oise. Talking
save in the lowest of whispers was strictly tabooed, and even at that
Elmer did not encourage any conversation. They also had to take care
of their feet, and not press their weight upon some stick that would
break with a loud snap. Even such small things have spoiled well-laid
plans before now, and trackers, whether of wild beasts of human
fugitives, cannot be too careful.

If Landy puffed a little the other made no objection, since he took
care to do it half under his breath. It was not such very easy work,
though as scouts most of them enjoyed every minute of the time, being
constantly thrilled with the expectation of suddenly coming upon a camp
where those they sought might be found, and taken by surprise.

Lil Artha even had it all arranged in his mind just how he meant to
threaten that man with his gun, warning him savagely that it would be
as much as his skin was worth to attempt to flee.

It was in this humor that they came to a log that lay across their
path. Here the trail ended, but, of course, such clever fellows as
Elmer and Lil Artha would understand a little trick like that. The
stumbling man had naturally taken to the log, passed well along to the
other end, and then jumped off.

"You take that side and I'll cover this one," said Elmer, without the
least hesitation; "ten to one we'll get him again."

They did, for Lil Artha quickly found the tracks once more. The
incident, however, told them that the man had begun to fear he would be
followed when morning came, since this was his first effort to baffle
pursuit.

"I'm sorry that happened," said Elmer, softly, to his working partner;
"because it's going to make our task all the harder you see."

"Do you mean because he's begun to be afraid he'll be followed?" asked
the other.

"That's just it," continued the patrol leader; "if that idea gets a
firm hold of him he's bound to do everything he knows how so as to
leave us in the lurch. In the end he might even decide to quit the
swamp, and take his chances of getting away outside."

"Well, we don't quit at that, do we?" asked Lil Artha, with a gritting
of his teeth that told of grim determination.

Elmer looked at him and smiled.

"We'd be a nice lot of scouts, wouldn't we," he said, sarcastically,
"if we were ready to throw up the sponge at the first sign of trouble?
No, we've started on this trail, and we'll run it down if it keeps us
busy the rest of our vacation."

"In