y; there
isn't one chance in ten that the dogs'll come back this way."

It was a strange procession that left the camp. Stanley took a picture
of the litter bearers so they would have something to remember the
occurrence by; and Walter had so far recovered from the shock and the
acute pain as to be able to raise his head, so that he might appear in
the scene as the object of all this excitement.

Billy saw them depart, and then turned his attention to other things.
Being left in full charge of the camp he had a sense of responsibility
resting upon him, such as he had never experienced before.

It would take them perhaps two full hours going that distance with the
injured boy, because great care would be required in picking the
easiest way. Of course the return journey would be made in half that
time.

Altogether three hours might elapse, even with the best of luck, before
the main body of scouts could be expected back; and Billy had been told
that they would depend on him to get supper started.

It was fine to see how very careful the litter bearers were as they
pushed along the back trail. One would go ahead to lead the way, and so
avoid any unusually rough places as much as possible. Every boy looked
well to his footing, since any sort of jolt, such as would accompany a
stumble, was apt to cause Walter unnecessary pain.

Their progress was necessarily somewhat slow. Tom said that was one of
the times when it paid to be sure rather than to try to make speed. And
from the fact that not once did they cause poor Walter to give a groan
it could be seen that these careful litter-bearers fulfilled their duty
fully as well as Red Cross or hospital attendants could have done.

The two hours and more had passed before they came to the house at
which Mr. Witherspoon had remembered seeing a car. It turned out that
the man who lived there was doing so for his health. He wanted to be in
a quiet place on account of shattered nerves.

When he learned what had happened he told them he would gladly take the
injured scout to his home, and that there was room also for Mr.
Witherspoon, whom he would bring back with him again.

The splendid manner in which the scouts had managed, both with regard
to doing up the fractured limb, and in making that litter, excited the
man's admiration; and he felt that he could not do too much for those
self-reliant lads.

"Such work should be encouraged by every right-thinking man or woman,"
he