explain my conviction. But, honestly, fellows, I hardly 
 think these people are as bad 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 or 
 daughter of a rich man, and demand a heavy ransom. But 
 in this case they would hardly pick Nat Scott for a pigeon 
 to be plucked. His father is only a schoolmaster. There 
 are others here who would <*eem to be more attractive bait." 
 
 ' ' Hear, hear ! ' ' cried Lil Artha, casting a meaning look 
 in the direction of Larry Billings, whose father, being a 
 banker, was reckoned the richest man in all Hickory Ridge. 
 
 " But ain't we wasting a heap c f time here? " asked 
 Red, impatient as always to be doing something. 
 
 " That's just what I was saying to Ted here," declared 
 Larry, whom the meaning glance of Lil Artha had plainly 
 rendered uneasy. 
 
 " You may think so," remarked Elmer, " but this is 
 a case of the more haste the less speed. I reckon it's wise 
 for us to make sure about the character of these Italians 
 before we go to chasing after them. They're an excitable
 
 PATHFINDER. 89 
 
 lot, you know, and we might bring on trouble that could 
 just 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 a pretty 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 so far are founded on such slight evi- 
 dence that I don't care to commit myself before the whole 
 of you yet. ' ' 
 
 " But from what you said just now," Matty continued, 
 " you don't seem to agree with the rest of us when we call 
 these Italians anarchists. ' ' 
 
 ' ' Because there hasn 't been a solitary thing to prove it. 
 We pathfinders must 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 these people 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 be on the other foot." 
 
 " Eh? " 
 
 " And perhaps these honest people might suspect that 
 you three fellows in uniform represented the great United
 
 90 PATHFINDER. 
 
 States army about to surround them, and make them pris- 
 oners because they had been occupying private property 
 here at Munsey 's mill. ' ' 
 
 The scouts looked at one another, astonished. Here was 
 a theory then which 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 ? ' ' said Lil Artha. 
 
 " But, Elmer, why take poor Nat a prisoner, bottle him 
 up so he couldn't call for help, fetch him to this old shack, 
 and finally carry him off when 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 Indian writing; but please don't expect me 
 to tell you what people think. I only know that these Ital- 
 ians were surely frightened at the sudden appearance of 
 three fellows in khaki, and that they probably took them 
 for soldiers. They must have had some idea in view when 
 they captured Nat, and hustled him to this shack. Perhaps 
 they only meant to hide here until 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 made them believe the worst was about to hap- 
 pen," Elmer continued. 
 
 " Say, I thought I heard low voices when I was just 
 going to peep in that window there, and the bugle called 
 me back to duty," Landy spoke up. 
 
 " Yes," Elmer added ; " and it may be the coming of
 
 PATHFINDER. 91 
 
 Landy just finished their panic. After he went away they 
 must have vamosed the ranch in a hurry." 
 
 " Well, all this is mighty interesting, sure," declared 
 Red, with an appreciative nod, " but it ain't bringing us 
 any closer to finding our chum Nat." 
 
 " Yes, what's the programme, Elmer? " asked Chatz. 
 " Do we take up the trail right away, and try to follow 
 these heah rascals to their new camp ? You can count on 
 all of us, suh, to do the troop credit." 
 
 " There may be another way," remarked Elmer, who 
 seemed to be pondering over the matter. 
 
 " Tell us about it, then, please." 
 
 " Sometimes it's the best policy to hike after an enemy 
 as fast as you can put. Then again, there are other times 
 when a whole lot can be won just by waiting for the enemy 
 to come to you." 
 
 " That's so, fellows," declared Matty; " I see what El- 
 mer means. He thinks that if we hid out here, we'd be 
 able to bag the whole blooming crowd soon. ' ' 
 
 " Sounds all right in theory," admitted Red, " but for 
 one I'd like to know why Elmer believes that push will 
 come back after a little." 
 
 " I only feel pretty sure on one point," explained the 
 acting scout master. " 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.
 
 92 PATHFINDER. 
 
 " Won't, eh? " remarked Lil Artha. 
 
 ' ' I firmly believe that once we withdraw from this same 
 old shack the woman 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 thousand combs," and Elmer as he spoke held up the 
 string of beads forming the rosary. 
 
 " In her hurry to get away she must have forgotten all 
 about this. But I warrant 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 so be we haven't 
 taken it from that nail where it was hanging when we 
 came in." 
 
 "Good! You've got things down just pat, Elmer. And 
 then what? " asked Matty. 
 
 " I expect to hide near by while the rest of you go 
 noisily away. She can't know how many came, and she'll 
 think all have departed. Then, when she comes in I'll 
 make her a prisoner. Perhaps they'll be glad to exchange 
 Nat for their woman. Or else, if we can make her under- 
 stand that we're only toy soldiers, and mean the men no 
 harm, she will lead us to their hide-out. ' ' 
 
 The scouts were listening attentively, as they always did 
 when Elmer was talking. He possessed such a fund of 
 interesting information that they knew f ull well they could 
 learn many useful things by trying to grasp the ideas he 
 advanced.
 
 PATHFINDER. 93 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 HOW THE TEAP WORKED. 
 
 " THERE'S only one thing about it that I object to on 
 general principles," remarked Mark. 
 
 " What's that? " asked Elmer. 
 
 " You shouldn't think to stay here alone," the other 
 went on. " Perhaps one 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, would be bad enough for one fellow to 
 handle." 
 
 <4 That's so, Mark." 
 
 " And should there be a dago man along, why, I guess 
 you'd just have to sit sucking your thumb and not making 
 a move," Mark continued. 
 
 " I reckon I would," laughed Elmer. " All of which 
 means that you think I ought 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 the eager faces by which he 
 was surrounded: " oh, well, Lil Artha will be the other."
 
 94 PATHFINDER. 
 
 ' ' Oh, shucks ! ' ' grumbled Red, bitterly disappointed, be- 
 cause he dearly loved 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 a trail. I don't believe these rough fellows 
 know the first thing about trying to hide their tracks, so 
 you oughtn't to have a great deal of trouble." 
 
 " Oh, I guess I'd be equal to the job so long as they 
 keep down on the low ground. But if they once start up 
 the side of the hill, where it's all rocky, I reckon my cake 
 will be dough, then, Elmer." 
 
 " Do your best, anyhow, Matty," the scout master went 
 on; " nobody can do more. But to tell you the truth, I 
 believe the first chance lies here. ' ' 
 
 " You really think, then, the woman will return? " quer- 
 ied Mark. 
 
 '* I am almost dead certain of it," Elmer replied. " I've 
 been among the Italians some in the colony they have on 
 the outskirts of our town. And I 've studied them more or 
 less. They seem a queer people to us, but their religion 
 is a big part of their lives at least that goes with the 
 women part of the settlement. ' ' 
 
 " I think you're right, Elmer," remarked George, who 
 had not spoken up to now; " I happen to know a little 
 about the Italians, too, because my father employs a lot 
 of 'em, you see. "Wouldn't be surprised one bit if she 
 sneaks back here to recover those beads. They mean a heap 
 to her, fellows."
 
 PATHFINDER. 95 
 
 Everybody stared to hear George talk like that, for as a 
 rule he was hard to convince ; which fact, as has been stated 
 before, had caused him to be known as " Doubting George." 
 
 " "Well, let's get busy," suggested Eed, who, if he could 
 not hold over to assist Elmer, at least felt that the sooner 
 he and the rest started on the trail the better. 
 
 " That's the stuff," added Toby, also anxious to be doing 
 something, he cared little what. 
 
 " All right," remarked Elmer, " and, as a first move, 
 suppose you fellows begin to back out of here. Keep in 
 a bunch outside. Mark, you an\i Lil Artha watch for a 
 chance to drop down in the bushes, and lie as quiet as 
 church mice till I give the signal, which will be a whistle. 
 Understand? " 
 
 " Sure," replied Lil Artha, pausing in the doorway to 
 watch Elmer hang up the beads again on the nail where 
 he had found them; " but why ought we be so particular 
 about dropping out of sight, if you don't mind telling us? " 
 
 " Well, it might be the woman has already returned, and 
 is hiding somewhere 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 she wouldn't try to enter the shack at all," Elmer 
 pursued. 
 
 " Then well have to be mighty careful, Mark, how we 
 do the great vanishing act," the tall scout remarked. 
 
 " Wait till the boys happen to bunch around you, then 
 just drop, and let them go on. But Mark, as you will be 
 the last one out, suppose you close the door after you, just 
 as if the shack were empty."
 
 06 PATHFINDER. 
 
 " Are you expecting to hide behind that box, Elmer? * 
 demanded his chum, pointing to the affair that had evi 
 dently 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, beyond which the scouts could be seen talking and 
 gesturing as Matty looked for the trail left when the Ital- 
 ians fled in such haste. 
 
 Evidently it was Mark's idea to take a good mental im- 
 pression of the interior of the shack away with him. This 
 would prove useful in case there 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 the shack was swung shut, Elmer hastened to softly 
 move the big box a little, so that it might suit his purpose 
 better. 
 
 He did not imagine that this would appear suspicious 
 in the eyes of the woman, should she return for her rosary, 
 because it was to be expected that 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 were growing fainter. Evidently Matty must have 
 found the trail he wanted, showing where the four Italians, 
 together with their prisoner, had left the concealed shack. 
 
 So, knowing the value of time in an affair like this, 
 Elmer hastened to crawl behind the big box. 
 
 Anyone entering the room could not see him, nor would 
 his crouching form be visible from the hole in the shack 
 intended as a window.
 
 PATHFINDER. 97 
 
 At the same time Elmer had so contrived things that, 
 by making use of an old 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 the door. 
 
 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, prov- 
 ing that Matty must be showing considerable skill in lead- 
 ing his detachment along a trail. 
 
 Indeed, once the presence of human beings no longer 
 acted as a disturbing element, a little frisky red squirrel 
 hopped up in the open window and peeped within the shack. 
 
 Perhaps the little chap was more or less at home there. 
 At any rate Elmer was pleased to see him sit up on his 
 haunches and begin to gnaw at a stray nut he had evi- 
 dently 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 give warning by frisking away in 
 sudden alarm. 
 
 So the wide-awake scout finds opportunities to make use 
 of the most ordinary and commonplace things to be met 
 with in the woods. 
 
 Everything may have a meaning, if only the scout pos- 
 sesses the key of knowledge so necessary for the unlocking 
 of the door. 
 
 Not moving a finger Elmer simply awaited the turn of 
 events.
 
 98 PATHFINDER. 
 
 And not once did he doubt the outcome, so positive was 
 he that his reasoning must be correct. 
 
 If the woman returned alone, he believed they ought to 
 easily take her prisoner; but, on the other hand, should 
 one or more of the men accompany her, he must expect 
 the conditions to be changed, and alter his own plans in 
 consequence. 
 
 Two minutes most have gone by now. 
 
 Elmer was not simply guessing this, or, as Lil Artha 
 would say, ' ' making a blind stab at it. ' ' He knew because, 
 as he crouched there watching, he was continually marking 
 the flight of time by counting to himself. 
 
 In imagination his gaze followed the swinging pendu- 
 lum of the big grandfather clock that stood in the hall 
 of his home. 
 
 " Tick, tick, tick! " he could see it go back and forth, 
 each movement marking the passing of another second of 
 precious time. 
 
 Ah! the squirrel had ceased to work at his nut now, 
 He even gave signs of sudden alarm, as though his keen 
 little ratlike ears had caught a foreign sound indicating 
 the coming of a human being. 
 
 And yet Elmer knew positively that he himself had not 
 moved in the slightest degree, so that the squirrel's panic 
 could not be laid at his door. 
 
 " I guess something's going to happen," he thought, 
 " unless either Mark or Lil Artha showed themselves reck- 
 lessly; and I don't believe they'd do it." 
 
 He continued to watch his four-footed little sentinel 
 perched up there in the apology for a window.
 
 PATHFINDER. 99 
 
 Even as he looked the timid squirrel vanished as sud- 
 denly as it had appeared. 
 
 Elmer only silently chuckled, quite satisfied with the 
 way things were working. 
 
 And he somehow still continued to keep his eyes glued 
 on that hole in the wall, as though laboring under the 
 impression that when the Italian woman 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. This was brought about by the uplifting of 
 a human hand, upon the fingers of which he could count 
 at least five broad rings without settings. 
 
 Perhaps the owner of that hand was on her knees, and 
 in this manner sought to rise up. 
 
 Elmer, still looking, saw a head presently fill part of 
 the crude window. 
 
 It was a woman who stared in, there could be no ques- 
 tioning that fact. And so far as he could tell she seemed 
 to be alone, for he neither saw nor heard any sign of a 
 second party. 
 
 Once he knew her burning gaze was fastened upon the 
 bunch of straw which he had arranged so as to serve as a 
 veil, back of which he might continue to watch what was 
 taking place. 
 
 Elmer fairly held his breath, fearing that she might 
 have discovered the lurker, or at least entertained suspicions 
 regarding his presence there. 
 
 But not so. 
 
