ing the note book deep
down in his pocket as he grasped Giraffe eagerly by the arm, exclaiming:

"Come and show me what you mean! I hope you haven't mistaken a star
for a torch!"

CHAPTER IV.

THE TORCH TALK.

Every one of the scouts was on his feet by this time, even fat Bumpus
managing to struggle erect with the rest. And strange to say, the
supper that was just about to be dished out was for the time being
utterly swallowed up in this new and thrilling excitement.

They trooped after Thad and Giraffe, the latter still hanging on to
his blazing torch. Toby was left alone by the fire; but after making
sure that the supper was in no danger of burning up, the cool,
level-headed guide followed his charges over to the spot where Giraffe
had happened to be standing, when he noticed the odd signals from up
on the face of the cliff.

"Where is it right now, Giraffe?" demanded Davy Jones.

"Nothin' doin'!" added Step Hen, in disgust. "Now what d'ye think of
that? The feller had his own eyes blinded by whirling his old blaze
around so much, that he just _thought_ he glimpsed another light up
there. Say, p'raps Thad hit the thing on the head when he mentioned a
star. Like as not now, Giraffe, he just saw one peepin' over the top
of the mountains at him, and thought it winked. Well, this takes the
cake; and all that fine supper gettin' cold while we're gaping out
here. It's a burnin' shame, that's what it is. Me for the fire again."

"Wait!" said Thad, in that tone of authority that always found ready
respect from the scouts under him; it was the scoutmaster, and not
their chum, who spoke, whenever Thad used that very stern voice.

"Give you my word for it, Thad, I saw it again and again," Giraffe
went on, as if he felt that his veracity as a scout was hanging in the
balance.

"Point out the exact place," said Thad, promptly.

"I can do it all right, and don't you forget it, Step Hen," declared
the tall scout, eagerly; and accordingly, raising his torch, he held
it stationary at an angle of nearly forty-five degrees.

"Right there she was, Thad; and if you look close now, p'raps you c'n
see a sorter glow like," he went on, again showing excitement.

"I believe I do," replied Thad. "Here, give me that torch of yours,
Giraffe."

"What are you goin' to do, Thad?" asked the other, even while he
complied with the request, which was in the shape of a command.

"Try and see if I can get a raise again."

As T