cted so often, Jimmy.

"I'm only sorry for one thing," this latter scout said, presently.

"I bet you now he's going to tip off that silly, old story again about
the vanishing fleet of vessels out on Hudson Bay, and say he did hope we
might crack that hard nut while we were up here," Frank told them,
whereat Jimmy slapped him vigorously on the back, and exclaimed:

"You'd better get a punkin and hollow out half for a skull cap, Frank.
Then you could go and sit in the market-place and pass for a seer;
because now and then you do have a bright thought, and actually guess
something. That was just what bothered Jimmy McGraw, sure it was. If we
go away from here and leave that mystery unsolved, who's ever agoin' to
do it, tell me that? Don't they kinder look to the scouts to do
anything and everything these here days, that other folks can't just
manage. Huh! ain't ever a child wanders away from home and gets lost in
the woods, but what they send out a call, not for the fire company, like
they used to do; but it's 'the scouts c'n find poor little Jennie; let
the scouts get on the track, and in three shakes of a lamb's tail,
they'll have the child safe at home!'"

"Well, there's a whole lot of truth in what you say, Jimmy, though none
of us ought to be given to boasting," Jack declared, proudly; "I've
helped find three lost children, two old men who were out of their
minds and had wandered away from home, about sixteen stray cows, a
horse, too, and even had a hand in killing that big mad dog that came
down the street of the Long Island town where I spent one of my
vacations some years ago."

"Good for the Black Bear Patrol," said Jimmy; "which makes me feel
sicker than ever, because we've got to go back home, without having a
shot at that punk old mystery of Hudson Bay. We could find out all about
it, you take my word for it, Jack. Put five fellers as smart as this
bunch onto anything that's cooked up, for some reason or other, and
they're bound to unearth the game. Once I helped gather in the biggest
lot of bogus money-makers, with Ned here, that you ever set your lamps
on. D'ye know, deep down in my heart, I've got a hunch that this queer
fleet that comes and goes like it was made up of ghost craft, will turn
out to be something like that. You'll sure find that men are back of it
that don't want to be seen at too close range; though what under the sun
they're adoin' away up here gets me."

About this time Ned gave the