 Her eyes, having swept back and forth until they had 
 BS 31
 
 100 PATHFINDER. 
 
 fairly covered the whole interior of the dimly lighted shack, 
 seemed to be attracted toward one 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 into the danger zone. 
 
 And from that instant, if Elmer had allowed the slightest 
 doubt to creep into his mind before, it no longer found 
 lodgment there. 
 
 The woman was bound to enter in order to obtain pos- 
 session of that precious string of beads. 
 
 Once she thrust her head and shoulders through the 
 opening and attempted to clutch the rosary, but the effort 
 was useless. 
 
 ' * Now she is coming ! ' ' 
 
 Elmer whispered this to himself as he saw that the 
 woman no longer occupied the opening she had undoubt- 
 edly started for the door. 
 
 Yes, now he could see the closed door begin to quiver, 
 as though eager hands had started to open it. 
 
 Elmer held his breath with eagerness, and all the while 
 watched the door. 
 
 Between his strong teeth the scout master held a little 
 German silver whistle, such as patrol leaders usually carry 
 for signaling purposes. 
 
 This he expected to sound when the time was ripe, and 
 he had every reason to believe that his two comrades would 
 rush into the shack the very instant they heard the call. 
 
 Now the door was surely opening wider. Even in her 
 hurry the Italian woman did not forget the need of due
 
 PATHFINDER. 101 
 
 caution when all these enemies seemed to be hanging 
 around. 
 
 Her experiences across the ocean may have made her 
 exceedingly ill disposed to trust anything that wore a 
 uniform. 
 
 Yes, the door had given way by now to admit a moving 
 figure, and then it was 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 Lil Artha would have put it, 
 but, as Elmer had said, might be close on sixty years of 
 age, for she had many wrinkles, and her hair was certainly 
 gray. 
 
 She left the door unfastened behind her. Elmer chuckled 
 to himself under his breath, for he saw that in doing this 
 the woman had not only left a way of speedy escape open 
 for herself in case of necessity, but also a free 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 silver cross at the double end. 
 
 And the hidden scout could hear the low words of mu- 
 sical Italian flowing from her lips when she reached out an 
 eager hand to seize upon the sacred article.
 
 102 PATHFINDER. 
 
 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 behind the woman and could never bring himself 
 to believe that he had made even the slightest sound when 
 rising. 
 
 Then the only explanation left was that the woman hap- 
 pened to be in front of the broken looking glass at the mo- 
 ment, bent on fastening the beads about her thick neck. 
 And if so, she must have discovered him as he arose from 
 behind the big box. 
 
 At any rate she uttered a cry that to his mind was not 
 unlike the snarl of a wild beast. He saw the almost sav- 
 age look that came over her swarthy face, and knew that 
 after all, such a woman was fully as much to be feared as 
 the stoutest ladrone. 
 
 And so Elmer did not think it was unworthy of a true 
 scout to send out the call for help. 
 
 The woman might be disposed to defy just one half- 
 grown lad, whereas if she believed herself to be up against 
 the whole troop she would submit with the best grace she 
 could command. 
 
 And so he blew a shrill blast that must bring both Mark 
 and Lil Artha dashing to the spot. 
 
 The effect upon the woman was rather surprising. 
 
 Perhaps Elmer might have expected seeing her cower 
 down, seized with a sudden overwhelming fear, but nothing 
 of the kind occurred. 
 
 To his surprise she snatched out a wicked-looking knife
 
 PATHFINDER. 103 
 
 from the bosom of her dress. It looked to Elmer like a 
 broken kitchen knife that had been ground down to a 
 point. With such a blade he remembered seeing the Ital- 
 ian women from the settlement just outside Hickory Ridge 
 wandering around in the early spring, digging dandelion 
 plants for ' ' greens. ' ' 
 
 He could hear the rush of approaching footsteps even 
 as the woman sprang for the door with a wild look on her 
 face. 
 
 The other two scouts had of course caught his shrill 
 signal, and were hastening to join their leader. 
 
 Undoubtedly both Mark and Lil Artha must have seen 
 the woman, if not while she was looking in at the window, 
 then when she turned the corner of the hidden shack to 
 enter by the door. 
 
 And hence they would surely understand that there was 
 no man opposed to their 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 sud- 
 den panic she wounded either of his chums ? There could be 
 no telling what a fear-crazed, ignorant woman, strong as 
 an ox, and almost as irresponsible, might do in an emergency 
 like this. 
 
 Of course he would have only been too well pleased 
 could he have shown the 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 the door, there was certainly no opportunity 
 for argument.
 
 104 PATHFINDEE. 
 
 Elmer sprang forward. 
 
 His main idea was to try and knock that blade from her 
 grasp by striking sharply on her arm or her knuckles. 
 
 At the same time he thought to warn the other scouts, 
 so that they might take due precautions when sudden] y 
 brought face to face with the Italian woman who was run- 
 ning amuck. 
 
 Perhaps when they heard him shout they would just 
 naturally believe he was being hard pressed. And in that 
 case, instead of deterring them, his cries would only fur- 
 ther 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 care there! " 
 
 'Just then something happened. 
 
 The woman had not turned her head as Elmer thus gave 
 tongue, as might a hound on the warm trail of the fox. 
 
 She kept straight on. The door was before her, and 
 while she had drawn it shut after entering, it has been 
 mentioned before that she made no attempt to fasten the 
 same. 
 
 So now, when she hurled her whole weight against the 
 barrier it flew outward with a jump. 
 
 As luck would have it, the two scouts had managed to 
 reach the door at exactly the same time. And that second 
 chanced to be the identical one when the frightened for- 
 eigner crashed into the door. 
 
 There could only be one result, and that filled with bit- 
 terness and woe to both Lil Artha and Mark. As the 
 uncouth door was thrown suddenly outward, as if forced
 
 PATHFINDER. 105 
 
 by a battering ram from within, it struck the scouts a tre- 
 mendous blow. 
 
 They crumpled up and went over. A couple of ten- 
 pins struck by a swiftly hurled ball could hardly have col- 
 lapsed more ingloriously than did Lil Artha and his mate. 
 
 Indeed, the long-legged scout seemed to perform a com- 
 plete revolution in the air, landing on his knees among 
 the bushes. 
 
 Two seconds later, when Elmer dashed out of the shack, 
 this was the astonishing spectacle he saw the woman run- 
 ning away as best her bulk allowed, casting glances that 
 were half frightened, half triumphant, behind her; while 
 Mark was sitting up, rubbing a bump on his forehead rue- 
 fully, and Lil Artha had taken out a handkerchief to dab 
 at his bleeding nose. 
 
 Still, nothing short of an earthquake could ever bottle 
 up the flow of animal spirits that usually possessed the 
 lanky one. 
 
 While he applied his handkerchief until it looked par- 
 ticularly gory, he was 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 shack just take a notion to fall 
 over on us? It felt like I was being kicked by an army 
 mule. ' ' 
 
 " Same here, Elmer," lamented Mark, as he succeeded 
 in struggling to his feet. 
 
 "Well, it wasn't anything like that at all," declared 
 Elmer, hastily; " and if you take the trouble to look
 
 106 PATHFINDER. 
 
 yonder, before your eyes begin to close up, you'll see what 
 hit you, running away like a scared hippopotamus. ' ' 
 
 ' ' Glory be ! Was it that dago woman ? ' ' yelled Lil Ar- 
 tha, now on his feet again. 
 
 " Yes, she burst the door open when she saw me, and as 
 you chanced to be in 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 cover three feet to her one. Let's make 
 her a prisoner," shouted Lil Artha, whose usually even 
 temper seemed to have been decidedly ruffled by his recent 
 mishap. 
 
 So the three scouts left the shack and began to rush 
 after the fleeing Italian woman. 
 
 Of course she knew immediately that she was being pur- 
 sued. She tried to increase her pace, but evidently with 
 little success. Short, dumpy people can never hope to 
 compete with slim, long-legged greyhounds like Lil Artha. 
 
 And so, almost from the start, the three scouts began to 
 close in upon the fleeing Italian woman. 
 
 " Say, she's got a bloody old knife," gasped Lil Artha, 
 as they struggled on through the woods where the creep- 
 ing vines and the underbrush, not to mention frequent 
 logs and occasional woodchuck holes, made running a des- 
 perate 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 was shouting about, to warn you." 
 
 " Are we gaining any, Elmer? I can't see just as well
 
 PATHFINDER. 107 
 
 as I M like, with this thing up to my nose, ' ' the lanky run- 
 ner 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 blow on the arm," continued Elmer, who 
 strangely enough seemed as cool as a cucumber, while 
 both of his companions showed the effect of the mad pace. 
 
 " I tumble to it, Elmer," gasped Lil Artha, " and I'm 
 the fellow to give that lovely little tap. I made Eed drop 
 his stick seven times when we were having a bout with 
 long sticks, and which we pretended were the old-style 
 quarterstaves. ' ' 
 
 Even the long-legged Lil Artha must see now that the 
 distance separating the pursuers from the fugitive had been 
 greatly shortened. Another five minutes would see them 
 overhaul the woman, unless something not down on the 
 bills came to pass. 
 
 Five minutes why there would surely be ample time to 
 bring this result about, judging by the way they were cov- 
 ering two yards to her one. 
 
 The woman knew it, too. 
 
 She was becoming more and more anxious. This was 
 shown by the way she kept turning her head from time 
 to time as she ran. 
 
 Elmer knew what was apt to happen. For himself he
 
 -108 PATHFINDER. 
 
 found that he had need of both his eyes with every step 
 forward he took through that tangle, where trailing vines 
 lay in wait to trip him up, and branches hung low as if 
 seeking to catch in his hair, to make him another Absalom. 
 
 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 to interfere with his pur- 
 suit. 
 
 So he had hastily scrambled to his feet and followed at 
 the heels of his more fortunate chums, a sight calculated 
 to excite wild laughter among the rest of the troop, with 
 his blood-flecked face. 
 
 At any rate Lil Artha was game to the backbone, and 
 Elmer often remembered it afterward when " trying out " 
 his scouts. 
 
 The closer they drew to the fleeing woman the greater 
 her fright seemed to become. 
 
 Whenever he saw her looking backward over her shoulder 
 Elmer would make pantomime gestures with his free hand. 
 
 He was trying the best he knew how to tell her to give 
 over this foolish flight, and that they had no hostile in- 
 tentions. 
 
 But the chances were she interpreted these movements 
 just the other way, and believed he must be threatening 
 her with all sorts of terrible things unless she yielded her- 
 self a prisoner to their prowess. 
 
 Well, no matter, it could hardly last more than another 
 minute or so. Do what she would the woman must find it 
 utterly impossible to get away. 
 
 Already the active mind of the young scout master was
 
 PATHFINDER. 109 
 
 busy, weaving a clever scheme by means of which, they 
 could surround the woman, and by attacking her all at 
 once, succeed in knocking the shining knife out of her 
 hand. 
 
 No doubt he would have succeeded in doing the job, 
 too, had conditions continued to make such a move neces- 
 sary. 
 
 But they did not. 
 
 The fickle hand of Fate came in between just in time to 
 share in the matter. 
 
 It seemed to Elmer that they were constantly getting 
 into a more tangled mess of undergrowth. All around and 
 ahead were traps calculated to slyly catch unwary feet and 
 trip them up. 
 
 Suddenly Elmer gave vent to a low gasping cry; but 
 while Mark involuntarily turned his head to learn if his 
 companion had gone lame, to his surprise and gratification 
 he found the other running as smoothly and easily as ever, 
 as though perfectly fresh. 
 
 " The woman! " shrieked Lil Artha, who, apparently, 
 from his position in the rear had been enabled to see just 
 what had happened. 
 
 " Where is she? " gasped Mark, once more allowing 
 his eyes to travel ahead. 
 
 For, apparently, the fleeing Italian had vanished at that 
 instant, as completely as though the earth had opened and 
 swallowed her up. 
 
 ' ' She 's down caught her foot in a root ! ' ' cried Elmer, 
 not slackening his warm pace, for he wanted to make a 
 quick job of the thing.
 
 110 PATHFINDER. 
 
 Then Mark saw that some object was threshing the bushes 
 furiously. Twice the woman tried to rise, but on each oc- 
 casion 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 tell you she 's a prisoner right now ! All 
 we Ve got to do is to tie her hands ! ' ' 
 
 " But look out for that dandelion knife, boys," warned 
 Elmer, as the three of them reached the spot. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE LANGUAGE OF SIGNS. 
 
 IT happened just as the boys had expected. While turn- 
 ing her head so often to see how near these persistent pur- 
 suers were, the woman had caught her foot in a stout vine. 
 
 She had been hurled to the ground with considerable 
 force, but apparently received no serious injury. When 
 she tried to regain her feet, however, on each occasion the 
 clinging T ;ine refused to release its hold. As a consequence 
 she went down again. 
 
 Finally, as though realizing the uselessness of further 
 struggling against Fate, the woman stopped trying to get 
 up. 
 
 Having twisted around in some manner, she just sat there 
 and stared at the three boys in khaki. 
 
