e was a sudden scattering. When Will
whirled around and elevated his camera they fell flat to the ground as
though really alarmed.

"They've turned back," announced Jerry, presently.

"Say, that was fine of you to come in there and rescue me," declared
Bluff, as he caught hold of Jerry's unwilling hand, and squeezed it.

The other seemed to be unusually modest, for he pulled quickly away.

"Beat it, Bluff. You know you'd have done the same for me. I guess I owed
you something for making fun of you so much. Anyhow, it was just bully,
that's what. Talk about your earthquakes and cyclones, I don't think
anything could beat that scare you gave them with your old flashlight
stunt, Will."

"And I reckon it's going to turn out a dandy picture. I just wanted to
get that crowd in some outlandish attitude, and if it proves what I
think, I've done it."

"Did they hurt you, Bluff?" asked Frank.

"Oh! well, they acted better than perhaps I had any reason to expect. We
mixed up some in the start, but they were too many for me."

"You mean the whole lot--well, I should guess yes. You had a sweet nerve
sauntering into that camp and taking them all on. Accused them of
stealing, too! Say, you don't know that they took your gun, do you?"
demanded Frank.

"N--no, perhaps not," admitted Bluff, hesitatingly.

"Just surmise like, isn't it?"

"But why that shower of stones if not to get us to run out of camp, so
that some one could sneak in and take a coveted article--and what more
natural than that my new repeater should be the thing they wanted?" said
Bluff, logically, as he believed.

"Well, until you have found some stronger evidence than that, I'd be a
little slow about accusing any of that crowd, eh, Jerry?" went on Frank.

"That's right," admitted Jerry, looking back just then as if he fancied
they might be followed, which, of course, was not the case.

"You didn't see any signs of the gun while there, did you?" asked Frank.

"No, I can't say I did; but then they wouldn't be likely to stick my own
property under my nose, would they? I could have them arrested later on
for robbery."

"All right. Suppose we let the subject rest for a while. The gun may turn
up again, sooner or later. I have heard of just such queer freaks
happening in camp. Now, who gets the first sight of our campfire, and
old Toby cooking a glorious supper?"

"Wow! I can do justice to it all right. They gave me something to eat,
but gracious, it was