lection of three rocks
lying in plain view.

"What is it?" asked Jimmie, his eyes on the sandwich packet.

"Read it," replied Nestor.

"Head to the south!" shouted Shaw. "Who put that here?"

Nestor looked keenly into the astonished face before him.

"No tricks, now," he said. "Which of you boys placed this stone
signal?"

No one made answer, and Frank bent down to make a closer inspection of
the rocky floor of the shelf. Presently he gave a wild whoop and arose
to his feet with something in his hand.

"What do you know about this?" he demanded. "What do you know about
it, anyway?"

"Crazy," grunted Jimmie. "What is it?"

"The badge of the Black Bear Patrol," was the amazing reply. "Now, who
put it there? Some of the Black Bears said they were coming down here,
but how could they get to the top of this range?"

It was, indeed, a puzzling find. The stone sign had certainly been
placed where it had been found within a few hours, for one side of the
large rock was still a trifle damp, having undoubtedly been taken from
some shady place.

But how should the Black Bears of New York reach that almost unknown
country? That was the question.

"They said they'd sleuth on Fremont," Frank said, after a pause.

"But they couldn't have followed him here," insisted Fenton. "And, if
they had, they would not have been putting up stone signs when we were
only a few yards away."

"The sign says, 'Keep to the south,'" Nestor observed, "and we may find
the solution of the mystery there."

Anxious for a sight of his old chums of the Black Bear Patrol, and
unable to control his feelings, Shaw darted on ahead, passed around a
corner of rock, and disappeared from the sight of the other members of
the party.

"I hope he won't go an' get lost," Jimmie said, taking a swifter pace.

In a moment, however, it became evident that Shaw was not lost; that,
in fact, he was very much found, and with an undiminished lung
capacity. Such Black Bear growls and sniffs as came from around the
corner of the cliff were never heard before outside of a Wild West
show. There seemed to be half a dozen Black Bears growling at, and
ready to devour each other.

When Nestor turned the corner of the cliff he saw four boys mixed up in
what seemed to be a desperate struggle. It was from this group that
the wild growls were coming. Now and then a word of greeting or a
joyful laugh came from the storm-center, but the playful struggle went