 " Now she's wondering what we're going to do," said 
 Mark, as they stood with the woman between them.
 
 PATHFINDER. Ill 
 
 " Yes, she's frightened again, poor thing," remarked 
 Elmer. " I'm afraid it'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 she fell, because you notice she hasn 't got the 
 old knife in her claws just now." 
 
 " That's right," admitted Mark, cheerfully, for the fact 
 naturally pleased him. 
 
 " And here it is, right at my feet," said Elmer, as he 
 stooped and took something 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 he stared 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, or else prepared fish, ' ' and he took 
 occasion to bring the blade close to his nose while speak- 
 ing, only to make a face, as though the fishy odor that clung 
 to the steel might be far from pleasant. 
 
 ' ' Well, we 've overhauled the lady ; now whatever are 
 we going to do with her? " 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 manner suggested that she might be trying to read her
 
 112 PATHFINDER. 
 
 fate more from their actions than any words which they 
 would let fall. 
 
 Accordingly, Elmer stepped forward a pace. 
 
 " No hurt," he said, in the gentlest tone he could mus- 
 ter; " friends boys no soldiers." 
 
 " She don't savvy worth a cent, Elmer," said Lil Ar- 
 tha, in disgust. 
 
 ' ' And her eyes keep following your movements with the 
 knife, as if she thought yo i meant to strike her, ' ' observed 
 Mark. 
 
 Elmer himself saw that this was a fact. Plainly, then, 
 the woman could not understand English, and in her pres- 
 ent state of fright she seemed incapable of reading his 
 reassuring gestures. What he meant to be a sign of friend- 
 liness she interpreted as a symbol of hostility. 
 
 " Seems to me we ought first of all to get her foot free 
 from that nasty tangle, ' ' he remarked. 
 
 " Sure, and I guess the only way to do it is to cut the 
 plagued old vine, ' ' said Lil Artha. ' ' But I guess I hadn 't 
 ought to run the thing down, 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 trapped foot. But Ae vine proved as strong as a new 
 clothesline, and held tenaciously. 
 
 * ' Good gracious, what a silly goose ! ' ' exclaimed Lil Ar- 
 tha, ' ' when all we want to do is to set her free. ' '
 
 PATHFINDER 113 
 
 " But you see she don't look at it that way. The poor 
 creature thinks we're conspiring to turn the tables on her, 
 just because she threatened us with this knife. Here, hold 
 it, Mark." 
 
 Elmer handed over the knife to his chum at a moment 
 when he saw that the woman 's eyes were fastened upon him. 
 
 Then he held up both his hands as he smiled reassuringly. 
 It was the universal " peace sign " known throughout the 
 world. Hardly a savage tribe in the heart of Darkest Af- 
 rica but would recognize the meaning it expressed. 
 
 This time when he advanced the Italian woman did not 
 struggle again. She watched him. Curiosity was overcom- 
 ing fear. Perhaps she had even begun to realize that these 
 dreadful soldiers did not present such a savage front 
 after all. 
 
 So Elmer dropped down on his knees, at a point where 
 he could come in contact with her imprisoned foot, and 
 the wiry vine that gripped it. 
 
 A brief examination convinced him that since she had 
 turned around several times during her violent struggle to 
 break away, the only means of freeing the entrapped foot 
 was to cut the vine. 
 
 Of course that meant the knife again, and if he asked 
 Mark to hand it to him, 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 him eagerly. 
 
 " No use, pardner," remarked Lil Artha. " That thing 
 is like steel bands, and the old woman has managed to tie
 
 114 PATHFINDER. 
 
 herself up handsomely. Nothing but a knife, and a sharp 
 one, too, will do the business." 
 
 " I know it," replied Elmer, quietly. "I'm only pre- 
 tending to try and get her foot out just to make her un- 
 derstand that we want to help her. Now just watch me, and 
 see how I manage." 
 
 Presently, as if despairing of success, he ceased his labor. 
 Then he pointed to the vine, and made several slashes across 
 it with his forefinger, 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 under- 
 stand," said Mark, himself deeply interested in the suc- 
 cess of this deaf and dumb method of communication. 
 
 " 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 to grab, Elmer. But I 'm be- 
 ginning to hope she'll get on soon. Try her once more, 
 pardner. You're the boss hand at wig- wagging. Give her 
 the high sign, 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 began to grasp the idea that he did not desire 
 the weapon so as to injure, but to assist her. 
 
 " Glory be! " ejaculated Lil Artha, who had been almost 
 holding his breath with suspense while all this pantomime 
 business was going on, " look at that, would you, fellows? 
 A bright thought has managed to get a foothold in her
 
 PATHFINDER. 115 
 
 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 you mean all right. Give him the toad- 
 sticker, Mark, and let him get to work." 
 
 Elmer knew that his actions would no longer be mis- 
 fionstrued. The Italian woman understood. 
 
 So he held out his hand and received the knife from 
 Mark. The woman moved uneasily, but the smile Elmer 
 gave her was surely enough to disarm any lingering sus- 
 picion she may have entertained. 
 
 Of course it was only a small job now to cut through the 
 obstinate vine at a point where the greatest holding point 
 lay. 
 
 ' There you are ! ' ' remarked Lil Artha, as the knife 
 severed the last strand. 
 
 The woman got slowly to her feet. She folded her arms 
 across her bosom with what seemed to be an air of resig- 
 nation. Yet Elmer knew that all the while those sparkling 
 black eyes were watching him intently. 
 
 The woman had guessed that Elmer must be the leader 
 of the three strangers in uniform. Hence she looked to him 
 for orders. 
 
 ' Well, what 're we going to do with this pretty thing, 
 now that we've got it? " 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 the utmost faith in the acting scout master's 
 ability to grasp the situation. 
 
 " That's about the only thing open to us," Elmer re- 
 B s 32
 
 116 PATHFINDER. 
 
 plied. " Through the woman perhaps we can get in touch 
 with the three men who are holding Nat Scott a prisoner, 
 and bring about his release." 
 
 " I don't see how," grumbled Lil Artha. " If you had 
 all that trouble getting her to understand you only meant 
 to cut the old vine, and not her foot off, how in the dickens 
 d'ye expect to get her to know we don't mean 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 have used it right now to tell her you only 
 wanted to cut the vine, ' ' Lil Artha went on. 
 
 " How about George? " remarked Elmer. 
 
 " What! George Bobbins? " asked the tall scout. 
 
 " Why, yes, you remember he told us his father employs 
 a large number of these foreigners, and unless I 'm mistaken 
 I think I remember hearing George say he'd been picking 
 up quite a lot of Italian words. ' ' 
 
 " That sounds all to the good then," declared Lil Ar- 
 tha, with enthusiasm. ' ' Bully for George ! His knowledge 
 may be the key that 's going to unlock this old padlock for 
 us." 
 
 " Then let's get back to the shack. Fall in around the 
 woman. That ought to tell her what we want her to do." 
 
 Elmer, as he spoke, took up his position alongside the 
 prisoner, while Mark and the long-legged scout clapped 
 their sticks to their right shoulders as though parading 
 arms. 
 
 Then Elmer pointed backward in the direction they had 
 just come from.
 
 PATHFINDER. 117 
 
 " Go! " he said, impressively. 
 
 Whether the prisoner understood the word, or judged 
 from their actions what was required, Elmer could not say. 
 All he cared for was the fact that when he started off she 
 accompanied him, limping a little as though she might 
 have twisted her ankle somewhat in the violence of her 
 struggles, looking sullen rather than fearful now, and ap- 
 parently resigned to her fate, whatever that might prove 
 to be. 
 
 There was no difficulty about reaching the abandoned 
 shack again. All Elmer had to do was to follow the broad 
 trail they had made when chasing after 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 he did hear loud and 
 excited voices up on the side of the mountain, as though 
 Matty and his detachment might have found it necessary 
 to leave the lowlands, and were having troubles of their 
 own. 
 
 " Well," remarked Lil Artha, as they arrived in front 
 of the shack, " here we 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 our course, and get George here," replied 
 Elmer, so readily that the others understood how he must 
 have his plan of action fully mapped out in his own mind. 
 
 " Let's see you usher her in, then," chuckled the tall 
 scout, just as though he anticipated enjoying a treat when 
 Elmer tried to " shoo " the Italian woman into the place.
 
 118 PATHFINDER. 
 
 But it proved the easiest thing possible. When Elmer 
 took her by the arm and pointed to the open door the 
 woman gave him one look, shook herself free from his 
 grasp, and hastened to vanish within the shack. 
 
 ' ' Easy as falling off a log, ' ' declared Lil Artha, a shade 
 of disappointment in his voice, for he had anticipated more 
 or less of a struggle. 
 
 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 scout master. " Fortunately the door opens 
 outwardly. ' ' 
 
 ' ' Unfortunately, you mean, ' ' echoed Mark, as he touched 
 the painful lump on his forehead. 
 
 " I say yes to that," grinned Lil Artha, whose nose 
 had stopped bleeding by this time, but whose face was a 
 sight to behold, being smeared with all manner of strange 
 red marks that made him resemble an Apache Indian on 
 the warpath. 
 
 " As it does open outwardly, however," Elmer went on 
 saying, with a sympathetic smile for the woes of his chums, 
 " it ought to be easy enough for us to barricade the door. 
 Look around, boys, and see if you can find several good stout 
 sticks about three or four feet long. Even a small tree 
 trunk would be about what we want." 
 
 ' ' And I think I know where to find one, ' ' said Lil Ar- 
 tha, hastening away, " because I took a header over it 
 when we were chasing the dago woman."
 
 PATHFINDER. 119 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE CALL OF THE WOLF. 
 
 " THAT'S the ticket, Lil Artha," said Elmer, as the tall 
 scout returned presently, bearing on his shoulder quite a 
 good-sized log about five feet in length. 
 
 " Reckon that ought to hold all right," panted the bur- 
 den bearer, as he cast the small tree trunk at Elmer's feet. 
 
 " Fine and dandy," commented Mark, beginning to 
 get the barricade in position. 
 
 Of course the log had to be planted in such a way that 
 it might secure a grip on the door. This meant that it 
 must incline at an angle of more than forty-five degrees. 
 
 Elmer dug a little hole, first of all, at a certain distance 
 from the door, after the length of the log had been tested. 
 
 Then, with the help of his chums, he seated one end of 
 the log firmly in this. When the other end was allowed 
 to slip down the face of the door it rested about halfway. 
 
 " No danger of that slipping loose if she tries to push 
 out," remarked Elmer. 
 
 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, could open that door now from the inside." 
 
 " How about the window? " asked Lil Artha. 
 
 " You might manage to crawl through that small open- 
 ing, but that broad-beamed woman, never," declared the 
 
 master, positively. 
 Then we've got our wild bird safely caged."
 
 120 PATHFINDER. 
 
 " 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 as he spoke, lifting a re- 
 proachful 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 our plans ? ' ' asked the tall scout. 
 
 " One of the men might return." 
 
 " And of course throw down the log and liberate our 
 prisoner. But between you and me and the lamp-post, 
 Elmer, I don 't believe that 's going to happen. 'Cause why ? 
 Well, it's my honest belief that this Italiano woman'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've thought that same thing more than 
 once when watching some of them in their settlement." 
 
 " But how about your other reason, Elmer? " asked Lil 
 Artha. " Suppose now the men don't come, what danger 
 is there of her getting out? D'ye expect she could bur- 
 row under the walls like we did once up at that old lumber 
 camp? " 
 
 " Perhaps. But I was thinking of another thing. No- 
 tice how poorly this shack is put together? Why, if that 
 Amazon got on the rampage and just took a notion, I 
 believe she could bring the whole business down in ruins 
 about her head." 
 
 " Wow, I guess she could, Elmer! " remarked the tall
 
 PATHFINDER. 121 
 
 boy, nodding his head, " just like Samson did long ago 
 when he yanked the temple down, and kicked the bucket 
 himself, with all his enemies. But I don't think this dull- 
 witted creature 's got sense enough for that ; do you ? ' ' 
 
 " Perhaps not. I hope she won't, anyhow, because I 
 mean to leave you and Mark here to g^ard our prisoner 
 while I'm gone," said Elmer. 
 
 " Oh, I see, you want to join the rest of the troop. Per- 
 haps you've got a hunch 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 up the side of the mountain. ' ' 
 
 " I guessed that myself when I heard some of the fel- 
 lers callin' up yonder. 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 carried Nat 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 any- 
 one to track them up there, ' ' Elmer answered. 
 
 " Yes, that's so," Mark put in; " or it might be they 
 know of some fine cave up yonder where they can hide. 
 You often run across caves, big and little, on stony hills." 
 
 Elmer seemed to agree with this suggestion, for he nod- 
 ded his head after Mark had advanced it. 
 
 11 Do you think you can manage? " he asked. 
 ' Well, we'd be a pretty pair of scouts, wouldn't we 
 now, if we failed to make good on a job like this? " scoffed 
 Lil Artha.
 
