all right, Giraffe; no need to scare me that way!"
grumbled the fat scout, stirring himself, and looking around.

"They're coming, just like I said," said Giraffe. "Looky over yonder,
and you c'n see the lantern; and I reckon now, it's old Eli that's
followerin' our trail. But we don't want to be fooled a second time,
Bumpus, so get your gun ready for boarders."

"Boarders!" muttered the fat boy; "now I like that, when they ain't a
blessed bit of grub in the pantry. Better skip this boarding-house, and
go on further. But Giraffe, that sure _is_ Eli; I c'n tell the way
he swings along from here. Whoever is it with him, d'ye think; why, see,
there are two of 'em, and men, not boys of the Silver Fox Patrol?"

Three minutes later, and Old Eli, grinning his pleasure, stalked into
camp, to say:

"Huh! glad tuh find ye so well taken keer of, boys. An' so yeou hed a
wisit frum Si an' Ed, did yeou; an' wall, what d'ye think o' thet,
gents, here's yer birds all triced up, ready tew be transported to jail.
This here is the game warden o' this deestrict, boys, lookin' for them
critters. Say as heow he don't calkerlate ter bother with Old Cale yet
awhile; but hearin' as he's be'n an' contracted with a fox breedin'
company, they'll wait an' see heow it pans eout. Kinder guess they will.
An' we'll jest stay by this fire till mornin', when we kin start back
tew camp. Thad knowed as heow yeou'd come out all right, Giraffe; but he
thort along abeout noon I'd better take up the trail; and I met these
gents a few miles back, wonderin' if ther birds had made this here fire,
so we stalked it!"

And Bumpus felt like venting his delight in one long loud yell of
thanksgiving as he realized that their troubles were now at an end.

CHAPTER XXIV.

TO BEARD THE TIGER IN HIS DEN.

"Sure you can go, Jim; and what's more, I'd like to take the tramp with
you, if it's agreeable to you!"

Jim Hasty, the guide, swallowed something in his throat, when he heard
Thad say these words, for he was plainly much affected.

He had come in a hesitating way to ask as a favor that, since the scouts
were now settled for a few days in camp on the lake shore, could he be
spared to make the run through the pine forests to where the well
remembered cabin of Old Cale Martin stood, from which he had carried
Little Lina away, after her father had positively refused to even hear
of their marriage.

"It's mighty kind o' yeou tew say thet, an' I feel it, I