The air was quiet, and the smoke rose straight up, with the sun tinting
the top. It was a pretty sight, to us. Then we saw two puffs and a
pause, and two puffs and a pause, and two puffs and a pause. It was our
private Elk Patrol code, and it was beautiful. We cheered.

"It's from our partners, and it says 'Come to council,'" I reported.
"They're hunting for us. We'll have to go over there."

"Think they're in trouble?"

"They don't say so, but we ought to signal back and go right over."

"I'll go, too, for luck, and see you through, then," said the Ranger.

"Do I have to make that extra ride?" complained the beaver man, angry
again.

"Sure," answered the Ranger. "That's only a mile or so and then it's
only a few more miles to the cabin, and we aren't afraid of the dark."

They watched us curiously while we hustled and scraped a pile of dead
sage and grass and rubbish, and set it to smoking and made the Elks' "O.
K." signal. The other Scouts must have been sweeping the horizon and
hoping, for back came the "O. K." signal from them.

And traveling our fastest, with the beaver man grumbling, we all headed
across the plateau for the place of the smoke. Sunday was turning out
good, after all.

[Illustration: "IT WAS OUR PRIVATE ELK PATROL CODE."]

CHAPTER XV

GENERAL ASHLEY DROPS OUT

(JIM BRIDGER RESUMES THE TALE)

I tell you, we were glad to have that smoke of ours answered, and to see
Major Henry and Kit Carson and Jed Smith coming, in the twilight, with
the Ranger and the beaver man. We guessed that the three boys must be
our three partners--and when they waved with the Elk Patrol sign we
knew; but of course we didn't know who the two strangers were.

While they were approaching, Major Henry wigwagged: "All there?" with
his cap; and Fitzpatrick wigwagged back: "Sure!" They arrived opposite
us, and then headed by the man with the rifle, who was leading the
horse, they obliqued up along the gulch as if they knew of a crossing;
so we decided that one of the strangers must be acquainted with the
country. They made a fine sight, against the horizon.

Pretty soon into the gulch they plunged, and after a few minutes out
they scrambled, man and horse first, on our side, and came back toward
us. And in a minute more we Elk Scouts were dancing and hugging each
other, and calling each other by our regular ordinary names, "Fat" and
"Sliver" and "Red" and all, and discipline didn't cut much figure. That
wa