dn't like the idea of us boys starting over here when
things were so upset; but grandfather believes Boy Scouts can do almost
anything. So it came about. And in a nutshell that's the strange story."

"Gee! you'd think it a page from the _Arabian Nights_," Tubby declared.
"But queer things can happen to-day just as much as ever. I only hope
that if we do manage to rake in that old field-glass case, and the paper
is still nestling underneath the lining, it doesn't turn out to be a
pipe dream--something that old miner just hatched up to make himself
feel he was as rich as a Vanderbilt."

"We'll have to chance that," said Rob. "Our part of the business will be
done when we carry the case back to Merritt's grandfather. It's up to
him for the rest. But don't you think we'd better try and get to sleep,
for it's growing late?"

They determined that this was a wise suggestion, and shortly afterward
not only Tubby and Merritt, but Rob as well had lost all realization of
trouble and stress in sound slumber.

The night passed, and with the coming of dawn the boys were astir.
Nothing had apparently happened during the night to disturb them.

In the morning hens were beginning to cackle, and cows to low, as the
boys awoke and crawled from the hay. A few minutes later, at a nearby
pump, they washed the last bit of drowsiness from their eyes; after
which they began to think, from the pleasant odors in the air, that it
was nearly time for breakfast.

"I dreamed about that grand paper hunt you told us about, Merritt,"
Tubby announced, as with his chums he sauntered over to the inn to see
what chance there was for getting something to eat. "And talk to me
about your will-o'-the-wisps, or what they call jack-o'-lanterns, such
as flit around graveyards or damp places nights, that certainly did beat
the record. Lots of times I was just stretching out my hand to grab it
when I'd hear a laugh, and Steve, he'd snatch the old field-glass case
away. I woke up still on the trail, and as set as ever to win out."

"Let's hope that will prove to be the case with us," ventured Rob
cheerily.

They found that they were to be given breakfast; and as all of the boys
had a ferocious appetite they soon did justice to the meal set before
them.

It was while they were finishing that they suddenly became aware of the
fact that something along the line of a battle had broken out not a
great ways off. The first intimation they had of this was the
deep