xpedition. The
fact is, every fellow will want to be in the party."

"Then we'll choose those we want," said Mr. Gordon, "and make the rest
guard the camp, which might be raided by the angry Slavin crowd, when
they learned what was on the carpet. But Paul, that odor in the air
smells very appetizing. I imagine our cooks must be doing themselves
proud to-night. It will be hard to wait for the assembly call. Look at
our William putting on airs with that chef's white cap cocked over his
ears. Oh! this is certainly worth while coming for. What's that,
Bobolink picking up his bugle? I really believe supper is ready. How
glad I am to be here to-night. Come, Paul, and let us see what sort of
fare the Stanhope troop can offer us."

CHAPTER XXVII

GATHERING CLOUDS

Pop! pop! pop!

"Listen to that, will you?" shouted William, as he jumped to his feet,
and waved his arms above his head to attract attention.

It was the following day. The night had passed without any alarm, and
the squad of scouts posted on the side of the mountain with instructions
to shower stones on Ted and his allies should any attack be made on the
camp, had their labor for their pains, since nothing happened out of the
ordinary.

During the middle of the morning, while many of the scouts were at work
developing plates, and printing pictures that had already been taken,
suddenly there came on the breeze that quick pulsating sound, so unlike
anything one might expect to hear up in this vast solitude.

"It's Ward's motorcycle!" cried Jud Elderkin, almost upsetting the
daylight film-tank in his eagerness to gain his feet.

"Yes, and he's coming down the old road like fun," remarked another of
the boys with a laugh; "reckon a wildcat or something is after him!"

"There he is!" called Philip Towne, pointing to an opening among the
trees; and immediately adding, "no he's gone past. Look what's that
chasing him?"

"Oh! that's the rest of the lot, whooping it up on their wheels,"
remarked William, himself interested, and ready to snap his camera at
the procession as soon as it got within open range; "and they look like
they've had a bad scare, as sure as you live. Oh! there goes Scissors
head over heels in the bushes. What a cropper he took, and how his head
will sing to-morrow."

"But he's up again, and mounted," broke in Jack. "As sure as you live,
boys, they do look like they wanted to get back home in a hurry. What
d'ye suppose has scared t