at him curiously. This was a strange remark to come from the
happy-go-lucky Step Hen. It looked as though his one little experience
of that morning had indeed done wonders toward causing the careless lad
to turn over a new leaf. He was beginning to _think_, and see what a
great big world this is after all. His horizon had been moved back
hugely since he first yawned, and stretched, that same morning.

And the queer part of it was that no one thought to joke the boy about
his altered disposition. They seemed to understand that it was no joking
matter. Doubtless Step Hen's reformation would not be accomplished in a
day, nor a week, nor even a month; but he had taken the first step, and
from now on must begin to arouse himself to making a good use of the
faculties with which a kindly Nature had endowed him.

"Listen!" exclaimed Thad, a little while later, just as they were about
done supper.

"I heard somebody talking, too!" declared Davy Jones; while Allan showed
by his manner that the sounds had surely come to his acute hearing,
trained by long service in the piney woods of his native state.

"They're comin' this way, too; I c'n hear 'em pushin' through the
bushes, and stumblin' along too." Bumpus declared, in an awed tone;
looking a trifle worried, and wishing Thad would only snatch up that
gun, lying against the tree trunk, which the other did not seem at all
anxious to do.

The voices drew steadily nearer, as the boys stood and listened.

"Hyar's a fire, Nate; we gut ter git him thar, sure's anything. I tell
yuh he'll never be able tuh walk 'crost tuh the doc's cabin. He'll bleed
tuh death long 'foah we gits thar with 'im. Steady now, Cliff; hyah's a
light, an' we kin see how bad yuh is hurt!"

Then, while the scouts stood and stared in amazement, a group of three
men staggered into view, two of them assisting the third, whose
faltering steps showed that he must have been injured, even if the arm
that dangled helplessly at his side had not told the tale of a serious
gunshot wound!

No wonder that the Boy Scouts felt a thrill as they watched these rough
mountaineers enter their camp in this strange way.

CHAPTER XXI.

"BE PREPARED!"

"WHEE!"

It was Bumpus who gave utterance to this exclamation, though possibly he
hardly realized, himself, that he was saying anything, as he stood
there, and gaped at the sight of the wounded mountaineer being helped
along into their camp.

But if Bumpus, and so