 122 PATHFINDER. 
 
 He threw his staff over his shoulder, gun fashion, and 
 began tramping up and down before the door of the hid- 
 den shack, just as though he were a military 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 believe these 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 can say," returned the other. "I'm more 
 convinced now than ever that it's going to turn out only 
 a silly mistake on their part. Perhaps they've been doing 
 something here that's against the law, and the sight of 
 our uniforms threw them into a panic. They've carried 
 Nat off with them just so he couldn't give the alarm, and 
 bring the rest down on 'em." 
 
 " Counterfeiting, perhaps," suggested Mark. " Seems to 
 me I've heard that the 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 1 ? " laughed Elmer. 
 
 "It's only fair to tell us," pleaded the tall scout. 
 
 " Well, all right, seeing that I'm more than ever con- 
 vinced I'm on the right track. Here, smell that, both of 
 you and tell me what it reminds you of." 
 
 He thrust the queer, sharp-pointed knife that had been 
 taken from the woman into the hand of Lil Artha. 
 
 That individual immediately raised it to his nose, took 
 one good smell, and made a wry face.
 
 PATHFINDER. 123 
 
 " Ugh! rank fishy odor, all right! " he declared. 
 
 " Then look back a bit, Lil Artha," Elmer continued. 
 *' Don't you remember that in the mill and cottage we dis- 
 covered a strong fishy smell when we tried to investigate 
 that underground place? " 
 
 " You're right, we did," assented the tall scout; " it 
 made me feel a bit squeamish, 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, " and I 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 that along the Gulf coast and around New 
 Orleans the whole fishing industry lies 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 Scars- 
 dale? " said Mark. 
 
 " They are netting fish illegally, I imagine," Elmer an- 
 swered. " That would explain their alarm. Perhaps the 
 game warden has been around and threatened to have them 
 hauled in if they didn 't take warning. And ever since 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 by the scout master. 
 
 * ' And I never saw so many big frogs as there are around 
 here," Elmer went on. 
 
 " That's because even the boys keep away from the 
 haunted mill, ' ' Mark added.
 
 124 PATHFINDER. 
 
 " Yon know how frogs sell in the market, and how it 
 would pay anybody to catch a few hundred such jumboes 
 as there are here, ' ' Elmer remarked. 
 
 ' ' Well, it does take you to figure things out just, I must 
 ay," laughed Mark. 
 
 * ' He 's a wizard, that 's what, ' ' declared Lil Artha, whose 
 admiration for his leader was boundless. 
 
 ' ' Not at all, ' ' smiled the other ; ' ' a little common sense 
 was all that was needed. The strong odor of fish in that 
 cellar put me on the track first. You know there's an 
 old saying to the effect that where there 's smoke there must 
 be fire." 
 
 " And then this knife, too like as not the woman does 
 all the cleaning of the fish. I thought she reminded me of 
 black bass or pickerel, I wasn't sure which," Lil Artha 
 stated, with a chuckle. 
 
 " But we've been around more or less, Elmer," Mark 
 put in, " and I don't remember seeing any signs of fish 
 cleaning, scales or anything." 
 
 ' ' Of course not. ' ' came the quick reply. ' ' If these people 
 knew they were breaking the law, and expected the game 
 warden to pop in on them any day, you can just believe 
 they'd be mighty careful to hide all traces of this thing." 
 
 " Perhaps they throw it all back in the pond for fish 
 bait," suggested the 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 get them to market," Elmer replied. 
 
 " That's a fact, seeing they have no ice to pack them
 
 PATHFINDER. 125 
 
 in," Lil Artha observed. " 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's vanishing? " 
 
 " I sure do." 
 
 " That they came upon him by accident," Elmer went 
 on, " and filled with a sudden panic, just captured him to 
 keep Nat from calling out and bringing the rest of us 
 around? " 
 
 " That's what they did," Lil Artha affirmed. " And no 
 matter how sorry they might be afterward because they 
 did it, they just can't drop him now." 
 
 " Then, since we've agreed on that point I don't see the 
 need of my hanging around here any longer," Elmer ob- 
 served, drawing his belt one notch tighter, as though pre- 
 paring 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 get away, if you can prevent it." 
 
 '* Depend on us, Elmer. And say," Lil Artha remarked, 
 *' don't you think now it 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 he comes, take him in to see the woman. 
 Have him try and get her to understand that we mean 
 her men no harm, and only want them to set our chum free." 
 
 "And then what? Supposing George is able to get 
 that pounded into her head? " asked Lil Artha,
 
 126 PATHFINDER. 
 
 " Why, lie must make her understand that we want to 
 conduct an exchange of prisoners." 
 
 " By that, Elmer," Mark broke in, "I suppose you 
 mean we'll give the woman up if they let Nat go free? " 
 
 " That's it," returned the leader. " And as she is the 
 only one who knows their new hiding place, she must lead 
 us to them." 
 
 " That puts me wise, all right," declared Lil Artha. 
 *' But get good old George here as soon as you can, Elmer. 
 I 'm just crazy to see if he knows how 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 caught the 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 knew immediately that some scout belonging to that 
 section of the Hickory Ridge troop must be approach- 
 ing, and took this customary method of announcing his 
 coming. 
 
 All eyes were accordingly turned toward that quarter 
 from whence the note of the wolf had seemed to come. 
 
 This was a little up the side of the mountain. Elmer, 
 thinking to give the other his location, sent out an an- 
 swering signal. 
 
 " You're scaring the old woman again with your howls," 
 remarked Lil Artha, pointing to the shack, at the small
 
 PATHFINDER. 127 
 
 of which they could see the face of the prisoner, 
 filled with wonder and awe. 
 
 Perhaps the Italian woman was beginning to suspect 
 she had fallen into the 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'll just 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 he turned the troop over to Matty? If 
 they found themselves up a stump they were to let Elmer 
 know, just so he could swing in somehow, and pull them 
 out of the hole." 
 
 ' ' They 're up against it, good and hard, bet you a cooky 
 on it," declared Lil Artha, as the other scout drew near. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 THE NEED OP 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.
 
 128 PATHFINDER. 
 
 " 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 earth he could follow it all right. But when 
 it kept on athending it got tougher and tougher. Then 
 he lotht it altogether, and thent me to fetch you along, 
 thir." 
 
 " All right, I'll go with you, Number Three. You'll be 
 interested to know that 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 hon- 
 ors of the capture belonged 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 sharply around, Ted started to retrace his steps. 
 
 So Mark and his long-legged comrade were left to guard 
 the prison of the old Italian woman, while the other two 
 scouts climbed the hill. 
 
 * ' No uthe going over the trail we made, ' ' remarked Ted. 
 " It wound around and then climbth the hill. We could 
 thee about where the cabin lay, and I made a bee line down- 
 hill for the thame." 
 
 As they toiled upward Elmer, keeping his promise, re- 
 lated all that had happened in the neighborhood of the 
 hidden shack.
 
 PATHFINDER. 129 
 
 Ted seemed to enjoy the narrative very much indeed. 
 He was particularly pleased with the account of where the 
 old woman in her panic had burst the door open, and up- 
 set both Mark and Lil Artha. 
 
 * ' I wondered what happened to our f riendth, ' ' said Ted. 
 ' ' And if you hadn 't been in thuch a big hurry to cut out, 
 I'd have tried fixing both the poor fellowth up. Lil 
 Artha lookth like a pirate chief, and ath for Mark, you'd 
 think hith brains might be breaking out." 
 
 Elmer had no trouble at all in following the plain trail 
 left by Ted when he came down from above. His prac- 
 ticed eye could easily see the marks on turf, leaf mold, or 
 even where the other's heels with their steel nails had 
 scraped along a slanting rock. 
 
 " Tell me thome more about that, pleath," said Ted, 
 while they were still climbing. 
 
 Nothing loath, for he really believed he had solved the 
 secret of the whole business, Elmer gave him the story, 
 from his first faint suspicion upon looking down into the 
 strange-smelling cellar of the mill house, up to his de- 
 detecting such a strong odor of fish about the Italian woman, 
 and particularly the knife she carried. 
 
 " That'th a bully good idea, all right," said Ted, when 
 the story was finished. 
 
 " Do you think it sounds fishy? " laughed Elmer. 
 
 " Yeth and no," answered the other, immediately, 
 " While it theemth to be a fish yarn, yet it ith all to the 
 good. I really believe you've gone and figured it out, 
 Elmer. And if that ith tho, it ith going to be another big 
 feather in your cap, don't you forget it."
 
 130 PATHFINDER. 
 
 " 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 had it sounded than there came an answer 
 from a point not far distant. 
 
 " There they are! " cried Ted, pointing, " I thee Red 
 waving hith hat to uth 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 spot where Matty and the rest of the troop awaited 
 them. 
 
 "I'm all in, Elmer," admitted the leader of the Beaver 
 Patrol, as he threw up both hands in disgust. " Just as 
 I said, it was all hunk till I struck the rocks, and I 've been 
 up in the air ever since." 
 
 " Yes, Matty has even hinted that he believes those Ital- 
 ians must have had wings somewhere around here, and just 
 flown away," laughed Chatz. 
 
 " Well, that wouldn't be so very queer," declared Toby 
 Jones, always thinking of things touching on aviation. 
 "It's a bully good place to make 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. And how about our chum Nat ; he never had 
 any longing to soar through the air. But tell us what's 
 doing, Elmer," said Red, impatiently.
 
 PATHFINDER. 131 
 
 ' Oh, he's got lots to tell you," declared Ted, with the 
 air of a highly favored 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 you were going to get ready? " asked a third 
 scout, with intense interest aroused. 
 
 When Elmer nodded his head they broke out into a rous- 
 ing boyish cheer. 
 
 " Tell us all about it, Elmer/' was flung at the scout 
 master from all quarters. 
 
 As this was Elmer's intention anyway he lost no time 
 in briefly though forcibly describing all that had taken, 
 place down below. 
 
 " And now I want George to go down with Ted, here/' 
 Elmer went on, " and try to engage the woman in conver- 
 sation. Tell her, if you can, who and what we are, and the 
 reason for our coming here in uniform. Tell her we mean 
 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 went on. 
 
 " Oh, yes, I can really converse with some Italian men. 
 Don't know about a woman, though. But I'll do my best 
 
 to make her see things straight." 
 BS 33
 
 132 PATHFINDER. 
 
 " I like to hear you talk that way, George," continued 
 Elmer; " the true scout is always ready to do his best. 
 And I think you're going to make a fine addition to our 
 troop before long." 
 
 " After I've told her, what then? " asked George, who 
 looked pleased at hearing these words of praise from on A 
 he respected as highly as he did Elmer. 
 
 " Why, you must bring her along, and rejoin us. Lil 
 Artha and Mark will accompany 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 we go along I'll be brushing up my 
 Italian words so as to spring 'em on the old lady. This 
 way, Ted." 
 
 " And while you're jabbering with the woman, why, per- 
 haps now I might be amuthing mythelf doctoring the 
 noble woundth of our two chuinth, ' ' declared the fellow who 
 was never so happy as when engaged in the work of a 
 doctor. 
 
 Why, some of the boys often called Ted " Sawbones," 
 because he gave himself over, heart and soul, to his one 
 great hobby. 
 
 So the two of them vanished down the side of the hill. 
 As their voices died away among the thickets Elmer turned 
 his attention to the task of finding 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 as anything." 
 
 " So it is," remarked Elmer, after studying the mark 
 briefly. " Our chum made that, I'm positive."
 
 PATHFINDER. 133 
 
 6t Then he must have done it on purpose," said Matty, 
 6 * because I've noticed that one footprint right along." 
 
 Elmer smiled. 
 
 " Good for Nat," he remarked. " If he don't dare use 
 nis voice and call out 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. It shows how 
 much a fellow can learn." 
 
 " That's right," remarked Matty; " I see it all plain 
 snough right now ; but d 'ye know the suspicion never did 
 break in on me that these tracks had been made purposely, 
 and by Nat? Why, I just had an idea one of the bunch 
 was a little careless, that's all." 
 
 " Well, you'll know better after this, Matty. But stand 
 fcack, and let's see what luck I'll have, if so be you fel- 
 iows haven't killed the trail by running around." 
 
 They watched his actions eagerly, each fellow bent on 
 learning all he could of the science that was already prov- 
 ing to be so interesting. 
 
 First of all Elmer took a comprehensive survey of the 
 ground above; for everyone understood that those they 
 were tracking must be aiming to reach some cave or crev- 
 ice farther up the slope. 
 
 Then, having settled in his mind about where the fugi- 
 tives might be aiming for, the scout master began to look 
 for marks on the rocks. 
 
 For a little while he found it very hard work, indeed, but 
 after reaching the limits of the search maintained by Matty 
 and those with him, the task became considerably easier. 
 
 And mindful of his position as acting scout master to the
 
 134 PATHFINDER. 
 
 troop during the temporary absence of Mr. Garrabrant, 
 Elmer made it a point to explain more or less as he went 
 along. 
 
