of it. He could
illustrate all he wished to in the way of the famous Indian picture
writing, which Boy Scouts in other troops had found so interesting a
study in connection with woodcraft. Even Thad, who had dabbled in it to
some extent in the past, was deeply concerned; because he knew that the
more these boys became interested in observing things that were
happening all around them, the sooner they would climb up the ladder
leading to merit badges, and a right to the name of a first class
scout.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE PICTURES THAT TALKED.

"What's that Allan's got in his hand?" asked Davy Jones, as the little
party reached an open spot, and the Maine boy came to a halt.

"Looks like a strip of fresh birch bark," remarked Giraffe.

"Just what it is," Allan spoke up, "and if you watch me, you'll see how
the poor Indian, not carrying a hammer and nails along, finds a way to
leave his message so that it attracts the attention he wants, just as
well as if he nailed it against the trunk of a tree."

He bent down, broke off a long wand from a bush, and seemed to partly
split one end of this. Into the crotch he inserted the birch bark. The
other end he pushed into the ground.

"There you are, fellows," Allan went on. "When you reach this point
along the trail of your friend, you find that he has left this message
for you. Being an Indian, or a border man used to the ways of the
Indians, you take the strip of bark in your hands, and examine it. To
the eye of the experienced one it is as plain as so many words would be
to all of us. Here, look at what I've written, boys."

"Say, it's a cute little boy's idea of a procession," remarked Step-hen;
"for I take it that all these figures must be meant for men."

"And I can see a fire burning, right here," declared Giraffe, eagerly.

"What's this four-legged critter, a wolf or a dog?" asked Step-hen,
pointing to the object he had in mind.

"What would you say, Thad?" asked Allan, smiling.

"Well, it strikes me that it must be a dog, because you've made it have
a curly tail; and no wolf was ever known to possess such a thing.
Besides, it always appears close to the heels of one of the men, and the
same one too; so I should say it belongs to that fellow."

"Just exactly what I wanted to convey," Allan went on, nodding his head
in approval. "Now, if you'll pay close attention, fellows, I'll show you
how easy it is to write messages this way. Just as Step-hen said, it