t to set the whole place on fire, and, if they succeeded
in that, and had a mob outside to hamper the firemen, there might be
terrible damage, that would cripple the company for a long time."

It was about ten o'clock when Pete and Jack, in their Scout uniforms,
hard to detect at any distance, even in broad daylight, and making them
almost invisible at night, took up their vigil. The place seemed to be
as silent and deserted as a tomb. Lights were few and far between, but
each of them carried an electric torch supplied by Mr. Carew. These
they did not intend to use except in an emergency, since to use them
would mean betraying their position to the enemy, and it was their
chief opportunity to succeed that they were not known to Willis and the
others to be in the place at all. The strikers would be on the lookout
for regular watchmen, not for keen-eyed boys.

There was a high wall around the greater portion of the grounds, topped
with broken glass, so that the place was really well fortified against
the attack of a mob. But the danger tonight was even greater than it
would have been from a mob, more insidious, and harder to guard against.

The two Scouts, to make sure, if that were possible, that there should
be no surprise, agreed to patrol the whole wall, and thus have the best
possible chance of seeing anyone who tried to climb over. They could
do this, meeting in the center of the trip, and leaving no spot
unwatched for more than two or three minutes.

"If I hear anyone, Pete, or see anything wrong," said Jack, "I'll give
the Patrol call--the cry of a crow."

"Sure! I'll understand, if I hear it, and I'll give the same call if
I'm the one that sees something."

"Right! If we hear that call the one who hears it will stop patrolling
at once and go for the sound."

"They can't see us if we keep in the shadow, can they, Jack?"

"I don't believe so, Pete. It is a pretty heavy shadow, and anyone
coming over the wall is likely to have his eyes more or less dazzled by
the arc lights on the other side."

"Don't call unless you have to, Pete. Remember that they're not fools,
these fellows, and they're apt to know that such a call means danger,
even if they don't know who's here. We don't want just to scare them
off--they might come back if we did that. We want to catch the
ring-leaders."

They started from the railroad spur, so they would meet there each time
as they completed a round of the walls, since