 " See, here is where one of the men slipped on this rock, 
 and left a new scratch. And this shows where another 
 broke a twig off this branch in passing. You can see it 
 has been freshly done, because the green leaves do 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 as trail finding. These hung upon his 
 every word, examined the marks to which Elmer drew their 
 attention, commented upon the same among themselves, and 
 several even went so far as to take out memorandum books 
 in which they hastily scribbled such notes as would enable 
 them to remember. 
 
 All the while they were climbing higher, and by degrees 
 found themselves in a wilder section than any of them had 
 dreamed existed so near their home 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 handkerchief which he had hung cowboy 
 fashion around his neck, with the knot at the back. 
 
 " Oh, that's a dead-sure thing," replied Ty, who hap- 
 pened to be close at his elbow at the time. " Fact is, I've 
 seen several myself. Anyhow, they were dark, ugly look- 
 ing holes between big rocks, and if this was a game coun- 
 try I'd say they might be bear dens or the homes of wolves." 
 
 All this sort of talk tended to key the anticipations of
 
 PATHFINDER. 135 
 
 the boys up to a point where they were expecting almost 
 anything to happen. 
 
 Elmer paid no attention to side issues. There might be 
 a dozen likely looking hiding places along the route, but 
 they did not interest him an iota so long as that faintly 
 marked trail continued. 
 
 He had about all he cared to do, moving from one spot 
 where a stone had been freshly dislodged to another point 
 at which the moss and lichen had been torn from a sloping 
 rock by a foot that accidentally or purposely slipped. 
 
 There were possibly some little indications, which to his 
 mind told that they might now be drawing near the place 
 where the panic-stricken Italians were hiding. If so, Elmer 
 did not confide this to his companions, perhaps because he 
 might not himself be so very sure, but more probably on 
 account of not wishing to waste more or less precious time 
 in explaining on what vague grounds he founded his theory. 
 
 The trees still grew around them, springing out of spaces 
 between the rocks. They were more stunted than those 
 in the great forest that covered the richer bottom lands, 
 but as a rule they served as a canopy overhead, and only 
 occasional glimpses could be obtained of the country be- 
 yond. 
 
 By this time some of the scouts had begun to feel the 
 effect of the climb, for there is nothing more fatiguing than 
 ascending a steep hill. 
 
 Still they proved their grit by keeping on, as if deter- 
 mined to stick it out. 
 
 Even fat Landy Smith, while actually panting for breath, 
 and mopping his forehead with a damp handkerchief, stub-
 
 136 PATHFINDER. 
 
 bornly declined to own himself in the " has been " class, 
 as Red called it. 
 
 They were moving along what seemed to be a little 
 plateau, at the end of which arose a cliff seamed with nu- 
 merous cracks and scars. 
 
 Elmer had smiled when he cast a glance toward the rocky 
 wall, just as if he could scent the end of the trail close 
 at hand. 
 
 But he was already halfway across the level territory, 
 with the scouts scattered back of him, when without the 
 least warning there suddenly sounded a shot that seemed 
 to come from somewhere ahead; and the report gave 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 a bullet passing, and did not know but 
 that the shot had been fired simply for the purpose of a 
 warning. 
 
 Still, there was no need of their taking chances. And 
 as he gave the command, Elmer was one of the first to seek 
 the shelter of a near-by rock. 
 
 Immediately the valiant scouts scurried around, each 
 eagerly desirous of finding some sort of snug retreat. 
 
 No further shots came, much to the satisfaction of the
 
 PATHFINDER. 137 
 
 boys, and inside of 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 overcharged feelings 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 to size the situation up. 
 
 " Oh, well, I guess both of 'em would pass muster, all 
 right," Red went on. " You don't think any fellow got 
 hurt, do you, Elmer? " 
 
 ' ' Not any. Fact is, ' ' continued the scout master, " I 've 
 a pretty good hunch the shot was not fired at us, but into 
 the air, warning us to keep off 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 you know where they're 
 holding the fort? " 
 
 " I've got something of an idea," replied Elmer. " If 
 you look up the face of the cliff, Red, you'll notice a bunch 
 of green stuff growing. I think there 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 when the report sounded," replied Elmer. 
 
 " But my stars! that's all of fifty feet up. How d'ye
 
 138 PATHFINDER. 
 
 suppose those dagoes could get up there? " continued the 
 one who sought information. 
 
 " Oh, that would just as likely as not turn out to be 
 easy enough, once you got started. Perhaps there's some 
 sort of path leading up the face of 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 our hands, eh ? " pursued Red. 
 
 " Oh, perhaps we may have to fight for it in the end, but 
 I 'm hoping for an easier wind up to the affair, ' ' Elmer con- 
 tinued, musingly. 
 
 ' ' You think the old woman may help out ? ' ' 
 
 u I know she will, if George can only succeed in convinc- 
 ing her that we '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 their breath back," remarked the scout mas- 
 ter. 
 
 ' Well, they might be in better places, because the sun 
 feels scorching to me right now," grumbled Red. 
 
 ' ' Then pick out your new roost, and be ready to migrate 
 as soon as you hear the whistle. Pass the word along, too, 
 Red." 
 
 Presently it was understood that when the scout master 
 gave the signal every fellow was expected to crawl or dart 
 away, seeking through one way or another to get out of 
 the fire zone.
 
 PATHFINDER. 139 
 
 " I hope George has succeeded in explaining everything 
 to the woman by now," remarked Eed. 
 
 " I 'm sure he has, and that the whole of them are even 
 now on the way here to wind up this business, ' ' Elmer de- 
 clared most confidently 
 
 When ten minutes nad gone by, and he felt sure that 
 all of the scouts knew what they were expected to do, Elmer 
 took out his whistle. 
 
 Then the shrill notes sounded, cutting the air as though 
 charged with irresistible force. 
 
 Immediately everybody got busy. Khaki-clad figures 
 could be seen darting this way and that, but none of them 
 made any attempt to advance. This sort of move might be 
 expected to anger the Italians, without doing any good, and 
 the scouts had been warned against it. 
 
 There came no second discharge of firearms, and from 
 this fact it seemed evident that the unseen enemy under- 
 stood that there was nothing hostile connected with this 
 action on the part of the scouts. 
 
 Again did Red and Elmer find themselves good neigh- 
 bors as they arrived at 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 him up. He was limping to 
 beat the band, but I hope it's nothing serious." 
 
 " No danger," chuckled Red. " Landy is too well pad- 
 ded to suffer much from a fall. Now do we just wait 
 here till the others fetch the lady? "
 
 140 PATHFINDER. 
 
 " That's a part of the contract," said Elmer; " so just 
 make yourself as comfy 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 lu^ch. ' ' 
 
 Elmer settled down as though he thought there was no 
 use borrowing trouble. And seeing their leader take things 
 in such a matter-of-fact way the balance of the scouts fol- 
 lowed suit. 
 
 Confidence thus begets confidence in others; and this in 
 itself was one of 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 down the hill. 
 
 ' ' Shucks ! but they 're a long time coming, ' ' he mumbled. 
 " Perhaps, after all, the old woman was too sharp for the 
 bunch perhaps she's tucked 'em away in the cabin turn- 
 ing 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 in khaki. The other, who was, of course, George, 
 the interpreter, kept close at the side of the Italian woman. 
 
 Now and then she seemed to address some remark to 
 George, which he doubtless answered to the best of his 
 ability. "When his vocabulary proved unequal to the task
 
 PATHFINDEE. 141 
 
 he would finish with a series of gestures and shrugs as he 
 had seen chattering Italians do. 
 
 And presently they reached the spot where the balance 
 of the scouts held forth. 
 
 The woman surveyed them as she came up, but Elmer 
 noticed that she did not seem afraid now. 
 
 " I guess you've done the business, George," he remarked 
 to the new recruit. 
 
 " Well," replied the other, with a broad grin, " that's 
 what I think myself, Elmer." 
 
 ' ' She understands now who we are, and that we haven 't 
 any intention of doing her men any harm! you explained 
 all that? " 
 
 " Sure. And you can see now that instead of looking 
 scared, she's ready to grin if you give her any encourage- 
 ment," replied George. 
 
 " And she knows that we want her to go out with us 
 and have a talk with her old man, telling him what a fool 
 he's been making of himself. She understands all that, 
 does she? " 
 
 " Like a book, and is ready to do the trick. We'll have 
 our Nat back in short order, now, ' ' George continued, look- 
 ing proud and happy because he had been able to prove 
 of such valuable assistance to his fellow scouts, even be- 
 fore he got his uniform. 
 
 " All right, then. The sooner we start the ball rolling 
 the better. Come along, George." 
 
 Presently the two of them were escorting the Italian 
 woman toward the foot of the cliff. 
 
 When two thirds of the way there an angry, excitable
 
 142 PATHFINDER. 
 
 voice stopped them. On looking up they could see several 
 heads topping the sparse vegetation 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 own account. And such chattering as fol- 
 lowed Lil Artha afterward declared it reminded him of 
 a monkey cage when one of the inmates had taken more 
 than his share of the dinner provided. 
 
 But the woman did most of the talking. She also scolded, 
 stamped her foot, and even shook her fist up at those above. 
 
 Evidently her arguments must have had a convincing 
 ring about them, for suddenly she turned to George and 
 smiled amiably as she said something, and made a sug- 
 gestive movement of both shoulders. 
 
 " It's all right, Elmer," declared George. 
 
 ' ' Are they going to do what we want 1 ' ' asked the scout 
 master, greatly pleased. 
 
 " Sure. And I reckon there he comes now. One of the 
 men seems to be helping 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 hat at the shack, he was bareheaded. 
 
 The Italian was still a little suspicious, for he would come 
 only two thirds of the way down. But Nat easily made the 
 balance, and was soon shaking hands with everyone of 
 his mates, just as though he had been separatee from them 
 for a week.
 
 PATHFINDER. 143 
 
 Leaving the woman to rejoin her people the scouts made 
 their way down the side of the mountain until they reached 
 the mill pond. 
 
 Nat's story was brief, and just about what Elmer had 
 guessed. In prowling around he had unexpectedly come 
 upon the three men. 
 
 They had seized upon him and threatened him with their 
 knives if he so much 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 new alarm, and the three 
 men, together with the woman, had hastily fled. 
 
 On the way up the mountain the woman had discovered 
 the loss of something, and gone back. 
 
 Then the men forced him to hurry along, and finally 
 landed him on that secret ledge where he believed there 
 was some sort of cave. 
 
 That was all Nat knew, and the whole thing smacked 
 strongly of mystery until he heard what Elmer's theory was. 
 
 " Anyhow," Nat said, with considerable satisfaction in 
 his voice and manner, " they didn't scare me one little 
 bit. And besides, Elmer, in lots of places I went and made 
 plain marks that I just knew you could read any old time. ' ' 
 
 " That stamps you a true-blue scout, Nat," declared 
 Elmer, " and I think the troop has reason to be proud of 
 yon." 
 
 " Three cheers for Comrade Nat Scott," suggested im- 
 pulsive Bed ; and they were given with such a vim that many 
 of the big bullfrogs along the farther bank jumped into 
 the mill pond in great alarm. 
 
 As their main object had been carried out while on the
 
 144 PATHFINDER. 
 
 way to the haunted mill, and there was no further reason 
 for lingering after they had eaten the " snack " carried 
 along for this purpose, the Hickory Ridge troop of scouts 
 took up the homeward march. 
 
 After talking it all over among themselves it was decided 
 that their duty compelled them to give the game and fish 
 warden a hint as to what was probably going on up at 
 Munsey's mill. 
 
 He went there with a deputy two days later, but the 
 Italians had taken warning and fled. However, the warden 
 found and destroyed several nets with which the fish poach- 
 ers had been illegally gathering the finny prizes in the 
 long-deserted pond. 
 
 There was one disappointed scout in the troop however, 
 and this was Chatz Maxfield. 
 
 He always would feel as though he had missed the op- 
 portunity of his life in spending some time at a haunted 
 mill which was supposed to support a good 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 of valuable 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 Boy Scouts that 
 little hike to Munsey's mill would always be read and re- 
 read with the keenest interest, and take rank with the 
 greatest of their 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 ) . 
 
 v in Number I. 
 Tracking ) 
 
 THE CAMPFIEES OF THE WOLF PATROL. 
 
 Trees and Wild Flowers of the United States in Number II, 
 WOODCRAFT, OR How A PATROL LEADER MADE GOOD. 
 
 Eeptiles of the United States in Number III. 
 
 PATHFINDER, OR THE MISSING TENDERFOOT. 
 
 Pishes of the United States in Number IV. 
 
 FAST NINE, OR A CHALLENGE FROM F AIRFIELD. 
 
