rry inhabitants in seasons gone by,
would not alarm him needlessly. And so, watching his chance, Hugh
managed to shoot a glance toward the opening without betraying the
fact that he was particularly interested in that quarter.

As he did so, he was just in time to see a face vanish from view.
In fact, he barely caught a fleeting glimpse of it, and yet Hugh felt
perfectly sure that he had not alarmed the watcher in any way.

The cause of the unknown party's sudden withdrawal was speedily made
plain. Bud seemed to be gasping, and immediately whispered hoarsely:

"Great guns! did you see that, fellows? As sure as my name's Bud
Morgan there was a man peeking in at the window there! Honest Injun,
there was!"

Undoubtedly the unknown visitor must have discovered Bud staring
straight at him, and thought it high time to disappear.

"Yes, we both saw him, Bud," said Hugh, rather disappointed that, after
all, the fellow had been chased away before they could find out his
identity or what he wanted, prowling around in such a suspicious way.

"Who in the dickens was it?" exclaimed Bud, evidently growing angry
now that his astonishment had worn away. "The nerve of him, poking
his nose in where it isn't wanted! Why don't we get a move on and
chase after him? Ralph, remember that you've got your scatter-gun
handy. Don't forget to take that, will you?"

"Did you recognize that face, Ralph?" asked the practical scout leader,
turning to the young trapper of the past.

"I think---yes, I'm nearly dead sure it was one of the two men I saw
acting in such a suspicious way this afternoon," came the answer.

"Which one, would you say?" continued Hugh.

"The taller one," came from Ralph without hesitation. "I think you
said he looked a little like the German type, wasn't that about it,
Ralph?"

"Yes, that was what I believed at the time I saw him," replied the
other.

He had already stepped over and picked up his gun. There was a
gleam in his eyes that told of a spirit aroused. Ralph had become
a scout and was to the best of his ability trying to live up to the
duties of one belonging to the organization; but of course there were
times when the old spirit would come to the surface. The present
occasion was one of these moments.

"Let's go outside and look around," Hugh suggested.

"Bully idea!" muttered the impatient Bud; and having no gun to grasp,
he made a lunge for the stout stick which Ralph had been using as a