double flash came.

"Yes. I wonder what it was," Paul went on, thoughtfully. "I happen to
know that Ted and his bunch are ahead of us somewhere, and that might
have been a signal to fellows who were left down here to do something to
upset our camp."

"Now, do you know, Paul," Wallace went on; "I hadn't thought of that.
I'll tell you what it looked like to me--some man lighting his pipe. You
saw the light go up and down; that was when he puffed. But it was too
far away to see any face."

Paul, remembering the man who had gone up the side of the mountain with
that rig, wondered very much whether Wallace could be right, and if the
unknown was even then looking down upon them from that height.

This made him turn his thoughts back to the noon camp, and try to
remember whether the man in the buggy had shown that he recognized Joe
at the time the boy so suddenly sprang to his feet with a cry.

At any rate the unknown had whipped up his horse, and seemed in a great
hurry to depart from the spot.

That night the Banner Boy Scouts were just as merry as before. A banjo
had been brought along, and to the plunkety-plunk of its tuneful music
they sang every popular song known among Stanhope's rising generation.

"I just don't exactly like the looks of the sky," remarked Wallace, as
the time for sounding taps drew near.

He had found Paul examining the ropes of the various tents as though
curious to see how well they had been secured.

"That's why I'm overhauling these tent pins and ropes," laughed the
other, as he rose up. "The clouds have rolled up, and it feels as if we
might have a bit of a Summer storm. Perhaps it would be a good thing for
the boys to have an experience like that, if only our supplies can be
kept dry."

When they finally retired, the sky seemed to have cleared again. Paul
set his guards and took his place in his tent, for his turn would not
come until later.

He was tired and soon fell into a heavy sleep. Jack was on duty, and
could be depended on to keep a good watch.

Paul was aroused from slumber by loud cries. Sitting hurriedly up he
found the tent wabbling to and fro in a violent manner, while the air
seemed full of the most alarming sounds. He crawled out without wasting
a minute, and shouted aloud to make the balance of the boys get busy
before everything was swept away by the violence of the gale.

CHAPTER XVIII

A CLOSE CALL

"Hold 'em! hold 'em!" whooped William, as he found