ahead of us, if
we go up into Maine with you, later on. That hasn't been fully settled
yet, you understand; the question of expense has to be met, as well as
getting away from our school, if it takes up by the middle of September.
But we're all hoping, and pulling for it just as hard as we can."

"Won't it be great now," Allan went on to say, "if Bob does find that
paper he thinks Reuben's been keeping all these years, when he hadn't
ought to have let it stay unburned a minute? What d'ye suppose makes a
smart scamp like that ever do such a silly thing?"

"I couldn't tell you, only I've heard my guardian say more than a few
times that the cleverest scoundrel is apt to make a blunder. If that's
true then I guess this Reuben made his when he kept that paper, just to
look at it once in a while, and shake hands with himself over his
cuteness."

"Will you take a little stroll around with me before lying down?" asked
Allan, who was to have the first watch.

"Might as well," returned the other, casting a glance over toward the
balance of the patrol, still squirming more or less, as they tried to
make comfortable nests for themselves. "By that time, perhaps they'll be
asleep, and I can drop off without being made to listen to Bumpus'
complaining, when Step Hen takes back his stolen goods. Come along,
then, Allan."

They first of all walked back along the road in the direction whence
they had come to the strange valley where Reuben lived, a half-way
station between the secret haunts of the moonshiners, and civilization.

"What's that up yonder; looks to me like a torch moving?" remarked Thad,
as he elevated his head, so as to gaze upward, along the face of the
mountain.

"It _is_ a torch, right you are," Allan went on to say; "somebody must
be picking his way along among those rocks. I'd think he'd sure need a
good light on such a black night as this."

"But I guess you're wrong about that," Thad added, quickly; "see, he's
waving his light, now back, and again forward, just so many times.
There, he gives it a downward flash that must mean the end of a word;
and then he goes on."

"Why, to be sure, it's as plain as anything that he's signalling to
somebody on the other mountain. Yes, Thad, look there, and you can see
another light move in answer to that first one."

"Even that don't seem to be all," remarked the patrol leader, seriously.
"Here's a third light back of us; and upon my word I can see a fourth
ever so fa