n this way. George was a cousin to Landy, and had also recently
signed the muster roll of the scouts, although he belonged to Matty's
patrol, the Beaver.

"You've got a heap to learn yet, George," said Red Huggins, shaking his
head at the offender.

"In what way?" demanded the other.

"Why, this is what they call Injun picture writing," replied Red,
obligingly.

"Oh! it is, eh? But what's that got to do with finding a trail, or
following one that's already found?" asked the latest tenderfoot.

"A heap, as you'll soon learn, my boy," replied Red, with a pitying
look, as if he could not understand how anyone should be so green.
"Matty, suppose you enlighten him a little, won't you--that is, if
you've got through reading your letter?"

"Letter!" ejaculated both Landy and George--"that thing a letter?"

"A short and sweet one," remarked Matty. "You see, Elmer has signed it
with what I make out to be the paw of a wolf. That's the totem of his
patrol, while mine is a beaver tail, and the third one would be the claw
of an eagle."

"Say, that sounds kind of interesting like," observed Landy. "I rather
expect I'll cotton to this same Injun picture writing letter business,
once I get at the secret key of it."

"That's where you're away off to start with, Landy," remarked Matty,
laughing, "because you see there's nothing hidden about this business at
all. In fact, the one particular idea with the one who writes a message
in Indian picture writing is to make it so simple a child might
understand."

"Well, I declare," cried the fat scout, who was not in khaki uniform
like four of his companions, simply because he and George were waiting
until the town tailor, father to Jasper Merriweather, one of the members
of the troop, could complete their suits--"then, if a baby could
understand what our pathfinder has left for us, perhaps now there might
be some chance for me."

"Oh! it's as easy as falling off a log, once you get the hang of it,"
declared Larry Billings.

"Look here, and I'll show you, fellows," remarked Matty, holding the
bark up so that everyone present could see the lead-pencil marks.

"Looks like several men, to start with," interposed George.

"Good enough, George," said the patrol leader, "and that's just what
they are. Count them, will you?"

"One, two, three."

"That's right. So you see, to begin with, our pathfinder tells us the
enemy ahead are three in number. Now, do you see anything close by th