afe of Mistah Sparks; and believe me, she gave me a shock when she said
there was one hidden in a little compartment, that seemed to have been
signed by her own father. I asked her some more questions, and I'm
almost sure that it's a will which Reuben Sparks kept hidden away, but
which something or other has prevented him from destroying these four
years and more, since my uncle died."

"If you only could get that in your hands, and it turned out to be all
you think, seems to me you might do about what you wanted with old
Reuben," Thad remarked.

"Given another day, and good luck, suh, and I surely expect to have the
same in my possession. Then I can shape my plans; but one thing sure, my
cousin will go back to Cranford with me!" and Bob smote the palm of his
left hand with his doubled right fist, to emphasize his remark.

No one seemed a particle sleepy. Indeed, they had never been more wide
awake in their lives. Even Davy Jones, filled with the spirit of
mischief that seemed to take possession of him every once in so often,
climbed the tree under which they had built their camp-fire, and swung
himself from limb to limb; now with his hands but just as frequently by
his toes; as though he wanted to prove the truth of what that learned
professor by the name of Darwin always declared, that we were descended
from a race of monkeys.

The rest were lying around in the most comfortable attitudes they could
find.

"Oh! say, come down out of that, Davy; you make me tired with your
everlasting pranks. Take a drop, won't you, please?" called out Bumpus.

Hardly had he spoken than there was a whoop, and Davy landed squarely in
the middle of the now smouldering fire, sending the brands to the right
and to the left in a hurricane of sparks.

The seven scouts threw themselves backward to avoid contact with the
scattered red embers, while Davy scrambled out of his fiery bed with
furious alacrity.

CHAPTER XV.

THE FLICKERING TORCH TALK.

"PUT me out! somebody give me a rub down the back! I'm on fire!"

Nobody doubted Davy's excited words, as he danced wildly about, slapping
first at a smouldering spark on the right leg of his khaki trousers; and
then furiously attacking another burning spot on the sleeve of his coat;
only to throw his campaign hat down, and jump on it, under the belief
that it was threatened with immediate destruction.

Some of the other scouts had managed to scramble to their feet about
this ti