iograph work while I
served. And honest now, I must say I never enjoyed a finer half hour
than I spent last night, sitting on a rock up yonder, and watching
that lively little confab you held with your chum, who, I think was
the boy calling himself Step Hen. He did the job up pretty well,
considering; and as for your Thad, he's chain lightning on the send.
Yes, siree bob, that was a picnic to an old Signal Corps man like me,
as you can easily understand, my boy!"

The four scouts sat there as if frozen stiff. Consternation was
written all over their faces; and no wonder the humorous sheriff, as
he saw what a bomb he had exploded, chuckled, and then laughed aloud.

CHAPTER XXI.

HEARING ALECK'S SIDE OF THE STORY.

That good and hearty laugh on the part of the sheriff did more to
reassure the scouts than anything else could have done. Giraffe, who
had been holding his very breath in consternation, allowed the air to
flow in and out of his lungs again; Bumpus regained his color, while
his staring eyes concluded apparently not to pop out of his head this
time; and as for Allan and Bob White, they lost some of the look of
alarm that had spread over their faces.

"Yes, it was as good as a circus to just sit thar, and enjoy reading
that little talk," the sheriff went on to say. "I could 'most imagine
myself back again in the army, out in the Philippines, teachin' some
of the awkward squad their p's and q's. And the news was some
interestin', too. So Aleck, he was to make himself scarce, was he?
Seems like he did that same, too," with another chuckle, and a shrug
of his shoulders toward the tents which he had so lately examined
without profit.

Allan hardly knew what to say; but boldly taking up the cudgels he
presently remarked:

"Well, Mr. Sheriff, what else could we do? Aleck was a scout, one of
our organization; and if you've got a son who belongs to it, you must
know that a scout is always supposed to be ready to hold out a helping
hand to a fellow member. Aleck was in trouble. He had fallen into the
hands of a party of prospectors, headed by Colonel Kracker, who were
bent on forcing him to give up the secret they thought he carried,
concerning the long-lost silver mine his father was said to have
discovered years ago."

"H'm! say you so, boy?" the other observed, while the lawyer pricked
up his ears, as if suddenly interested. "Kracker around here, is he?
Well, that's some interesting news, you're telli