ts.

Gazing keenly about him on all sides of the little clearing in the
midst of which he stood, the boy's eyes lighted with a gleam of
satisfaction on a largish rock. He lifted this up, adjusted it to his
satisfaction and then picked up a smaller stone. This he placed on the
top of the first and then listened intently. After a moment of this he
then placed beneath the large underlying rock and at its left side a
small stone.

Suddenly he started and gazed back. From the distance, borne faintly
to his ears, came far off boyish shouts and cries.

They rose like the baying of a pack in full cry. Now high, now low on
the hush of the midsummer afternoon.

"They picked the trail all right," he remarked to himself, with a
smile, "maybe I'd better leave another sign."

Stooping he snapped off a small low-growing branch and broke it near
the end so that its top hung limply down.

"Two signs now that this is the trail," he resumed as he stuck it in
the ground beside the stone sign. "Now I'd better be off, for they are
picking my tracks up, fast."

He darted off into the undergrowth on the opposite side of the
clearing, vanishing as suddenly and noiselessly as he had appeared.

A few seconds later the deserted clearing was invaded by a scouting
party of ten lads ranging in years from twelve to sixteen. They were
all attired in similar uniforms to the leader, whom they were tracing,
with but one exception they wore their "Be Prepared" badges on the left
arm above the elbow. Some of them were only entitled to affix the
motto part of the badge the scroll inscribed with the motto. These
latter were the second-class scouts of the Eagle Patrol. The exception
to the badge-bearers was a tall, well-knit lad with a sunny face and
wavy, brown hair. His badge was worn on the left arm, as were the
others, but it had a strip of white braid sewn beneath it. This
indicated that the bearer was the corporal of the patrol.

As the group of flushed, panting lads emerged into the sandy space the
corporal looked sharply about him. Almost at once his eye encountered
the "spoor" left by the preceding lad.

"Here's the trail, boys," he shouted, "and to judge by the fresh look
of the break in this branch it can't have been placed here very long.
The small stone by the large one means to the left. We'll run Rob Blake
down before long for all his skill if we have good luck."

"Say, Corporal Merritt," exclaimed a perspiring lad, whose