, got up, and threw an armful of
sticks on the fire. They began to crackle at once, and he stood for an
instant to watch them.

Suddenly he lifted his head and sniffed: the wind was tainted as it
blew lightly towards him along the lee of the wood: he could smell
tobacco-smoke.

'Who's about?' thought Dick. 'What does it mean? We're far off from
any village according to the map. But that's tobacco, and no mistake.
I'll have a look round.'

He glanced at his companion, but Chippy was still wrapped in heavy
slumber.

Dick stepped forward, then paused. 'No, I won't wake him,' murmured
the Wolf. 'It would be a shame to fetch him up for nothing. I'll see
who's in the neighbourhood first.'

Dick slipped on his shoes, drew the laces tight, for they were rove
scout fashion, tucked in the ends, took his staff, and began to creep
up-wind like a hare stealing from its form.

CHAPTER XLI

THE POACHERS

As Dick moved along the edge of the wood, the smell of tobacco grew
stronger, and below a small ash he stopped with a jump of his heart.
There was a scratch and spurtle of a match at his very feet, as it
seemed.

Beyond the ash lay a big clump of brambles, and Dick peered over them.
He discovered that the growth of brambles masked a deep hollow, and in
the hollow lay three men, one of whom was smoking, and had just
relighted his pipe. Dick checked himself just as he was about to give
a low whistle of surprise and wonder. The men were blacks. The moon
shone full into the hollow and showed ebony faces, in which white teeth
glittered, as they spoke to each other in whispers. Then the smoker
raised his hand to press down the tobacco in his pipe, and here again
was a fresh surprise, for the hand was the hand of a white man.

Now Dick understood. These men had met for some evil purpose, and had
blacked their faces as a disguise.

'Something wrong,' said Dick to himself. 'Those fellows are out for no
honest purpose. Scout's job here.'

As the thought passed through the Wolf's mind, one of the men sat up
and growled an oath. 'Wheer are they got to?' he said. 'Here, 'tis
nigh on ha'-past one, an' Young Bill and Smiley ain't turned up yet.'

'We'll start wi'out 'em if they don't show up soon,' grunted a second
speaker.

'As far as old Smiley goes we can do wi'out him all right,' returned
the first man, 'but we must ha' Young Bill. He's got the stren'th o'
half a dozen to pull.'

At that very moment S