to Allan's ear in order to allow him to catch what he said. "While the
rest kept up their talking I came out here to see how things looked, and
make up my mind whether we were going to have any wet with this gale or
not."

"Yes, and it don't look like it now, Thad, because it's gone so far;
reckon it must be what they call a dry storm; but go on and tell me the
rest."

"Well, I was standing about here, in the dense shadow, you see,
thinking, when all at once I discovered that there was something moving
between me and the fire!"

"Whew!" murmured Allan, deeply impressed.

"Of course, at first I thought it might be only a fox, or something like
that, curious enough to want to creep up, and learn what sort of
intruders had landed on Sturgeon Island; I could see that the bushes
were moving softly, and that soon the thing, whatever it was, would come
in sight of where stood here."

"And it did?" Allan demanded.

"That's right," replied the other, softly; "and it turned out to be a
man's head!"

At that the other scout again gave one of his low whistles, to show that
he was listening, and duly impressed by the startling information
conveyed.