keeping green leaves
on top all the time, to make the smudge. After the fires had burned for
half an hour a signal came from the thicket--a long, shrill whistle to
attract attention, and then a few bars of "The Star Spangled Banner."

"That's a Boy Scout, all right," Jimmie exclaimed, "but it ain't none of
our bunch. They wouldn't wait to whistle. They'd jump right in an' tell us
where to head in at. You bet they would."

In a moment a human hand, a slender, boyish hand, appeared above a great
squatty plant at the foot of the knoll. The thumb and first finger were
extended opened out, the three remaining fingers closed over the palm of
the hand.

"Whoop!" yelled Jimmie. "The sign of the Silver Wolf."

"Come on up," cried Peter. "The appetite is fine."

Then a boyish figure arose from the shelter of the plant and moved up the
hill to where the boys stood. He was apparently about fifteen years of
age, was dressed as a lad of his age might appear on Broadway, and
presented a fresh, cheerful face, now wrinkled into smiles, to the boys
waiting with extended hands.

"I saw you signal," he said.

"Where are you from?" asked Jimmie, shaking the extended hand warmly.
"We're from the Black Bear and Wolf Patrols, New York, and we don't know
any more about getting along in the woods than a Houston street mucker."

"I'm from the Black Bear Patrol of Chicago," the other replied, "and my
name is Anthony Chester, Tony for short. What you doing in the Devil's
Hole?"

"Is this the Devil's Hole?" asked Jimmie.

"That is what they call it."

"The Devil seems to be having a good time of it," Peter said. "He's had us
on the hip all night."

"We were in camp, father and I, about half way to the cut," Tony said,
"and heard your shots a spell ago. What did you kill?"

Briefly the boys told the story of the night, and then Peter asked:

"Why didn't you answer the shots?"

"We were stalking jaguars," was the reply, "and did not want to lose our
game. The woods are full of them, for some reason, this spring."

"Did you get them?"

"No; I guess the ones you got were the ones we were after."

"Then I'm glad we got them, for we'll divide the skins with you."

"Then, a little while ago, I saw your smoke signal and read it to Dad, and
he told me to come out and bring you to camp for breakfast."

"What?"

"Breakfast?"

"Is it far?"

"Is it cooked?"

The boys fairly danced about their new acquaintance as they asked
questio