tracks of a creature that had particular business in the southwest, and
that knew how to get there.




CHAPTER XIII

THE STRANGE TRACKS


Hervey had not the slightest idea in which direction he was going, but
in point of fact he was heading straight in the direction of Temple
Camp. But he had found his precious tracks and nothing would stop him
now. He would go over the top in a blaze of glory next day, and then
perhaps a telegram could be sent to scout headquarters to have the Eagle
badge sent up immediately so that he could receive the very award itself
on Saturday night. He was on the home stretch now, as luck would have
it, and nothing would stop him--nothing....

_Nothing!_ He would send a line to his mother that very night and tell
her all about it, and put E. S. after his name. _Eagle Scout._ The
bicycle his father had promised him when he should attain that pinnacle
of scout glory, he would now demand. That would be where dad lost
out....

If Tom Slade knew some secret about a higher award, that meant more
stunts, Hervey would do those stunts, too; the more the merrier. He
should worry....