 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, OB How CLEAR GRIT WON THE DAY, 
 
 148
 
 THE REPTILES OF THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 The reptiles are a class of vertebrate animals. By verte- 
 brate animals is meant those having a backbone. Reptiles 
 are cold-blooded animals having scaly 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 prehistoric times they 
 were of enormous size and many of them were capable of 
 flying. Fossil forms of reptiles are very numerous and 
 scientists kave given these fossil forms such sonorous names 
 as Dinosaurs, Ichthyosaurs, Plesiosaurs and Pterosaurs. 
 These names are made up of Greek words meaning terrible 1 
 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 representa- 
 tive. Its home is in New Zealand. Zoologists tell us that 
 this reptile is more closely related to its fossil cousins than 
 any other now in existence. Since we are considering only 
 those reptiles which an American boy may find living in 
 their natural haunts in his home land, discussion of the 
 Sphenodon is out of place in this article. We recommend, 
 however, that you read up about this curious creature that 
 links the gigantic prehistoric lizards with the little crea-. 
 tures of to-day's world. 
 
 -84 147
 
 THE LIZARDS
 
 THE LACERTILIA OR LIZARDS. 
 
 Lizards differ from snakes in that the right and left 
 halves of the lower jaw are joined together by bone instead 
 
 LIZARDS. 
 
 1. ZEBRA-TAILED LIZARD. 2. PACIFIC SWIFT. 3. COLLARED 
 LIZARD. 4. WHITE-BELLIED SWIFT. 5. COMMON SWIFT 
 OR FENCE LIZARD. 
 
 of elastic ligament and in that they have legs and eyelids. 
 They are found in the warmer climates. Most of them
 
 152 REPTILES OP THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 live on insects, but some types as, for instance, the Iguanas, 
 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 characteristic is their adhesive toes, which enable 
 them to cling to and run on smoothest surfaces even when 
 upside down. They do not like the hot sunlight and largely 
 feed at twilight and at night. The Reef Gecko is found 
 in Florida; the "Warty Gecko, so called on account of the 
 rows of large wart-like scales on its back and sides, in- 
 habits Lower California; the Cape Gecko, Lower Cali- 
 fornia; the Banded Gecko, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona 
 and California. The latter is the most gaudily marked 
 of the Geckos found in the United States and is likewise 
 the most abundant. It may be seen at dusk coming out 
 of rock crevices to feed on small insects. Many consider 
 this lizard poisonous and its saliva is supposed to pro- 
 duce painful skin eruptions. Authorities, however, tell us 
 that this 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 same family as the Iguana. They have come 
 to be known as Chameleons because, like the rightful 
 owners of that name, they change the color of their bodies. 
 This change is occasioned by the differences of tempera- 
 ture and light. One species is found in the United States 
 and is known under various names, such as the green 
 lizard, the fence lizard and the alligator lizard. It is called 
 alligator lizard from its resemblance to a young alligator. 
 This lizard is found in the southeastern United States 
 from North Carolina to Florida. The common colors of 
 the American Chameleon or the Anolis, which is its scien--
 
 REPTILES OF THE UNITED STATES. 153 
 
 tific name, are brown and green. These colors vary with 
 conditions. When asleep, for instance, this little reptile 
 is green above and white below, and when fighting or 
 frightened it becomes green; at other times it is brown. 
 Raymond L. Ditmars, Curator of Reptiles in the New 
 York Zoological Park, says that in collecting these lizards 
 and placing them in wire-covered boxes, he has " always 
 noted their change from various hues, prior to capture, 
 to a scrambling collection of several dozen emerald-green 
 lizards. If the gauze cage be laid down for half an hour 
 or so while the collector rests, the lizards soon take on a 
 brownish tinge, but as soon as the box is again carried 
 about and the occupants are shaken up and frightened, 
 the brilliant color appears among them all." He further 
 says that " there is no relation or influence between the 
 lizard's colors and its surroundings. The change of color 
 is brought about principally through temperature 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 and creeps forward for the final spring with 
 motions that are exactly similar. It lives in trees and feeds 
 upon insects. These little creatures make interesting pets 
 and will soon learn to take their food from your hand. The 
 proper quarters for it is a wire-covered fernery which 
 should be placed in a warm but moist situation and the 
 foliage daily sprinkled with water. The Anolis is a great 
 water drinker and will find the drops adhering to the 
 leaves of the plants. 
 
 THE IGUANAS. 
 
 There are but few species of Iguanas found in the United 
 States and these only in the southwestern part. They are 
 large in size and have a crest of spiny scales running along 
 the neck and back. They use their tails as weapons of 
 offense and defense. The Cape Iguana is a species found 
 only in Lower California The tail is ringed with large 
 spines. The Black Iguana is found in southern Arizona.
 
 154 REPTILES OF THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 It is a great fighter when 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 these Iguanas 
 reach about four feet in length. They have large appe- 
 tites and eat both animal and vegetable matter birds, 
 small animals and tender vegetation. In central and south- 
 ern America their flesh is prized as a food and it is said 
 to have the flavor of chicken. They live part of the time 
 
 IGUANA. 
 
 in trees and part of the time on the ground. The Desert 
 Iguana, however, is terrestrial. It is found in the desert 
 parts of the southwestern United States in Colorado, Cali- 
 fornia, Arizona and Nevada. It is largely vegetarian. The 
 tail is brittle, and to free itself when held by it, this crea- 
 ture will easily and readily snap it off. 
 
 THE CHUCKAWALLA. 
 
 There is only one of these that is fairly common in the 
 United States and that is found in the deserts of the 
 southwest. It is the largest lizard found there except the 
 Gila Monster which will be described later. The body of 
 the Chuckawalla is broad and the legs short. Its length 
 averages about a foot. It lives mostly among th'e rocks of 
 the deserts.
 
 REPTILES OF THE UNITED STATES. 155 
 
 THE COLLARED LIZARD. 
 
 This lizard is so called on account of the markings of 
 the neck, which have the appearance of a double black 
 collar. The throat is an orange color. It is one of the 
 most gayly colored of the small lizards. It is quite com- 
 mon in the dry and stony parts of the western states and 
 in western Texas is very abundant. It is a great eater 
 and is not afraid to fight for its dinner. One peculiarity 
 of this lizard is its ability to run 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 back with 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 the tail curved upward, which exposes 
 the markings of the lower surface Frequently they run 
 like the Collared Lizard, on the hind feet. The black-and- 
 white tail markings account for their name. 
 
 THE SPOTTED LIZARDS. 
 
 These are small ground lizards found in many states 
 from Kansas to California and southward. They are very 
 quick in their movements. Their food consists of insects 
 of the more sluggish type. They do not stalk their prey 
 like the chameleons.
 
 156 EEPTILES OF THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 THE SWIFTS. 
 
 There are a great many species of these small lizards in 
 the United States. They live on the ground among rocks in 
 dry places and are called swifts on account of the speed 
 with which they are able to get over the ground. Some 
 of them are covered with spiny scales. Clark's Swift is 
 abundant 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 the western United States. They like dry, 
 sandy places among fallen trees, fences, old wood, etc. In 
 color they are gray and are usually in harmony with 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 their resemblance in the shape of their bodies to that of a 
 toad and of their spiny scales which have the appearance 
 of small horns. Their habitat is in the hottest and driest 
 parts of the country. They are fond of the hottest sun- 
 light and bury themselves in sand at the approach of 
 evening. 
 
 The Kegal Horned Lizard is found in Arizona and Colo- 
 rado. 
 
 The California Horned Lizard is found abundantly in 
 sections of California. 
 
 THE SNAKE-LIKE LIZARDS. 
 
 These lizards have elongated bodies with either small 
 limbs or no external evidence of such. Some cannot be
 
 REPTILES OF THE UNITED STATES. 157 
 
 easily distinguished from snakes. On close examination it 
 will be seen that there is a ridge along each side of the 
 body. 
 
 The Keeled Lizard has a habit of keeping its tongue pro- 
 truded and will wipe its lips with it after feeding. Its 
 
 HORNED TOAD. 
 
 tail is easily separated from its body and when so sepa- 
 rated, the broken off portion wriggles violently. New tails 
 grow on. It is found in California, Oregon, Washington 
 eastward from California to Texas.
 
 158 REPTILES OF THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 The "Glass-Snake" has no limbs and to the eye of any- 
 one but a naturalist would easily be mistaken for a snake. 
 What distinguishes it from a snake is the presence of eye- 
 lids 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 burrowing and 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 with beads. They are held to be poisonous by 
 well-known authorities and are the only poisonous lizards 
 found in the states. 
 
 The Gila Monster (pronounced Hee-la) has a thick body 
 with short limbs and a short tail. In color it is pink and 
 black. Its length is about a foot and a half. It is found 
 in New Mexico and Arizona and is named after the river 
 Gila, the valley of which it inhabits. The creature will 
 defend itself viciously and will hold on tenaciously with 
 its strong jaws. 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 por- 
 tions 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. The Worm Lizard, found in Florida, is scarcely
 
 REPTILES OF THE UNITED STATES. 159 
 
 any larger around than an earthworm. It is able to move 
 backward or forward in the earth, the end of the tail being 
 shaped similar to the head. 
 
 THE SKINKS. 
 
 This is a large family. They are burrowing lizards. The 
 Red Headed Lizard is widely distributed throughout the 
 United States. It is very timid and extremely difficult to 
 capture. Its color changes with its age. The Black Banded 
 Skink is found in the central portions of the United States. 
 The Florida Skink in southern Florida. The Black Skink 
 from Pennsylvania southward to Texas. 
 
 Here we reach the end of the order of reptiles known as 
 lizards ; the next order is that of the snakes.
 
 THE SNAKES
 
 THE OPHIDIA OR SNAKES. 
 
 Snakes are closely related to lizards. Some lizards, as you 
 have already seen, are very much like snakes in form. The 
 main distinguishing features of the snake are the elastic tis- 
 sue which connects the two halves of the lower jaw and the 
 absence of eyelids. Snakes are carnivorous and are capa- 
 ble of moving with great ease and swiftness notwithstand- 
 ing their lack of limbs. They cast their skins several times 
 a year. Many of the snakes are poisonous, and authorities 
 tell us that there is no external characteristic that indicates 
 which are poisonous and which are not. 
 
 THE BLIND SNAKES. 
 
 This is a low form of snake. They are worm-like and 
 burrowing. The Texas Blind Snake is found in Texas and 
 New Mexico. The California Blind Snake in California 
 and Mexico. 
 
 THE BOAS. 
 
 The most common member of this family that comes 
 within the range of this article is a snake that is found 
 in the Pacific states and eastward as far as Nevada. It 
 is over a foot in length and about half an inch in diam- 
 eter. Various names have been given to it ; in certain sec- 
 tions it is called the Rubber Boa, in others the Silver Snake, 
 Two-headed Snake, Worm Snake. The name Two-headed 
 Snake is given it evidently on account of the stubby ap- 
 pearance of the tail end. 
 
 THE RIBBON SNAKES. 
 
 These snakes have a yellow stripe along the back and the 
 sides. They are long, slim snakes ; specimens have been seen 
 B s so 153
 
 164 EEPTILES OF THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 that measured nearly three feet long, although the average 
 length is about two feet. It is found east of the Missis- 
 sippi, but is not common. It frequents the banks of water 
 to feed on young frogs and so forth. They swim well and 
 are at home in the water. In the Western Ribbon Snake 
 the back stripe is darker than those on the side, or in some 
 instances a different color. 
 
 THE GARTER SNAKES. 
 
 These are found all over the United States and are per- 
 fectly harmless. They are abundant. Burrowing in the 
 ground in the late fall they remain there all winter. Even 
 the boy living in the large cities may, without going out 
 of the city limits, find these snakes. They are quite com- 
 monly found in large public parks. They like frogs and 
 toads and bolt their food. There are many varieties of this 
 snake. Both the Eibbon Snakes and the Garter Snakes be- 
 long to the genus Eutasnia, which is the most numerous 
 of those of the United States. They are all striped snakes 
 and are very much like the water snakes in structure. 
 There is no easily distinguished characteristic that would 
 enable a boy, at a glance, to tell 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 sections of our country. They frequent the vicin- 
 ity of water and swim with ease, feeding on frogs, toads, 
 fish. The Queen Snake is found generally east of the 
 Mississippi Valley. It is brown above and has yellow 
 stripes on the side. The Banded Water Snake is the water 
 snake which is commonly found in the southern part of 
 the United States east of Texas. It closely resembles the 
 Moccasin, a poisonous snake, and is often mistaken for it. 
 It attains an average length of over a yard. When alarmed, 
 like all the water snakes, it takes to the water for refuge. 
 This genus never preys on birds or mice. It is one of the
 
 KEPTILES OP THE UNITED STATES. 165 
 
 most common of the southern snakes. The Red-bellied 
 Water Snake is found in the east, but not north of Vir- 
 ginia. The Common Water Snake is the northern repre- 
 sentative of this genus. These snakes are popularly known 
 
 WATER SNAKE. 
 
 a ''Moccasins." The Diamond Back Water Snake is com- 
 n)n along the lower Mississippi states. They average four 
 feet in length. May be seen on low branches overhanging 
 water. The Green Water Snake is similar in habit to
 
 166 REPTILES OF THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 the Diamond Back and is found in the Gulf and the Mis- 
 sissippi Valley states. One peculiarity of the water snakes 
 is their love of their home. They pick out a particular 
 sunning place and will return to it regularly. 
 
