er overcome the feeling of prejudice that had
grown up against them in Stanhope.

"I wouldn't be in too big a hurry to start back home," continued Paul,
thinking he had already said enough to fulfill his duty as a scout.
"In another day or so it's likely to warm up a bit, and you'll find it
more comfortable on the way."

"Just what I was thinkin' myself, Paul," agreed Hank. "We've got
stacks of grub now, thanks to you and your crowd, and we c'n git
enough wood in places, now you've opened our dooryard fur us. Yep,
we'll hang out till it feels some warmer, and then cut sticks fur
home."

"Here's a rough map I made out that may be useful to you, Hank,"
continued the scout-master, "if you happen to lose your blazed trail.
Tolly Tip helped me get it up, and as he's been across to Stanhope
many times he ought to know every foot of the way."

"It might come in handy, an' I'll take the same with thanks, Paul,"
Hank observed, with all his customary aggressive ways lacking. There
is nothing so well calculated to take the spirit out of a boy as acute
hunger.

When they had talked for some little time longer, Paul decided that
it was time for him and his chums to start back to the cabin. Those
afternoons in late December were very short, and night would be down
upon them almost before they knew it.

It was just then that Bud Phillips seemed to have made up his mind to
say something that had been on the tip of his tongue ever since he
realized under what great obligations the scouts had placed him and
his partners.

"Seems like I oughtn't to let you get away from here, Paul, without
tellin' somethin' that I reckon might be interestin' to you all," he
went on to say.

"All right, Bud, we'll be glad to hear it," the scout-master observed,
with a smile, "though for the life of me I can't guess what it's all
about."

"Go ahead Bud, and dish it out!" urged Bobolink, impatiently.

CHAPTER XXVIII

MORE STARTLING NEWS

Bud Phillips looked somewhat confused. Apparently, he did not figure
any too well in what he felt it his duty to confess to Paul and his
chums.

"I'm ashamed that I kept mum about it when the old man accused some of
you fellers of startin' the fire, an' gettin' at his tight wad," he
went on to say; and it can be easily understood that this beginning
gave Paul a start.

"Oh! it's about that ugly business, is it?" the scout-master remarked,
frowning a little, for, naturally, he instantly conceived