the wind. Bobolink was
awake, and it was my turn to snooze. He gave me a kick in the seventh rib
that made me think a comet had dropped on me. But we showed up game. Now,
what's doing, fellows; and do we get a grab at the scout?"

"If you both feel like trotting around a whole lot more, why you're just
as welcome as a shower in spring," asserted Paul, promptly.

"I should say, yes," declared Jack; "and if the whole bunch could stand
the racket we wouldn't have crept away like we did. But most of the poor
fellows are all in, and dead tired, and we thought it would be a shame to
invite them to hike some more."

"Did you bring your glim along?" asked Paul.

"Our lanterns? Well, William didn't want to, but I insisted. I knew that
if we missed you fellows, and lost ourselves in the bush, they'd come in
mighty fine for company," returned Bobolink.

"Then let's light up. After that we'll spread out, and try to find the
trail," with which remark Paul set the example.

Presently five lanterns glowed like giant fireflies.

"Think it lies in this direction, Paul?" asked William.

"I'm sure of it. After that man's track came alongside the print of the
little chap's shoe, there was no more wandering about; but it struck
straight ahead. That told me the trail was heading for a house," came the
ready reply.

"A house. Say, is there any other place up here but the old farm
alongside the mill pond? I don't seem to remember any," remarked
Bobolink.

"And that's just where I expect we'll bring up sooner or later," observed
Paul.

"Then why not put for the old place at full speed right away?" suggested
William, always impetuous.

"To do that we'd have to drop the trail again. And besides, what does
an hour, or even two of them, matter in the end? Slow but sure is the
successful scout's motto, boys. Hello I look here, what's this?"

Paul thrust his lantern down close to the ground. Bending over to look,
the others could see the plain impression of a child's little shoe. It
was heading due north, just as many similar tracks had been of late.

"Now if you look at this you'll see it's nearly crushed out by the big
print of a man's foot; while just beyond the child has stepped into the
impression made by the man. That can mean only one thing; the two were
going on in company, and for a minute he let go the little one's hand, so
that first the child was in front, and then behind."

"I guess you're right, Paul. But see here, wha