guides having been brought up in this region, had promised
the boys rare sport, if only they would trust to his judgment in the
matter. The trip was of indefinite length, the only stipulation being
that they should not go outside the United States, when approaching the
New Brunswick border along the great St. Johns River.

All of them seemed to be just bubbling over with enthusiasm and spirits.
With a new voyage before them, plenty to eat aboard the canoes, guns
with which to secure game, tents provided by Jim Hasty at his home town;
and "everything lovely, while the goose hung high," as Bumpus had put
it, really there was no excuse for any of the scouts to feel downcast.

In their former trip around the Penobscot region the boys had had the
good fortune to be chiefly instrumental in causing the arrest of a
couple of fleeing yeggmen, who had broken into several banks, and for
whose arrest quite a decent reward was offered. Not only that, but they
had recovered valuable bonds and papers, that would undoubtedly cause
the bank officials to back up the offer they had made, which was to the
effect that two thousand dollars would be paid to the parties returning
the said bonds, and no questions asked.

Bumpus had been the one who seemed chiefly concerned over this money
matter; for it happened that the fat scout wanted dearly to visit the
Far West, and was always talking of California, together with the game
to be met with in the famous Rock Mountains. And with this windfall
coming to their almost exhausted treasure box, it now seemed as though
the Silver Fox Patrol might get away when the next vacation came around.

Giraffe, the boy with the long neck, which he could twist around in a
way his comrades despaired of ever imitating, had one particular
weakness. He was a regular fire worshipper. They depended on Giraffe to
start the fires, whether a cooking blaze or the big camp-fire around
which they loved to sit or lie, after supper was over.

Many times did Thad have to caution him about his recklessness in this
regard; and his vigilance increased, now that they were in a State where
forest preservation was of such moment that a special fire warden, with
many assistants, was employed, to see that the laws were strictly
enforced; and intending hunters were not allowed to go forth without
being accompanied by a licensed guide, to make sure that all fires were
utterly extinguished before breaking camp.

Of course, when Gira