e burning lazily, and the flag whipping in that splendid breeze; but
as far as I can make out the whole pack have deserted, and gone
somewhere. Perhaps they're fishing."

"You could see them on the bank, if that were so, Smithy," remarked
Thad. "Try again with another guess; and this time think well before
you answer."

"Well," remarked the new tenderfoot scout presently, after he had stood
there, conjuring up his thoughts; "I remember that you told them
something before we set sail on our trip."

"Just what I did, and tell me if you can remember the nature of the task
they were to handle during our absence?" the scout-master continued.

"Allan was going to show them some more interesting things about
following a trail," Smithy immediately replied; "how to tell what sort
of little animal like a fox, a woodchuck, a mink, a muskrat or an otter
had made the marks; what it was trying to do; and how it was captured by
the men who make a business of collecting skins, or as they call them,
pelts."

"Just so," Thad observed, "only it was to be this afternoon Allan meant
to show them all that. If you think again, now, Smithy, I'm sure you'll
recollect there was another piece of scout business, and a very
important one too, that they were to practice this morning."

"Yes, I remember it all now--wigwagging it was," the tenderfoot went on
to say with eagerness, and not a little satisfaction, because he had
recalled everything that Thad wanted him to. "Allan was to go up to the
top of that little bare hill back of the camp, and two of the other
fellows were to hike over to another about a mile or so away. Then they
would exchange sentences by means of the signal flag, waved up and down
and every which way, according to the alphabet used in the U. S. Signal
Corps. And to-night the result was to be given to you to correct."

"I see your memory is in good working order, Smithy, for that is exactly
what sort of a task I set the boys we left behind. And now, I've just
thought up a dandy scheme that if it can only be carried out, may gain
us just about two hours over Davy's best time, in letting our chums know
what a hole we're in."

Smithy looked interested. Indeed, whatever Thad did always excited his
enthusiasm; for he believed the young scout-master to be the smartest
boy he had ever heard of in all his life.

"It's something to do with this same wigwagging, Thad, I'm sure of
that?" he remarked, drawing a big breath in his n