nted Step Hen.

"Think again, would you," spoke up Giraffe, who sat there twisting his
long neck this way and that, in a comical way, as though seeking to
discover the object of the strange outcry; "it came from the other side
of the camp from where Davy is."

"Well," said the indifferent Step Hen, as if not wanting to be bothered,
"then it must have been some animal that was curious enough to prowl
around our camp, and got a good scare, free, gratis, for nothing."

"It was no animal that made that sound, and I leave it to Thad or Allan
here," Bumpus insisted.

Indeed, even the sleepy Step Hen sat up and took notice that the two
mentioned, as well as Jim and Eli, were already on their feet,
exchanging significant looks. Words were hardly needed to proclaim that
they deemed the circumstance as one worthy of investigation.

Just then Davy came in, bearing his little camera, and with a grin on
his face.

"Got a fine picture that time, I reckon, fellers," he announced, after
the manner of satisfied camera fiends the world over.

"Did you give a shout, Davy?" asked Thad, thinking it best to settle
that point in the start, before going any further.

"Not that I know of, I didn't," immediately replied the other.

"Did you hear one?" continued the patrol leader.

"Sure I did, and took it for granted that Step Hen or Giraffe had been
scared by the fireworks display, in spite of my warning, and squealed,"
Davy replied.

"That settles it, then," Thad went on, turning to Eli and Jim; "get a
torch, or the lantern, and we'll see what it was."

"Wow! this looks some interesting!" exclaimed Giraffe, beginning to show
signs of excitement himself.

Eli picked up the lantern, and lighted it. Then he led the way into the
bushes at the exact spot where, according to his educated ear, the snort
and the crash had come from.

"Keep back, the rest of you," said Thad, "and let Eli do the looking. If
he finds anything worth while, be sure you'll all know about it."

A minute later the old guide called to them to come on.

"Bully for Eli; he's lost no time in making good!" exclaimed Giraffe.

The whole party crowded around the old guide, who was on his knees on
the ground, apparently examining some tracks he had found. He waved a
hand to keep them from crowding too close to him, so as to interfere
with his work.

Bending low, Thad could easily see the marks. Some one had been
crouching there in the bushes, and spying on the c