he act of taking the sweet
bait.

A number of times he turned around and looked back. This was because
he had accustomed himself to viewing his surroundings at various
angles, which is a wise thing for a scout to do. Then when he tries to
retrace his steps he will not find himself looking at a reverse
picture that seems unfamiliar in his eyes.

In the course of time the boys arrived at their destination.

"Don't see anything upset around here," observed Paul, with a shade of
growing disappointment in his voice; and then almost instantly adding
in excitement: "But the bait's gone, all right--and yes! the cartridge
has been fired. Good enough!"

"Here you can see faint signs of the tracks of the bear under this new
coating of snow!" declared Jack, pointing down at his feet.

Paul, knowing that he would not go for his camera until after broad
daylight, had managed to so arrange it, with a clever attachment of
his own construction, that an exposure was made just at the second the
cord firing the flashlight was drawn taut.

It was a time exposure--the shutter remaining open for a score of
seconds before automatically closing again. This was arranged so that
pictures could be taken on moonlight nights as well as dark ones. He
had tried it on several previous occasions, and with very good
results.

Brushing the accumulated snow from his camera, he quickly had the
precious article in his possession.

"Nothing else to keep us here, is there, Paul?" asked Jud.

"No, and the sooner we strike a warm gait for the cabin the better,"
said the scout-master. "You notice, if anything, that wind is getting
sharper right along, and the snow strikes you on the cheek like shot
pellets, stinging furiously. So far as I'm concerned we can't make the
camp any too soon."

Nevertheless, it might have been noticed that Paul did not hurry, in
the sense that he forgot to keep his wits about him. The warning given
by Tolly Tip was still fresh in his ears, and even without it Paul
would hardly have allowed himself to become indiscreet or careless.

Jack, too, saw that they were following the exact line they had taken
in coming out. As a scout he knew that the other did not get his
bearings from any marks on the ground, such as might easily be
obliterated by falling snow. Trees formed the basis of Paul's
calculations. He particularly noticed every peculiarly shaped tree or
growth upon the right side while going out, which would bring them