"You'll know when they come, then," laughed Jack, "for Jimmie going
to bed without supper will be a noisy proposition. You can hear him
for ten miles."

"I'm anxious about the boys," Ned went on. "I'm afraid something is
wrong with them. They should have been back here hours ago."

"You remember the Indian signal for help you saw in the valley?"
asked Frank, in a moment. "Well, they may have seen that, too, and
taken a notion to find out about it. They went in that direction when
they left the camp."

"That may be the reason for their delay," Ned answered. "We should
have attended to that signal ourselves," he added. "There may have
been some one in serious trouble down there. I hope the boys did go--
that is, if nothing happens to them because of their going. Boy
Scouts should assist each other at every opportunity."

After a little more talk regarding the boy who had been sent to Mary
Brady by her son in Washington, and after Buck had been given a
couple of cups of steaming hot coffee, the four started down the
slope to the west.

"Did any one say how far it was to the old lady's cabin?" asked Jack
of his chum, as they nestled down by the fire, the mountain air being
cold, even in June.

"Buck said it was three whoops and a holler!" almost shrieked
Oliver. "Do you know what he meant by that?"