did you see that note?" asked Elmer.

"That's what I did, let me tell you," came the prompt reply, "and it
was in Hen's well-known fist, too; I could tell that a mile off if I
saw it. Haven't I heard the writing teacher at school tell him he was
well named, because his paper looked like a hen had dabbled in the ink,
and then strolled around every-which-way."

"Then you can tell us about what it said, can't you?" continued the
patrol leader.

Landy laid that ready forefinger of his alongside his nose, as though
that action would aid his memory. Then he closed one eye, another
singular habit he had; after which he slowly went on to say:

"Course the exact words have slipped me, Elmer, but it ran something
like this. He said circumstances which he couldn't control had forced
him to do this thing; that he was sorry, but it couldn't be helped. He
hoped his uncle would forgive him, and forget there was such a fellow
in the wide world as Hen Condit. There was also some more that I can't
just recollect; but it was to the effect that he believed he had money
coming to him, so Mr. Condit could take it out of that and call it
square. But just think what all this is going to do to the scouts,
Elmer! Never since the troop was organized has it met up with such a
terrible blow."

All of them looked serious. They knew that a certain element in
Hickory Ridge would only too eagerly seize upon this incident to prove
what they had always claimed, which was that scouts, after all, were no
better than other boys, and that when put to the test they could turn
out bad as well as the rest.

"Yes, the honor of the Wolf Patrol is hanging in the balance, Elmer,"
said Lil Artha. "Are we going to just stand by and not lift a hand
because it was one of our chums who did this mean job? If it was
anyone else and they called on us to track him, wouldn't we respond to
a man? Here's a supreme test before us that's going to prove how much
our honor means."

"I say the same, Elmer," urged Chatz, indignantly; "let's all get busy
and see if we can run Hen Condit down like a fox we've got on the trail
of. Let's fetch him back to face his uncle, and prove to all Hickory
Ridge that the boys of the Wolf Patrol can never stand for wrong doing
in their ranks. Yes suh, it's surely up to us to show our colors."

Elmer rubbed his forehead. He looked thoughtful, as though possibly he
might see a little further into this mysterious happening than