 THE GROUND SNAKE OR BROWN SNAKE. 
 
 This is a common snake, found all over the United States 
 east of the Rocky Mountains. It is small in size, about a 
 foot long and slender, and hides under stones, where it 
 probably feeds on the worms and forms of insect 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. It has been known to measure 
 over eight feet in length. It is found from Texas eastward in 
 the Gulf states. Its scales have a polished appearance and 
 are blue black in color. It may be seen in sandy stretches. 
 When feeding it holds its prey down with part of its body. 
 It is not particular as to its diet and will eat birds with 
 the same relish as cold-blooded frogs and toads. In the 
 Central and South American countries this snake is highly 
 valued as a " ratter " and frequents human habitations 
 without fear. The Black Snake is abundant in the United 
 States. It has a bad reputation. It is said to be a fearless 
 fighter, not afraid to attack mac even, and to be able to 
 " charm " its prey within its reach. These attributes are 
 popular beliefs without any basis of fact. It is fond of 
 small birds and field mice and is what may be called a 
 meadow snake. When frightened it speeds away at an 
 incredible rate. The Coachw T hip Snake, found in the south- 
 east, is even more agile than the Black Snake, and like that 
 serpent, will eat smaller snakes. It gets its name from 
 its slender structure and similarity of the appearance of 
 its scale distribution to a plaited whip. The Striped Racer 
 of the southwestern states is very long and slender.
 
 KEPTILES OF THE UNITED STATES. 167 
 
 THE RAT SNAKES OR COLUBERS. 
 
 These are large, strong snakes that squeeze and crush 
 their prey by coiling themselves around it. They are use- 
 ful to the farmer, as they inhabit grainfields and prey on 
 the rats and mice. An easy way to tell these snakes is by 
 their flat belly. The Fox Snake is quite common in the 
 Central states. It averages about four feet long. It de- 
 rives its name from an odor which it is able to eject, 
 which smells not unlike that 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 to hatch. A 
 snake that is abundant in the southeastern states is known 
 by the various names of Corn Snake, Red Chicken Snake, 
 Mouse Snake, Scarlet Racer and Red Coluber. It is red, 
 black and white. It is not as much of a climber as the 
 Racers are, nor is it as agile ; but it is braver and will fight 
 when cornered. It is frequently found in cornfields, hence 
 its name. The Pilot Black Snake or Mountain Black Snake 
 is often taken for the Common Black Snake. Its head is 
 larger and it is spotted with white. It is a snake frequently 
 found in the same locations as the rattlesnake and copper- 
 head. The Chicken Snake is fond of eggs and young 
 chickens. Like the Fox Snake it will emit an unpleasant 
 odor when caught. 
 
 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 is vicious in appearance, 
 hisses loudly and strikes vigorously. It feeds on small ani- 
 mals and birds. It is also called the Gopher Snake. " The 
 Yellow Gopher " Snake is found in the middle and western 
 states. 
 
 THE GREEN SNAKES. 
 
 The Green Whip Snake or Magnolia Snake is green above, 
 yellow below. It feeds on insects and is a good climber.
 
 168 REPTILES OF THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 In color it so perfectly matches the leaves and grass that 
 detection is difficult. The " Grass Snake " is a common 
 snake of the northeastern states. 
 
 THE RING-NECKED SNAKES. 
 
 The eastern Ring-necked Snake is found in the eastern 
 portion of the United States. It has a yellow ring about 
 the neck. This snake is not given to venturing abroad, 
 but prefers to lie under stones and the loose bark of trees. 
 
 THE KING SNAKES. 
 
 These snakes are remarkable for their colors. They are 
 banded around their bodies with rings of bright colors. 
 They will eat rats and mice and other snakes. The Milk 
 Snake or " Checkered Adder " is popularly supposed 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 is prettily colored red and yellow and is the 
 type found in the south. All the King Snakes have pro- 
 nounced patterns. More than in any other genus is the 
 habit of feeding on its kind developed attacking, and 
 usually successfully, snakes larger than themselves. It 
 is from this characteristic that they derive their name. It 
 is bitten by the poisonous snakes which it attacks but with- 
 out effect; the King Snake tightens its grip until its ad- 
 versary is lifeless. 
 
 THE RAINBOW SNAKES. 
 
 These are sometimes called the mud snakes, from the 
 fact that they are abundant in swamps. They burrow in 
 the mud. The Red-bellied Snake is also called the Rain- 
 bow Snake, Mud Snake, Horn Snake and Hoop Snake. 
 
 THE HOG-NOSED SNAKES. 
 
 These snakes are fighters. The peculiar formation of the 
 mouth makes them easily distinguishable. They hiss when
 
 REPTILES OF THE UNITED STATES. 169 
 
 disturbed and flatten their heads and necks. They are 
 popularly known as " adders " and " vipers." They are 
 found in dry and sandy situations. 
 
 The common Hog-nosed Snake is found in dry, sandy 
 locations practically all through the United States except 
 on the Pacific slope. It has the peculiar habit of feigning 
 death when cornered. Before it tries these tactics it will 
 make a terrific show of ferocity. It is capable of flatten- 
 ing its head and neck in a formidable manner and while 
 assuming this attitude it hisses sharply. If this show does 
 not scare away its enemy it will suddenly be seized with 
 a spasm, ending by turning on its back, limp and appar- 
 ently lifeless. "When it thinks danger is past it recovers 
 its normal position and quickly gets away. This snake 
 is known popularly 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 and yellow. This snake is found in the southeastern 
 and central United States. It is a near relative to the deadly 
 Cobra-de-Capello and is itself poisonous. A burrowing 
 reptile. 
 
 THE MOCCASINS. 
 
 These snakes are highly poisonous. The Water Moccasin 
 is one of the largest venomous snakes found in the United 
 States. Some have been caught that measured four feet 
 in length and almost two and a half inches around. Cer- 
 tain kinds of harmless water snakes are popularly sup- 
 posed to be and are called ' ' moccasins. ' ' Unless you have 
 a very close knowledge of which is which, you should be 
 careful how near you approach them. The Water Moccasin 
 is found quite abundantly in the east from the Carolinas 
 southward and along the Mississippi states as far north as 
 Illinois. It likes swamps and is found abundantly in many 
 southern swampy sections. This snake is often known as 
 the " Cotton Mouth " Snake. It is vicious and pugnacious
 
 170 KEPTILES OF THE UNITED STATES.
 
 REPTILES OF THE UNITED STATES. 171 
 
 and will fight snakes of any size. The prey of this serpent 
 consists of birds, frogs, other snakes, fish and small ani- 
 mals. The Copperhead derives its name from the copper- 
 ish tint on its head. It is not as large a snake as the 
 Water Moccasin, nor does it like the swamps. It frequents 
 rocky locations that are thickly wooded. It has a peculiar 
 habit of backing away from danger by looping its body 
 and then drawing it straight again. 
 
 THE RATTLESNAKES. 
 
 The rattlesnake is the most interesting as well as the 
 most deadly of the North American serpents. Its chief 
 distinguishing characteristic is the rattle at the end of tail. 
 Curator Ditmars, of the New York Zoological Park, says 
 that although he has " studied living examples of many 
 species of deadly snakes the South American bushmaster 
 and the fer-de-lance, the African puff adder and the berg 
 adder, and such East Indian species as the king cobra, the 
 spectacled cobra and Russell's viper, and although there 
 is indelibly stamped upon his mind the bloated body, the 
 glassy stare and the rhythmic hissing of the berg adder, 
 the rearing, uncanny pose of an infuriated cobra there is 
 one image vivid above all, the rattlesnake. Thrown into 
 a gracefully symmetrical coil, the body inflated, the neck 
 arched in an oblique bow in support of the heart-shaped 
 head, the slowly waving tongue with spread and tremu- 
 lous tips, and above all, the incessant, monotonous whir of 
 the rattle. One stroke a flash of that flat head would 
 inject a virus bringing speedy death." 
 
 The rattlesnake always warns its enemy of its presence 
 by its rattle. "Were it not for this habit there would prob- 
 ably be many more deaths from the bites of this snake. 
 The snake does not add a new ring to its rattle each year, 
 as it is popularly supposed to do. The Massasauga is one 
 of the smaller rattlesnakes, averaging about two feet in 
 length. It inhabits swampy places. The Timber Rattle- 
 snake is found from Vermont to Florida and west to Kan- 
 sas. It is abundant in the mountains of New York, Mas.
 
 172 REPTILES OF THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 sachusetts and Pennsylvania. In the spring and fall the 
 snakes congregate on ledges of rocks ; such places are called 
 
 RATTLESNAKE. 
 
 "rattlesnake dens." They spend the winter in crevices 
 in these rocky places. The Timber Rattler is more timid
 
 REPTILES OF THE UNITED STATES. 173 
 
 than many of its cousins, preferring flight to combat, but 
 if cornered will fight as fiercely. It feeds on birds and 
 small animals. The largest rattlesnake is the Diamond- 
 back. Specimens have been caught that measured over 
 '.ix feet long and four inches around. This snake is ont 
 < the most deadly in the world. It is found most abun- 
 dantly in Florida. It is never known to strike uncoiled and 
 rarely retreats from danger. The food of this snake seems 
 to consist mostly of small animals. It takes but a minute 
 for the poison from the Diamond-back's fangs to kill a 
 rabbit.
 
 THE TURTLES AND TORTOISES
 
 THE CHELONIA OR TURTLES AND TORTOISES. 
 4 
 
 Turtles and tortoises belong to the order known as Che- 
 Ionia. There are Fresh-water Turtles, Sea Turtles and 
 Land Turtles. 
 
 THE SEA TURTLES. 
 
 These turtles are often carried by storm far north of 
 their customary habitat, which is in the warmer waters of 
 the southeastern coast. The Leatherback, 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 Logger- 
 head Turtle has a very large head. Its eggs are buried 
 in the sand about May or June and the young turtles hatch 
 out in about two months' time. The Green Turtle often 
 strays into northern waters. The flesh of this turtle is prized 
 by epicures. It will die if not placed on its back, the under 
 shell being pressed by the weight of the upper shell against 
 its lungs, causing suffocation. The Hawksbill Turtle is 
 distinguished by the hawk-like appearance of its head. It 
 is the smallest of the sea turtles and the one from which 
 is obtained the sought-after tortoise shells. 
 
 THE SNAPPING TURTLES. 
 
 These are the largest of the fresh-water turtles. Likf 
 the snakes they strike at their prey or their enemy, and their 
 sharp mandibles make them a formidable antagonist. They 
 will pull down their prey under the water where they al- 
 ways feed. The Alligator Snapping Turtle is found in 
 the Gulf states. A peculiarity of this reptile is the fleshy 
 
 177
 
 EEPTILES OF THE UNITED STATES. 179 
 
 filament, grub-like in appearance, which it has in its mouth 
 and which acts as a bait, 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 in abundance in the muddy streams of the eastern, 
 part of the United States. It will often be taken on a fish 
 
 B s 86 
 
 BOX TURTLE.
 
 180 REPTILES OF THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 hook. It derives its name from the odor it gives forth. Sel- 
 dom is it found out of the water. It snaps when taken in a 
 way which rivals the snapping turtle. The common Mud 
 Turtle is not as abundant as the musk turtle to which it is 
 similar in habit, crawling along the muddy bottoms of ponds 
 and rivers. The under shell of the Mud Turtles is much 
 broader than that of the musk turtles. The Banded Mud 
 Turtle, found in Georgia and Florida, has three yellow 
 stripes or "bands" on its shell. The Yellow-necked Mud 
 Turtle gets its name from its bright yellow neck. 
 
 THE TERRAPINS. 
 
 The Painted Terrapin or Pond Turtle is brightly colored. 
 The under shell is yellow and the upper shell is bordered 
 with mottled red. It is found in the eastern United States. 
 You may frequently see it taking a sunning on a partially 
 submerged log, diving into the water upon your approach. 
 It feeds on insects, small fishes and water weeds. In your 
 aquarium it will eat small pieces of beef, fish, worms or 
 tender greens. The Chicken Turtle or Long-necked Terra- 
 pin is found in the southeastern states. The Yellow-bellied 
 Terrapin is found from Virginia to Georgia. It is one of 
 the terrapins that are sold in the markets. Many may be 
 seen there, especially in Charleston. The Cumberland Ter- 
 rapin may be known by the red 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 is the 
 most highly prized by epicures seven-inch-long turtles 
 bringing as much as $5 or more apiece. It is found in the 
 marshes of the eastern and southeastern coast states. As 
 the size increases, the price advances. They are becoming 
 scarce. It always feeds under water. Grows to larger size 
 in the South. The Spotted Turtle is found in abundant 
 quantities in the eastern states. It has round yellow spots 
 scattered over its black upper shell and may be seen near 
 ponds, streams and marshy places. It is fond of water that 
 is grassy, hiding therein.
 
 REPTILES OF THE UNITED STATES. 181 
 
 THE Box TURTLES. 
 
