e found himself placed upon
his own responsibility, he lost confidence.

Pretty soon Elmer guessed the truth, and that their guide was getting
what Lil Artha would call "wabbly." This was when he took them twice to
the same spot and then looked pained.

"Up a stump, fellows," chuckled Larry, who had perhaps himself felt a
little twinge of jealousy because a greenhorn had so suddenly leaped
into the front when older and more experienced scouts had been unable to
score.

But Elmer was not at all dismayed. In fact, to tell the actual truth, he
had rather expected that the new beginner might find more or less
trouble in carrying out his orders.

"Getting mixed up some, are you, Number Eight?" he demanded, as Landy
scratched his head and then tenderly caressed quite a good-sized lump
they now saw he had on his forehead.

"Well, I'm sorry to say, sir, I seem to be a little confused," admitted
the fat boy; "but then perhaps that ain't to be wondered at if you knew
just how hard I bumped into that crooked tree yonder."

"With your head?" asked Elmer.

"Yes, sir," replied Landy; "you see I was trying to hurry, when my foot
caught in a vine and I went ker-slam right against that tree. Say, but I
saw ten million stars right then! and that's no exaggeration, sir."

"Why do you say it was this tree, Number Eight?" the young disciple of
woodcraft continued.

"Well, it was impressed pretty forcibly on my head, and my mind, too,
sir," grinned Landy, "and perhaps, if you looked, you could find the
dent I bet I made when I struck."

Some of the boys snickered at this. Not so Elmer, who seemed to feel he
had quite a serious proposition on his hands, and that the others had a
right to look to him to untangle the knot.

"I'll soon find out," he said, and then turning to the crowd he added:
"keep back and give me a chance to see if Landy is right."

"He's after the trail, that's what," said one of the scouts, as they saw
Elmer advance to where the crooked tree pointed out by the fat recruit
stood, and bend down at its base.

Every eye remained glued on the young scout master. Not a word more was
said, for they knew that explanation of Elmer's movements must be the
right one.

No sooner had Elmer dropped to his knees than he felt a thrill of
pleasure.

"It's here, sure enough!" he muttered, as his eye discovered the torn
turf where Landy's toes must have dragged when he fell.

And with the knowledge of trailing which he p