since the world
began, and would in all probability endure so long as men lived on
this planet.

Now and then, when one of the scouts discovered something that
particularly interested him, and to which he wished to draw the
attention of his mates, he found it necessary to fairly bawl the fact,
so as to be heard above the wild clamor.

As a rule, this appertained to Monkey Stallings and Billy. Hugh was
wrapped up in observing all that went on, and it required his undivided
attention, just as on the occasion of his visiting a big circus where
wonderful events were taking place in three rings at the same time.

Arthur Cameron, on his part, was mentally figuring on how much surgical
attention some of these doughty warriors would need after this amazing
fracas; and when Arthur had his mind set upon that entrancing subject
he might be considered blind to all ordinary matters.

As for Alec, his one idea was to snap off an occasional picture that
would show the astonishing thing he and his lucky comrades had run
across when the motion-picture players came to make use of the imitation
castle on the peak. The only trouble with Alec was a dreadful fear
that his supply of film might run out, and then he stood a chance of
missing what was likely to prove the best part of the whole proceedings.

Already he had reached Number Ten on his last roll, with but two more
to wind up. Oh, what would he not have given for a couple more rolls
of a dozen exposures each; just then they would have been worth their
weight in silver to the ambitious photographer.

Vague hopes had been playing at leap-tag in the mind of the scout
picture-taker. He wondered if there might not be some way in which
they could succeed in influencing that hopping stage manager to promise
to sell them a duplicate set of the pictures when they were ready
for showing to the public. Alec knew that they were rented out, and
sometimes sold outright. If Hugh now, with his persuasive tongue,
could only exact such a promise from the gentleman in charge, would
it not be a splendid achievement to incidentally have the picture
included in the programme to be run at the town hall for some local
benefit; and then hear the shouts from the boys of Oakvale when they
discovered familiar uniforms and faces amidst the actors at rest?

From various remarks which the boys had heard shouted by the stage
directors in giving his last directions they understood that this
attack was c