 This turtle is fitted with a complete suit of armor, into 
 which it can withdraw and become practically immune from 
 harm. It is not an aquatic reptile, its food consisting prin- 
 cipally of vegetation. It is fond of berries and is found 
 most abundantly in grassy thickets. It lives many years. 
 At the approach of winter it burrows into the ground. 
 
 THE TORTOISES. 
 
 The Tortoises live only on the land. The Gopher Tor- 
 toise is found from South Carolina to Florida, and west as 
 far as Texas. It feeds on vegetation. It inhabits principally 
 the dry and sandy places and makes long burrows into which 
 it retires from the hot midday sun. The eggs of this tor- 
 toise are buried in the sand and are hatched by the sun's 
 rays Agassiz's Tortoise, or the Desert Tortoise, is dis- 
 tributed over the deserts of Arizona and southern California. 
 
 THE SOFT-SHELLED TURTLES. 
 
 The shells of these turtles are soft and the head has the 
 distinguishing characteristic of a pointed nose. They are 
 aquatic and are much like the snapping turtles in habit. 
 Large specimens can do damage with their sharp jaws. 
 They are popularly known as ' ' flapjack turtles, ' ' and they 
 do not look unlike large pancakes. They are vicious and 
 can make severe wounds or injuries. Their food is the 
 same as that of the snapping turtles ; in fact, they have so 
 many points in common that they are often called "soft- 
 shelled snapping turtles."
 
 THE CROCODILES AND ALLIGATORS
 
 THE CROCODILIA OR THE CROCODILES AND 
 ALLIGATOR'S. 
 
 The Crocodiles and Alligators belong to that order of 
 reptiles known as Crocodilia. The Alligator's head is broad 
 and blunt ; the Crocodile 's is narrow and sharp. 
 
 1. ALLIGATOR. 2. CROCODILE. 
 185
 
 186 REPTILES OF THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 The Alligators are distributed over the low and swampy 
 ground from North Carolina southward, but are becoming 
 rare almost to the point of extinction. Their skin is valued 
 and their eggs are sought as food so that they are annually 
 becoming rarer. They are afraid of man, but if cornered 
 will fight. Their jaws are large, powerful and provided 
 with strong teeth, capable of inflicting serious injury. 
 They feed on fish, animals and birds. Alligators make a 
 "bellowing" sound. The Crocodile is livelier and more 
 pugnacious than the Alligator, but there are no "man- 
 eating" Crocodiles in the United States.
 
 INDEX 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Adder, Berg 177 
 
 Checkered 168 
 
 Flat-headed 169 
 
 Puff ..... 169, 171 
 Agassiz's Tortoise . . . 181 
 Alligators .... 183, 185 
 Alligator Snapping Turtle . 177 
 
 Anoh'3 152 
 
 Banded Gecko . . . .152 
 
 Mud Turtle 180 
 
 Water Snake .... 164 
 Beaded Lizards . . . . loo 
 
 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 
 
 Chuekawrlla 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 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Colubers, 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 
 
 Eutsenia 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 157 
 
 California .... 157 
 Regal 157 
 
 187
 
 188 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 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 
 
 PAGE 
 
 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
 
 INDEX. 
 
 189 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Snakes, 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 164 
 
 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 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Terrapin, Diamond-back . 180 
 Long-necked . . . .180 
 
 Painted 180 
 
 Yellow-bellied . . . .180 
 Texas Blind Snake ... 163 
 Timber Rattlesnake . . .171 
 Tortoises, 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 
 
 HawksbUl ... .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 Aeroplane Series 
 
 By JOHN LUTHER LANGWORTHY 
 
 1. The Aeroplane Boys; or, The Young Pilots First Air 
 
 Voyage 
 
 2. The Aeroplane Boys on the Wing; or, Aeroplane 
 
 Chums in the Tropics 
 
 3. The Aeroplane Boys Among the Clouds; or, Young 
 
 Aviators in a Wreck 
 
 4. The Aeroplane Boys' Flights; or, A Hydroplane 
 
 Round-up 
 
 5. The Aeroplane Boys on a Cattle Ranch 
 
 The Girl Aviator Series 
 
 By MARGARET BURNHAM 
 
 Just the type of books that delight and fascinate the wide awake Girls 
 of the present day who are between the ages of eight and fourteen years. 
 The great author of these books regards them as the best products of 
 her pen. Printed from large clear type on a superior quality of paper; 
 attractive multi-colorjacketwrapperaroundeach book. Bound in cloth. 
 
 1. The Girl Aviators and the Phantom Airship 
 
 2. The Girl Aviators on Golden Wings 
 
 3. The Girl Aviators' Sky Cruise 
 
 4. The Girl Aviators' Motor Butterfly. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers or sent postpaid on receipt of 75c. 
 
 M. A. DONOHUE & COMPANY 
 
 701-733 S. DEARBORN STREET :: CHICAGO
 
 (ALWAYS ASK FOR THE DONOHUE 
 
 COMPLETE EDITIONS THE BEST FOR LEAST MONEY 
 
 WOODCRAFT 
 
 By OWEN JONES and MARCUS WOODMAN 
 
 With a Message to Boy Scouts by SIR BADEN- 
 POWELL, Founder of the Boy Scouts' Movement. 
 
 II I 
 
 NE of the essential requirements of the Boy 
 Scout training is a Knowledge of Wood- 
 craft. This necessitates a book embracing 
 all the subjects and treating on ail the topics that 
 a thorough knowledge of Woodcraft implies. 
 
 This book thoroughly exhausts the subject. It im- 
 parts a comprehensive knowledge of woods from fungus 
 growth to the most. stately monarch of the forest: 
 it treats of the habits and lairs of all the feathered and 
 furry inhabitants of the woods. Shows how to trail 
 wild animals; how to identify birds and beasts by 
 their tracks, calls, etc. Tells how to forecast the 
 weather, and in fact treats on every phase of nature 
 with which a Boy Scout or any woodman or lover of 
 nature should be familiar. The authorship guarantees 
 it's authenticity and reliability. Indispensable to "Boy 
 Scouts" and others- Printed from large clear type on 
 superior paper. 
 
 Embellished With Over 100 Thumb Nail 
 Illustrations Taken From Life 
 
 Bound in Cloth. Stamped with unique and 
 appropriate designs in ink* 
 
 Price, 75C 
 
 M. A. DONOHUE & CO. 
 
 79 1-72 7 S. Dearborn St. CHICAGO
 
 The American Boy's 
 Sports Series 
 
 BY MARK OVERTON 
 
 12 Mo Cloth. Illustrated. Price 60c Each. 
 
 D 
 
 HESE stories touch upon nearly every 
 sport in which the active boy is interested. 
 Baseball, rowing, football, hockey, skat- 
 ing, ice-boating, sailing, camping and fishing all 
 serve to lend interest to an unusual series of 
 books. There are the following four titles: 
 
 1. Jack Winters' Baseball Team; or, The 
 
 Mystery of the Diamond. 
 
 2. Jack Winters' Campmates; or, Vacation 
 
 Days in the Woods. 
 
 J , Jack Winters' Gridiron Chums; or, When 
 the Hall-hack Saved the Day. 
 
 4. Jack Winters' Iceboat Wonder; or, Lead- 
 ing the Hockey Team to Victory. 
 
 M. A. DONOHUE & COMPANY 
 
 CHICAGO
 
 VICTORY BOY 
 SCOUT SERIES 
 
 Stories by a writer who possesses a thorough knowledge of this 
 subject. Handsomely bound in cloth; colored jacket wrapper. 
 
 1 
 
 The Campfires of the Wolf Patrol 
 
 2 
 
 Woodcraft; or, How a Patrol Leader Made Good 
 
 3 
 Pathfinder; or, the Missing Tenderfoot 
 
 4 
 Great Hike; or, The Pride of Khaki Troop 
 
 5 
 Endurance Test; or, How Clear Grit Won the Day 
 
 6 
 Under Canvas; or, the Search for the Carteret Ghost 
 
 7 
 Storm-bound; or, a Vacation among the Snow Drifts 
 
 8 
 Afloat; or, Adventures on Watery Trails 
 
 9 
 Tenderfoot Squad; or, Camping at Raccoon Bluff 
 
 10 
 Boy Scouts in an Airship 
 
 11 
 Boy Scout Electricians; or, the Hidden Dynamo 
 
 12 
 Boy Scouts on Open Plains 
 
 for Sale by all Book-sellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of 40 cents 
 
 M A DONOHUE & - COMPANY 
 
 711 SOUTH DEARBORN STREET CHICAGO
 
 THE BOYS' ELITE SERIES 
 
 12mo, cloth. Price 75c each. 
 
 Contains an attractive assortment of books for boys by 
 standard and favorite authors. Printed from large, clear type 
 on a superior quality of paper, bound in a superior quality of 
 binders' cloth, ornamented with illustrated original designs on 
 covers stamped in colors from, unique and appropriate dies. 
 Each book wrapped in attractive jacket. 
 
 1. Cudjo's Cave Trowbridge 
 
 2. Green Mountain Boys 
 
 3. Life of Kit Carson Edward L. Ellis 
 
 4. Tom Westlake's Golden Luck Perry Newberry 
 
 5. Tony Keating's Surprises Mrs. G. R. Alden (Pansy) 
 
 6. Tour of the World in 80 Days Jules Verne 
 
 THE GIRLS' ELITE SERIES 
 
 12mo, cloth. Price 75c each. 
 
 Contains an assortment of attractive and desirable books for 
 girls by standard and favorite authors. The books are printed 
 on a good quality of paper in large clear type. Each title is 
 complete and unabridged. Bound in clothene, ornamented on 
 the sides and back with attractive illustrative designs and the 
 title stamped on front and back. 
 
 1. Bee and the Butterfly Lucy Foster Madison 
 
 2. Dixie School Girl Gabrielle E. Jackson 
 
 3. Girls of Mount Morris Amanda Douglas 
 
 4. Hope's Messenger Gabrielle E. Jackson 
 
 5. The Little Aunt Marion Ames Taggart 
 
 6. A Modern Cinderella Amanda Douglas 
 
 For sale by all Booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of 75c 
 
 M. A. DONOHUE & COMPANY 
 
 711 S. DEARBORN STREET :s CHICAGO
 
 Radio Boys Series 
 
 1. Radio Boys in the Secret Service; or, Cast Away on 
 
 an Iceberg FRANK HONEYWELL 
 
 2. Radio Boys on the Thousand Islands; or, The Yankee 
 
 Canadian Wireless Trail-FRANK HONEYWELL 
 
 3. Radio Boys in the Flying Service; or, Held for Ran- 
 
 som by Mexican Bandits J. W. DUFFIELD 
 
 4. Radio Boys Under the Sea; or, The Hunt for the 
 
 Sunken Treasure J. W. DUFFIELD 
 
 5. Radio Boys Cronies; or, Bill Brown's Radio 
 
 WAYNE WHIPPLE 
 
 6. Radio Boys Loyalty; or, Bill Brown Listens In _ 
 
 WAYNE WHIPPLE 
 
 Peggy Parson's Series 
 
 By ANNABEL SHARP 
 
 A popular and charming series of Girl's books dealing in an interesting 
 and fascinating manner with the the life and adventures of Girlhood so 
 dear to all Girls from eight to fourteen years of age. Printed from large 
 clear type on superior quality paper, multicolor j acket. Bound in cloth. 
 
 1. Peggy Parson Hampton Freshman 
 
 2. Peggy Parson at Prep School 
 
 For sale by all booksellers or sent postpaid on receipt of 75c* 
 
 M. A. DONOHUE & COMPANY 
 
 701-733 S. DEARBORN STREET :: CHICAGO
 
 Motor Boat Boys Series 
 
 By Louis ARUNDEL 
 
 1. The Motor Club's Cruise Down the Mississippi; or 
 
 The Dash for Dixie. 
 
 2. The Motor Club on the St. Lawrence River; or 
 
 Adventures Among the Thousand Islands. 
 
 3. The Motor Club on the Great Lakes; or Exploring 
 
 the Mystic Isle of Mackinac. 
 
 4. Motor Boat Boys Among the Florida-Keys; or The 
 
 Struggle for the Leadership. 
 
 5. Motor Boat Boys Down the Coast; or Through 
 
 Storm and Stress. 
 
 6. Motor Boat Boy's River Chase; or Six Chums 
 
 Afloat or Ashore. 
 
 7. Motor Boat Boys Down the Danube; or Four Chums 
 
 Abroad 
 
 1. Motor Maids' School Days 
 
 2. Motor Maids by Palm and Pine 
 
 3. Motor Maids Across the Continent 
 
 4. Motor Maids by Rose, Shamrock and Thistle. 
 
 5. Motor Maids in Fair Japan 
 
 6. Motor Maids at Sunrise Camp 
 
 For sale by all booksellers or sent postpaid on receipt of 75c. 
 
 M. A. DONOHUE & COMPANY 
 
 701-733 S. DEARBORN STREET :: CHICAGO
 
 A 000106911 1