signal that called for less noise; and
Jimmy was, in consequence, compelled to bottle up some of wonder and
disappointment. He had perhaps, hoped to get a "rise" after his dextrous
cast, and in this way learn what one or more of his mates thought about
the matter. As it was he continued to ponder, look solemn, and
occasionally shake his head, as though unable to decide on any settled
course.

"Don't believe we'll have any more jogging from those three men we
tracked," Teddy went on to say, a little later; "because two of them
must have got hurt, if yells speak for anything. I wonder if Jimmy's
black pirate chieftain was one of the potted victims."

"He wasn't that one we saw come out holding on to his arm, like he
thought he'd be likely to lose the same," Jimmy informed him. "That was
the man dressed like a hunter, wearing a buckskin coat and fringed
trousers. Gee! I thought that sort of stuff had all gone up the spout
since khaki came in for woods' use?"

"Oh! well," Jack reminded him, "just remember where you are, and that
there are men up here who still think Queen Victoria is sitting on the
English throne, because they never get in touch with civilization. Life
with them is only eat and sleep, and sell a few furs in the spring, to
the factor at a post of the Hudson Bay Company, which they spend for
ammunition, whiskey and such necessities. The skins they take, furnish
them with clothes, moccasins, and even caps. Can you beat it, for a life
without worry?"

"Give me the white man's burden, every time; if a lot of other things go
with it, like we get at a supper down at Coney Island in the good old
summer time," was Frank's idea.

Strange, how boys will let their thoughts stray back to other fields,
even when facing peril in the Canada bush. To hear these lads talk, one
would never think that they were at the same time keeping a constant
lookout for enemies, who would be apt to deal harshly with them because
Ned and his chums had outwitted the shrewd schemers owning the fake
mine.

It was nearly half an hour later, when they discovered that smoke was
also rising directly in the east. Evidently some of the men, over on the
Harricanaw, were sending back an answer to the message in smoke, which
had been thrown out against the sky, by those guarding the mine.

"Mebbe I don't wish I could read their old signals," declared Jimmy;
"but, I just can't. They've got a different code to the one the scouts
use, which make