o' the road. An' 'ere's the Beacon, an' there's the san'pit!'

'Yes, it's a jolly good map,' said Dick, 'and very clear in the heath
part, for there are few roads and few houses, and every one is put in.
Now, where are we? Let's find the rail and the station. That will
give us our bearings.'

The boys considered the map very carefully for a few moments; then Dick
put his finger on a certain spot.

'That's just about where we are now,' he said, 'and I can prove it, I
think.'

'I should just like to know 'ow ye do prove it,' said Chippy, to whom
this map was a new and wonderful thing.

'Well,' said Dick, 'we know in a general way we're no very great
distance from the Horseshoe, and here that is.' He placed his finger
on the spot where the big redoubt was shown on the map. 'Then here's
rising ground with trees on it, marked Woody Knap. Now, where's that?'

'Why, theer it is,' replied Chippy, pointing to a hill which rose above
the heath at some distance. 'It must be that. There ain't no other
hill wi' trees on it in all this part o' the h'eth.'

'And how far is it away from us?'

''Bout a mile.'

'Which way does it lie?'

Chippy considered the sun, and thought over the directions Mr. Elliott
had given the scouts time and again.

'Right away north,' he answered.

'Very well, then,' said Dick. 'We're a mile to the south. And a mile
on the heath is an inch on the map. Now, my thumb-nail is just half an
inch--I've measured it; so twice my thumb-nail to the south of Woody
Knap brings us to the spot where we are.'

'So it does,' cried Chippy, with enthusiasm. 'It's as plain as plain
now ye put it that way. An' that's a proper dodge, to measure it off
wi' yer thumb-nail.'

'Oh, uncle gave me that tip,' laughed Dick. 'It's very useful for
measuring short distances on the map. When you want a rule, you
generally find you've left it at home, but your thumb-nail is always on
the spot.'

'Yus,' smiled Chippy; 'ye mostly bring it wi' yer. Now,' he went on,
'wot's the distance to the Fort?'

'To the Horseshoe?' said Dick, and began to measure. 'Barely a couple
of miles,' he said. 'We're quite close. Isn't it lonely country all
round it? There isn't another building for miles on this side of the
river.'

The broad tidal river curved down the western side of the map, widening
rapidly as it neared the sea. Its western bank was dotted with hamlets
and villages and scattered farms, with roads and