, the boys approached the camp. It
was decided among them that Hodge should report the affair to
Lieutenant Gordan, and they should all get into camp without being
challenged, if possible. For this purpose they separated, and slipped
in one by one, by various ways.

Hodge himself found a little difficulty in getting past the sentinel,
by whom he did not wish to be challenged and taken in custody, as there
would be a certain amount of red tape business that would delay him
from seeking the lieutenant immediately and making his report.

He finally succeeded in getting into camp, and hurried directly to his
own tent. As he entered, he was surprised to see a lamp had been
lighted, and somebody was wringing out a towel in the water-bucket, at
the same time having his head and face well swathed with another towel,
that was dripping wet.

"Well, who in thunder are you? and what are you up to here?" demanded
Bart, indignantly.

The fellow with the towel about his head pulled enough of it away from
his mouth to reply:

"Hello, Bart! I am soaking the red pepper out of my eyes, and
incidentally bathing my bruises at the same time. I couldn't see to
guard for all of Bascomb's blows."

Hodge reeled backward, and came near collapsing. He caught hold of the
tent pole at the front, and clung to it for support.

"Frank!" he cried, faintly.

"That's my name," affirmed the other, as he unwound the towel from
about his head, and looked at Bart with a pair of very red eyes. "You
look as if you saw a ghost."

"Well, I couldn't be more surprised if I saw a whole regiment of
ghosts. Is it really you--alive?"

"To be sure."

"But--but--didn't you go over Black Bluff?"

"Yes."

"Then how do you happen to be here? It can't be you fell all the way
down into the water, and then swam out?"

"No."

"Then what did happen? For mercy sake, tell me, and relieve me of this
suspense."

"Why, I didn't fall far--not more than ten feet. I struck on a shelf,
and lay there stunned."

"And Bascomb clung to some vines till we pulled him back to the top of
the bluff."

"Those vines fell all around the shelf I was on, and I was half-covered
with them when I recovered enough to thoroughly realize my position.
It is likely that, while he was clinging to them, Bascomb partly
covered me with them by winding his legs about them, thus changing
their position after I fell."

"And he covered you so that the vines and the darkness prev