ome
of the ingenious scouts, all looking to the undoing of the enemy, as
they chose to consider the combination of Reuben Sparks and Old Phin
Dady.

Bob asked that they remain over one more night in that camp, and there
was not a dissenting voice raised. They were fairly comfortable, and
their haversacks still held a certain amount of food; though Thad did
say some of them ought to go skirmishing in the direction of the houses
across the valley, to see if there was a chance for buying fresh eggs;
breakfast bacon; salt pork; or even grits, as the finer grade of hominy
is universally called throughout the entire South.

As for Bob and himself, Thad had laid out a little campaign for the day.
He believed that it might pay them to climb up the side of the mountain.
This would be looked upon by any of Old Phin's followers, should they
see the boys, as in keeping with what the patrol leader had told the
moonshiner about the doings and ambitions of Boy Scouts. There need not
be anything suspicious about such a move, when Thad had time and again
declared that one of the main objects of their selecting this part of
the country for their hike, had been the desire to climb mountains.

As to the benefits to be gained, they could at least have a good
birdseye view of the entire region, the queer bowl-shaped little valley,
at the further end of which nestled the pretentious house of Reuben
Sparks, and the nearby cabins; as well as the back trail.

Besides, possibly they might get some sort of information with regard to
what the moonshiners were doing. Most of these men lived in the little
ramshackle cabins they had occasionally passed on the mountain road;
where a few hens, a razor-back hog or two, and possibly a slab-sided
mule, constituted the sole possessions of the poor whites. But then,
others doubtless had homes deeper in the depths of the great elevations
that reared their rocky heads heavenward. These were the parties who,
like Old Phin himself, were in demand by the authorities, and who wanted
to take as few chances of arrest as possible.

No revenue men could very easily come into that well-watched region
without the keen eyes of a mountaineer noticing him. And often the crack
of a rifle would be the first sign the daring man might have that he was
discovered.

Bob was only too glad of a chance to get off in the company of Thad. He
wanted to talk over matters with the other very much, and find out just
what the patro