is going to be a
pretty limited one; and as for other meals to-morrow, where they are
going to come from is a question I'd like somebody to settle."

"Listen," said Tom. "I'm going to get you up at daylight, Josh."

"Me? What for? Do we have to start in fishing that early, or else go
hungry?"

"I want you to go along with me, that's all, Josh."

"Along--where to, may I ask?" continued the other scout, wonderingly.

"Back to where we took Walter," replied Tom; "I think when that
gentleman hears what's happened to us, after we tell Mr. Witherspoon,
he might be willing to sell us some supplies, such as coffee and bacon,
and even loan us an extra frying-pan, as well as some sort of tin to
boil coffee in."

So, after all, the boys who gathered around the camp fire that evening,
after such an eventful day, did not seem to be cast down one-half as
much as undoubtedly the four young rascals who had played this mean
trick upon them expected would be the case.

CHAPTER XXII

THE CABIN IN THE WOODS

It was just about an hour after dawn, and the sun had hardly got
started on his journey toward the zenith, when two boys in the khaki
garb of scouts arrived at the house to which Walter Douglass had been
carried on a litter.

Mr. Witherspoon on coming out to get a breath of air before breakfast
was announced was surprised and pleased to see Tom and Josh.

"Why, this is splendid of you, boys!" he remarked, as they came toward
him. "Of course you were anxious to know about your comrade. We got him
safely home, and called the doctor, who said he would not have to set
the limb again, since you scouts had done the job in first-class style.
It's a feather in your cap, for he is sure to tell it everywhere. Now,
what makes you look so glum, Josh?"

That gave them a chance to explain. When the scout master heard of the
latest outrage of which the Tony Pollock crowd had been guilty, he was
much annoyed.

"We thought," Tom went on to say, "that perhaps by coming over here
before you got started we might influence the gentleman to spare us a
small amount of coffee, a strip of bacon, and some sort of tin to make
the coffee in."

"No harm trying," Mr. Witherspoon immediately remarked; "and it does
you credit to have thought up such a scheme. I've found him an
accommodating gentleman. If he has anything he can spare I'm sure we'll
be welcome to it."

When the matter was mentioned to Mr. Clark, he immediately offered to
he