big enough to
hurt if they had hit any of us."

"What ought we to do?" asked Jack.

"For one I think we've just got to change our way of handling those
fellows. The more we try to argue, and hold out the olive branch, the
worse they get. I hate to tell the boys we've reached the end of the
rope; but what else is left?" and Paul, as he spoke, shook his head, and
drew a long breath.

"Oh! nothing but give tit for tat," returned Jack, without a pause, as
if his mind had long been made up. "Why, even a Quaker will fight if
forced to defend his honor; or some bully attacks his family. They say a
worm will turn; which you mustn't take to mean that we are grubs."

"Well," declared Paul, "to-night we'll have a watch set, and if they try
that sort of thing again, perhaps they'll find two can play at a
bombardment."

The welcome call to breakfast broke in on their dialogue; and being
possessed of the ordinary boy's appetite, both Paul and his chum were
not at all backward about dropping into their places around the rude
table.

Of course pretty much all the talk during the meal was about the
unprovoked and cowardly attack of the preceding night. Every time a boy
cast his eyes upward, and saw the sky through the ragged hole in the
canvas cover, he was noticed to grit his teeth, and look angry.

But Paul assured them that he had a plan ready whereby they could put a
stop to this rough treatment. Knowing him as they did, the scouts felt
sure he had been driven to the limit of his forbearance. Having gone as
far as their code called for in the effort to keep the peace, they would
certainly be justified in taking the law into their own hands from this
time forth.

"Forget it all until night comes, fellows," said Paul, finally, when
they had talked the subject threadbare. "Meanwhile don't think you're
going to get any sort of a nap to-day. There will be something doing
every minute of the time from now up to supper call. And to begin with,
let the dishwashers get busy right away, so as to clear the decks for
action."

As every one had satisfied his appetite, and just then cared little
whether there was ever such a thing as eating again, they were not sorry
to leave the mess tent.

The camp was quickly a scene of animation. Some fellows were busy with
cameras, seeking enticing subjects for views that would do them credit
when the results of the great hike were examined by a committee later
on. Others set about making prep