"The mountains are full of people to-night!" he mused. "If I thought
I could make Uncle Ike behave himself, I'd ride down there and see
who those campers are."

The boy stood undecided for some moments, then his eyes opened wider
and he moved downward toward the fire. He was thinking of the Boy
Scout signals for help which Ned and Frank had mentioned seeing!

"I wonder if Jack would go down there with me!"

When he reached the camp Jack was in the land of dreams, and he
decided not to awake him. He could go alone just as well!

He went on down to the feeding ground and presented Uncle Ike with a
lump of sugar. The mule thanked him with wiggling ears and dived a
soft muzzle into his coat pocket for another lump.

"Not until you come back, Uncle Ike!" Oliver explained. "If you do a
good job traveling up and down the mountainside, you're going to have
another piece of sugar when we get back!"

The boy saddled and bridled the animal, mounted, and urged him away
from the feeding ground. Uncle Ike, thinking his day's work finished,
objected to being put into harness again, and reared and kicked until
Oliver was obliged to dismount and bribe him with more sugar.

"Will you go now, you fool mule?" he asked.

Uncle Ike finally decided to go, and his sure feet were soon pressing
the slope toward the campfire. Oliver struck the canyon just about