ced, presently.

"Who saw him last?" demanded Mr. Gordon.

"I did, sir," replied one of the scouts, promptly; "he was hangin' on to
our tent when it blew away into the air!"

"Oh! then he must have been carried up into the tree, for the tent stuck
there," announced another voice, with a thrill of horror in it.

"Come and show me which tree; Paul, I may want your help. The rest of
you stay right here, and don't move under any circumstances," and so
saying Mr. Gordon caught the boy who "knew" by the shoulder, and dragged
him along.

Paul staggered after them. The wind was very strong, and it was
impossible to walk in places without bending down almost to the earth.
Besides, there seemed to be many branches torn from the trees flying
through the air, so that it was perilous to life and limb to be abroad.

But the scoutmaster was one who could command, and he forced the
tentmate of the missing Nuthin to find the spot where the canvas had
stood at the time it was torn out of their hands.

"That's the tree, sir!" cried the boy, trying to point in the darkness.

"I can see something white up in the branches, sir; it must be the
tent!" Paul himself shouted just then.

They made their way forward, and the lightning, happening just then to
dart in zigzag lines across the inky heavens as if to assist them, they
saw that sure enough the missing tent was caught in the tree, about
fifteen feet from the ground.

"Can you see anything of him, Paul?" called Mr. Gordon, as the three of
them cowered under the tree, that was bending and groaning before the
blast.

"I didn't that time, sir; but wait for another flash; perhaps we'll have
better luck," replied the patrol leader, eagerly.

It was a long time coming. Paul could feel the other scout shivering
furiously as his hand touched him, probably more through fright than
excessive cold; though the experience of being soaked to the skin was
far from comforting.

Then came a dazzling flood of electric light that almost blinded them.

"There he is, sir, hanging onto the tent! I think he must be twisted up
in one of the ropes. Shall I go up and find out?" called Paul.

"I think you'll have to, my boy," answered the scoutmaster; and if ever
he felt pride in one of his troop it must have been then, when Paul,
forgetting what chances there were of that tree falling, offered to
climb into the branches, in order to rescue a comrade in peril.

Without losing a second the patrol le