l leader thought about the situation.

So, as they climbed steadily, though slowly, upward, they chatted in
low tones. Thad had warned his comrade that they must imagine an enemy
back of every tree, and act accordingly, so as not to betray themselves
by unwise talk.

It was rough going. Plenty of times they had to pull themselves up by
main muscular strength, over some rocky obstruction. Then again, perhaps
they would have it comparatively easy for a brief interval.

"Here's a plain trail leading upward," remarked Thad, whose eyes had
been on the lookout all the time. "Suppose we follow it some. Chances
are it'll be easier going, because whoever lives up here would know the
softest road."

"That's true," assented Bob; "but we'd best not keep on this same trail
too long."

"Why not?" asked the other, looking around at his chum.

"You must know that it sure leads, sooner or later, to some hidden cabin
of a man who's got some pretty good reason for keeping away from the
beaten road."

"Yes, I guessed that the first thing; and I suppose you mean he'd feel
angry some if he saw two fellows in uniform following his trail?" Thad
suggested.

"Angry--well, that hardly covers the ground," chuckled Bob. "When these
mountain men don't like a thing they start to shooting right off the
handle. Never waste time, suh, in asking questions; they judge things as
they see them, and act accordingly. And believe me, Thad, when their
guns speak, generally something goes down."

"Well, on the whole I think what you said carries so much weight with
me, Bob, that I've lost pretty much all interest in this same trail. It
don't look near so attractive as it did; and I wouldn't be surprised if
we'd make better time just keeping on straight up the face of the old
hill."

They looked at each other, and laughed softly, as though it was mutually
understood what meaning Thad intended to convey back of his words.

All the same the dangerous beaten track was immediately forsaken, and
once more they set out to climb straight upwards. Occasionally Bob, who
seemed more at home in this thing than his companion, as he had lived
among the mountains most of his young life; would discover that by
taking a side cut they could avoid a hard climb, and in that event the
direct line was changed to an oblique one.

The view was at times a fine one, with a stretch of the wild country
spread out before them like a panorama. Then again for a quarter of an
h