iny speck which sparkled. There were
other specks. He strained his eyes to pierce the growing darkness. He
was doubtful, then certain, then doubtful. He advanced, ever so
cautiously, a step or two, to see it better.

Yes. It was.

Utterly sick at heart he turned his head away. There before him, still
defying by its lightness of weight, the hungry jaws of the heartless,
terrible, devouring monster that eats its prey alive, stood the little
rimless, perforated and decorated cap of Hervey Willetts. Joyous and
buoyant it seemed, defying its inevitable fate with the blithe spirit
of its late owner. It floated still, after the log and the suit-case had
gone down.

And that was all that was left of the wandering minstrel.

CHAPTER XXIV

GILBERT'S DISCOVERY

Gilbert Tyson was a scout and he could face the worst. He soon got
control of himself and began considering what he had better do.

He could not advance one more step without danger. Yet he could not
think of going back to camp, with nothing but the report of something he
had seen from a distance. He had done nothing. Yet what could he do?

He was at a loss to know how Hervey could have advanced so far into that
treacherous mire.

He must have picked his way here and there, knee deep, waist deep, like
the reckless youngster he was, until he plunged all unaware into the
fatal spot. The very thought of it made Gilbert shudder. Had he called
for help? Gilbert wondered. How dreadful it must have been to call for
help in those minutes of sinking, and to hear nothing but some mocking
echo. What had the victim thought of, while going down--down?

Good scout that he was, Gilbert would not go back to camp without
rescuing that one remaining proof of Hervey's tragic end. At least he
would take back all that there was to take back.

He pulled out of his pocket a fishline wound on a stick. At the end of
the line where a hook was, he fastened several more hooks an inch or two
apart. The sinker was not heavy enough for his purpose so he fastened a
stone to the end of the line.

As he made these preparations, the rather grewsome thought occurred to
him of what he should do and how he would feel if Hervey's head were
visible when he pulled the cap away. It caused him to hesitate, just for
a few seconds, to make an effort to recover it. Suppose that hat were
still on the smothered victim's head....

With his first throw, the stone landed short of the mark and he drag