to do something heroic and grand, yet unable to collect their wits
enough to see what ought to be accomplished first.

Luckily all of them were not built that way. Had it been so there must
have followed a dire disaster that would have put a damper on their
budding hopes.

Paul saw Wallace jumping directly for the sputtering fire that was
running so strangely from point to point, and eating its way toward the
shelter under which all their precious stores had been heaped up.

"Whatever it is, he'll get it!" was the thought that flashed through
Paul's brain at that instant.

Relieved of this fear, he could turn his full attention toward the
escaping spy. Monkey Eggleston must not get clear, if it could possibly
be avoided. He had engaged in some sort of miserable trick, calculated
to harm those who were paying attention to their own private business.
He must be caught and made to confess.

So, with that determination urging him on, Paul sprang in swift pursuit
of the rapidly-disappearing form.

Since the moon had gone down, and darkness prevailed, it was not easy to
see the figure of the runner; but if Paul's eyes failed him his ears did
not. The fugitive was making a tremendous amount of noise as he slammed
through the woods. He collided with trees, stumbled over trailing vines,
and sprawled across more than one half rotten log that chanced to lie in
his path.

Paul did much better. Perhaps he happened to possess eyes that were able
to see in such semi-darkness; then again it might be his absence from
the fire had much to do with his ability to discern obstacles in time to
avoid contact with them.

At any rate he knew one thing, which was, that slowly but surely he was
overtaking the spy sent by the Slavin crowd to create havoc in the camp
of the scouts.

Paul also knew that it was perhaps a very unwise move on his part, this
chasing so madly after Monkey Eggleston. Of course the fellow had
friends not so far away, and the chances were he was even now heading
toward the place where Monkey knew they would be waiting to hear his
report.

Still Paul would not give up. The fact that he was surely overtaking the
other fellow acted as a sort of spur, urging him to continued efforts.
Had the chase seemed hopeless he might have abandoned it after the first
spurt; but now he felt that at any moment he was apt to pounce upon the
object of his pursuit, who was floundering along just ahead.

Suddenly the noise stoppe