ething definite to start from next time; and if
we keep it to ourselves, we'll have a fine and dandy chance of putting
it over on the rest of the camp. Everybody get busy and hustle some
leaves and stuff over the wall so nobody else'll stumble on it by
accident."

In a very short time practically all traces of their explorations had
been covered over, and the fellows started back at a brisk pace. They
were able to return much more quickly than they had come out, and reached
the meeting-place in good season to find, with not a little secret
satisfaction, that none of the other parties had met with success.

"But you fellows mustn't let that discourage you," said Mr. Reed,
briskly. "As I told you before, you can't expect to locate in an hour
or so something that's been lost for nearly a hundred years. We'll try
it again about Saturday, and--"

"Aw, Mr. Reed," piped up Bennie, eagerly, "can't we come back to-morrow
and--"

He broke off with some abruptness as Ranny's fingers closed over his
shoulder in a warning grip. The scoutmaster laughed and shook his head.

"You've got it bad, Bennie," he smiled. "Were you getting warm just when
you had to stop? You'll have to practise patience, I'm afraid. To-morrow
we're going up the river for crabs, and on Friday afternoon there'll be
an athletic meet. Don't worry, though. The mine isn't going to run away."

"You chump!" whispered Phelps in the small boy's ear as they started off
downhill in a body. "Do you want to give the whole show away?"

"I didn't mean anything, Ranny--honest. I didn't think--"

"I should say you didn't!" Ranny's tone was severe, but his face relaxed
a bit at the other's comical expression of dismay. "Don't let another
peep like that out of you or we'll have some of the crowd trailing us
next time we come here. I'll be surprised if Wes or somebody hasn't
caught on already."

But apparently no one had. Doubtless they laid Bennie's outburst to the
irresponsibility of extreme youth and ignored it. On the way back to camp
there was a good deal of general discussion and theorizing about the
location of the mine, but the members of Tent Three managed their answers
well enough, apparently, to prevent suspicion. After supper, too, the
interest shifted to the morrow's doings, and by the time the call for
council-fire sounded through the dusk Lost Mine had been momentarily
forgotten.

Out on the extreme tip of Long Point a great heap of branches and
driftwoo