t on doing something that the scoutmaster would
compliment him on when next they met. Step Hen had aroused himself to
the fact that an occasion like this demanded that a scout should prove
his worth. It might mean a merit medal for him, if his services were
deemed of sufficient value.

Toby, seeing that the torch would not be likely to last out the
labored conversation that was to follow, busied himself in getting
another ready. As he was as good a hand at a fire as Giraffe, this did
not prove a heavy task.

Meanwhile Step Hen kept on sending his messages in short, jerky
sentences. He lacked confidence in himself, and dared not launch
boldly forth in a description of the strange thing that had happened
since the four of them had made camp, after their big-horn hunt. When
he had spelled a sentence he would almost invariably add the query,
"understand?" meaning to repeat if the answer came in the negative.
But Thad was an expert at this sort of work, and could puzzle out the
meaning of what Step Hen so blunderingly sent, almost as though he
might be a mind reader.

"Two men came into our camp after dark!" went the opening message.

"Yes," Thad replied, briefly, and evidently not meaning to say
anything calculated to confuse the signal sender.

"One a sheriff, name Bob McNulty."

"Yes."

"Other older man,--name Artemus Rawson.--Get that?"

There was a little interval at that. Perhaps Thad might be figuring it
out; or he may have mentioned the name aloud, and be speaking with some
one who was near by, possibly asking Aleck if he recognized the name.

"Yes," came the flash, presently.

Step Hen had begun to grow cold. He felt that if he once found himself
cornered, and making mistakes, he was apt to get rattled in his
excitement, and forget the little he really did know about sending and
receiving. So when Thad replied that he had grasped even that name, the
sender found himself imbued with another relay of confidence. When he
started in once more, he sent a little faster, though the scoutmaster at
the first opportunity warned him to go slow and sure.

"Say looking for Aleck--that he has robbed uncle--headed down valley
when left here--Understand that?"

"Yes, but not so fast. Go on," came the reply.

Step Hen understood that Thad gave him this warning, not because he
was himself unable to receive at that rate, for he had seen the patrol
leader and Allan go smoothly along at twice the pace. He was thinking
o