s the programme, Elmer?" asked Chatz. "Do we take up the
trail right away, and try to follow these heah rascals to their new
camp? You can count on all of us, suh, to do the troop credit."

"There may be another way," remarked Elmer, who seemed to be pondering
over the matter.

"Tell us about it, then, please."

"Sometimes it's the best policy to hike after an enemy as fast as you
can put. Then again, there are other times when a whole lot can be won
just by waiting for the enemy _to come to you_."

"That's so, fellows," declared Matty; "I see what Elmer means. He thinks
that if we hid out here, we'd be able to bag the whole blooming crowd
soon."

"Sounds all right in theory," admitted Red, "but for one I'd like to
know why Elmer believes that push will come back after a little."

"I only feel pretty sure on one point," explained the acting scout
master. "And that concerns the woman alone."

"Meaning, I take it, that you think they'll send her back, the cowards,
to find out whether the coast is clear," ventured Red.

"No, they will never have to send her back, fellows," Elmer went on,
positively.

"Won't, eh?" remarked Lil Artha.

"I firmly believe that once we withdraw from this same old shack the
woman will steal back of her own free will."

"To get her precious old comb, mebbe," sneered Red.

"To recover something which I guess she values above ten thousand
combs," and Elmer as he spoke held up the string of beads forming the
rosary.

"In her hurry to get away she must have forgotten all about this. But I
warrant you, fellows, she's discovered the loss by now. What follows?
She makes up her mind that she's just _got_ to return and find it, if so
be we haven't taken it from that nail where it was hanging when we came
in."

"Good! You've got things down just pat, Elmer. And then what?" asked
Matty.

"I expect to hide near by while the rest of you go noisily away. She
can't know how many came, and she'll think all have departed. Then, when
she comes in I'll make her a prisoner. Perhaps they'll be glad to
exchange Nat for their woman. Or else, if we can make her understand
that we're only toy soldiers, and mean the men no harm, she will lead us
to their hide-out."

The scouts were listening attentively, as they always did when Elmer was
talking. He possessed such a fund of interesting information that they
knew full well they could learn many useful things by trying to grasp
the ideas he advanced.