ing without your help."

Later on Tolly Tip announced that they would now leave the creek and
head in the direction of the abandoned charcoal burners' shack. All
the scouts felt more or less of a thrill in anticipation of what was
to come.

"I only hope," Jud was heard to mutter, aggressively, "that they
haven't gone and skedaddled since Bud Phillips saw 'em in the place.
That'd make me feel pretty sore, let me tell you!"

"Not much chance of that happening, Jud," Jack assured the grumbler,
"unless by some accident their supplies got low. And Bud said they
seemed to have enough on hand to last for weeks. Everything's going to
turn out as we want it, make up your mind to that."

The old woodsman knew every rod of territory around that section, and
could have led his charges in a bee-line to the shack except for the
snowdrifts. Of course, these caused more or less meandering, but in
the end they came to a place where Tolly Tip raised a warning finger.

Every boy knew by that they must be close upon the shack. Indeed, a
whiff of wood smoke floated their way just then, announcing that the
goal was at hand.

They moved on for a couple of minutes. Then all could glimpse the
dilapidated cabin amidst the snow piles, with smoke oozing from its
disabled mud and slab chimney. Paul made a gesture that they
recognized, whereupon part of the company came to a halt and hid,
while the others crept on with the leader.

CHAPTER XXXII

THE CAPTURE OF THE HOBO YEGGMEN

Long practice had made the scouts adepts at this sort of work. They
could creep up on an unsuspecting sentry almost as cleverly as those
copper-colored natives of the American woods whom all Boy Scouts copy
when studying woodcraft.

Then again the piles of snow helped, as well as hindered, them more or
less. But except for that column of blue wood smoke drifting lazily
upward over the cabin there was really no sign of life about the
place.

Paul, Tolly Tip and the others of the scouting party soon reached the
rear of the shack. They could easily see where the two tramps had
actually worked to close up most of the chinks between the logs, to
keep the bitter cold air and the driving snow out of their refuge.

Men of their sort would never think of staying for a week or two
amidst such barren surroundings so long as there remained a warm
county jail ready to accommodate them with free lodging--that is,
unless they had a good reason for wanting to avoid c