hunt opens. The scout who strikes an enemy
with his ball captures that enemy's flag. The flag is handed over, and
the beaten scout comes up at once to report to me on the Beacon. He is
dead, and will leave the contest. That patrol wins which finally
captures the whole of the flags belonging to the other patrol.'

'But, Mr. Elliott, suppose you hit a man who has already taken two or
three flags belonging to your own side, what then!' asked Billy Seton.

'He gives up everything,' replied the instructor, 'both his own flag
and those he has taken. You see, it's a fight to a finish. The last
man will simply collect the whole of the flags. The patrol with the
finest scout is bound to win, and it gives everybody first-rate
practice. There are heaps of hiding-places, and you may employ any
means to decoy or deceive an opposing scout, except using his patrol
cry, or, as the book says, disguise. But disguise is out of the
question at the present moment. Now, away with you!'

Off the boys dashed, the Wolves scouring down the eastern face of the
Beacon, the Ravens down the western. Within five minutes both patrols
were in position, and they signified this to Mr. Elliott by holding up
their patrol flags. Chippy had made the flag for the Ravens, and made
it very well too, cutting the raven out of a scrap of an old green
curtain, and stitching it on to a piece of calico. When the umpire saw
the patrol flags raised above the gorse clumps which hid the patrols,
he blew a long blast on his powerful whistle, and the contest began.

On the side of the Wolf Patrol, Dick Elliott ordered his men to spread
out widely in the thick cover of gorse-bushes and low-growing thickets,
and to push slowly and cautiously towards the Ravens.

'You've got to be jolly careful,' said Dick, 'or if there are many like
that patrol leader of theirs, we shall be snapped up before we know
where we are. Work in pairs, and one scout will support the other.'

So the Wolves split into four couples, and spread themselves as widely
as possible on their front. On the other hand, Chippy sent his men out
singly, but also on a well-extended front; and so, creeping, gliding,
stealing from patch to patch of cover, and watching closely on every
hand, the Wolves and the Ravens drew nearer and nearer to each other.

Dick, with the corporal, Billy Seton, had taken up a post in the centre
of their patrol line, and they advanced together. Dick looked on every