utiously
falling in the rear of the procession that went rushing into the depths
of the woods.

"Which way did it come from, Thad?" asked Smithy; who, despite his
girl-like neatness of person and belongings, and dainty ways, was close
to the leader, his face whiter than usual, but his eyes flashing with
unaccustomed fire.

"I think over in this direction," said Davy Jones, before the leader
could reply.

"Listen!" commanded Thad, as he held up his hand, bringing them all to a
halt. Straining their ears, each scout tried to catch some sound that
would give him the privilege of being the first to point to the spot
where Bumpus was in sore need of assistance.

"I think I heard a groan!" remarked Step-hen, in an awe-struck voice,
that trembled in spite of his effort to seem brave.

"So did I," declared Allan; "and it was over yonder to the left."

Accordingly the six boys went helter-skelter into the underbrush, making
all the noise an elephant might in pushing through the woods. Perhaps it
was only the result of their eagerness to reach the companion, who
seemed to be in trouble; and then again, a racket like that might
frighten away any wild beast that had attempted to carry their stout
bugler away.

"Stop again, and listen," said Thad, half a minute later. "We must be
near the place where that groan came from. Hear it again, anybody?"

"Help! oh, help! they're eating me alive!" came in a muffled voice from
some unknown place near by.

Thrilled by the words, and half expecting to see some savage monster
struggling with their fellow scout, the six boys stared about them in
dismay. Not the first sign could they see of either Bumpus or the
attacking beast.

"Where under the sun can he be?" exclaimed Giraffe.

"Perhaps it was a big eagle, or a hawk; and it's carried him up into a
tree!" suggested Step-hen; and strange to say, no one even laughed at
the silly idea.

"Allan has guessed it!" cried Smithy, who had chanced to see a little
smile chase across the face of the boy from Maine.

"Where is he, then?" asked Thad, wheeling on his second in command.

"I think if you move over to that big old tree-trunk yonder, you'll find
Bumpus, sir," replied Allan, making the scout salute; for he believed in
carrying out the rules of the organization when on duty, as at present.

"But we can see the whole thing from top to bottom, and never a sign of
Bumpus anywhere?" remarked Step-hen, doubtfully.

"And he ain't such