siasm, "because,
you see, we all live at Beverly, which ain't more'n twenty miles away as
the crow flies. How about it, fellows?"

"We'll come along with you, Seth, never fear. And now, the sooner we get
over to camp the better, because some of us are feeling pretty well used
up," Andy went on to admit with charming candor.

"All right, boys, just give me a minute to run indoors, and put this
package away, and I'll be with you. It won't take long to hitch up,
because we managed to save the harness and wagons, me and the missus."

True to his word Mr. Rollins was back in a very brief space of time, and
catching the two horses he wanted, he attached them to a big wagon.

"Tumble in, boys," he called out, as he swung himself up on the driver's
seat, after attaching the lighted lantern to the front, so that he could
see the road as they went along.

The scouts waited for no second invitation, but speedily secured places
in the body of the vehicle. As there was half a foot of straw in it,
they found things so much to their liking that on the way, at least
three of the boys went sound asleep, and had to be aroused when the camp
was finally reached.

Eben and Noodles were poor sentinels, it seemed, for both were lying on
the ground asleep, nor did they know when the other returned until told
about it in the morning. But fortune had been kind to the "babes in the
wood," as Seth called them in derision, for nothing had happened while
the main body of the patrol chanced to be away on duty.

And so it was another little adventure had come along, with wonderful
results, and the happiest of endings. Really, some of the boys were
beginning to believe that the strangest of happenings were always lying
in wait, as if desirous of ambushing the members of the Beaver Patrol.
Why, they could even not start off on a hike, it seemed, without being
drawn into a series of events, the like of which seldom if ever befell
ordinary lads.

During the hours of darkness that followed all of them slept soundly,
nor was there any alarm given to disturb them. And as nothing in the
wide world brings such satisfaction and contentment as good sleep, when
at dawn they awoke to find the last day of the great hike at hand, every
fellow declared that he was feeling especially fit to make that
concluding dash with a vim.

Breakfast was hastily eaten; indeed, their stock of provisions had by
this time gotten to a low ebb, and would not allow of much va