verything lay a fever of preparation.

At ten o'clock Mr. Wall sent a squad to take down the tents and pack them
away in the trek wagon. Another squad brought wood and water. The camp
prepared for dinner.

It was a happy, noisy, high-strung meal.

"Clean camp for the contests," Mr. Wall ordered next.

Empty cans and refuse went flying into the fire, to be raked out later
and buried. Presently the last sign of litter was gone. The scouts waited
expectantly.

"Telegraphy first," said the Scoutmaster. He handed a sealed envelope to
each sender. "There's your message. Read it when you get to your
instrument. Off you go. A bugle blast will be the signal to start. Speed
and accuracy will count."

Wally Woods ran off with Andy yelling after him to take his time and not
get rattled. Then came a wait. Mr. Wall nodded to the bugler. The woods
echoed to a sharp blast.

Almost at once telegraph instruments began to click. Andy, with puckered
eyes, bent down and wrote slowly. The scout at the Fox receiver was
supremely confident, but the Eagle scout seemed worried and harassed.

To the watching boys it was impossible to tell who was ahead. The minutes
passed, the excitement grew. All at once the Fox scout sprang to his feet
and came running to Mr. Wall with his paper.

"Shucks!" said Tim. "He may have it all mixed up. Look at Andy."

The assistant patrol leader of the Wolves was now running toward the
Scoutmaster. Two minutes later the Eagle scout came forward reluctantly.

"It's fierce," he said in disgust. "It doesn't make sense nohow."

The message had been, "A hundred men searched the hills for the Indian."
The Fox scout had made but one error. Andy had made four, and the Eagle
scout had twisted the message into a knot.

"Well," said Tim, "that gives us three points for second place. Now, if
Alex gets here--"

The calling cry of the Wolves sounded faintly.

"That's him," said Tim, and shrieked an answer. Andy and Bobbie went out
to meet the newcomer and show him the way. Presently they led him into
camp. He had ridden to Lonesome Woods on his bicycle, and had ridden
hard. He was hot, dusty and thirsty.

After half an hour's rest on the grass he was ready. The semaphore
signaling started.

All three patrols scored perfect messages, but the Foxes finished first,
the Wolves second, and the distracted Eagles last.

"That gives the Foxes 10 points and us 6," said Bobbie. "The Eagles have
2."

Don shook his hea