had been playing a little game of "shirk" about that time, and taking
what was a mean advantage of the good nature of his fellow scouts. And
now it was coming back to make him pay the penalty. So he said not
another word.

"I haven't decided yet who I want to take," remarked Thad, looking
around at the circle of eager faces upon which the light of the glowing
camp-fire shone; "and perhaps the fairest way will be to draw lots, then
the lucky one will not be of my picking; and there can be no bad
feeling."

Bumpus had been sitting there for some time now, taking things easy. He
certainly enjoyed remaining quiet as well as any one in the patrol,
which, considering his weight, was not to be wondered at.

Some thought must have struck him just about that time, for he was
observed to struggle to his knees with many a grunt, and then gaining
his feet vanish within the nearest tent.

Nobody was paying any particular attention to the fat youth, however,
unless it might have been Step-hen, who turned his head to see what was
going on; and even he joined in the laugh when Davy Jones performed one
of his comical antics, jumping up, and hanging from the lower limb of a
tree by his toes, so that he swung to and fro like a big pendulum.

"Better be careful, suh, how you play that trick, if ever you go down
with me into the Blue Ridge country," laughed Bob White.

"Why, would they arrest me for cruelty to animals?" demanded Davy, as he
made a flying leap, turned completely over in the air, and landed ever
so lightly on his feet, as neatly as a circus gymnast might have done.

"No, but if some of the darkies were passing through the woods, suh, and
saw you hanging like that, they'd positively think it was the biggest
'possum that ever was grown in North Car'lina. And you'd hear an ax at
the butt of that tree in a jiffy, believe me."

Just then Bumpus came staggering out of the tent, having tripped as
usual on a guy rope in his hurry. He scrambled to his feet, and although
nearly out of breath, managed to grasp:

"Well, there's thieves broke loose in this same camp, fellows, or else
the place is just bewitched, that's what!"

"You'll have to explain what you mean, Bumpus?" declared Thad; while
Step-hen half started from his seat on a blanket, his face becoming
scarlet as if he expected that every eye would immediately be turned in
his direction.

"I tell you I hung it right on the pole in the middle of the tent, and
now it's