a pretty good ways off, seems to me," the bugler remarked,
shaking his head, as though he found the story hard to believe.

"Why, that's nothing to brag of," Seth assured him. "They have big
balloon races from St. Louis every year, nearly, and the gas-bags drift
hundreds of miles across the country. I read about several that landed
in New Jersey, and one away up in Canada won the prize. This one met
with trouble before it got many miles on its journey. And he wants us to
report that the _Great Republic_ is down; Anderson, he said his name
was, didn't he, Paul?"

"Yes, that was it," replied the scoutmaster.

Paul seemed to be looking unusually grave, and the others realized that
he must have something of more than usual importance on his mind.

"How about that, Paul," broke out Fritz, who had been watching the face
of the patrol leader, "we're about eighteen miles away from home; and
must we wait till we get there to start help out for that poor chap?"

"He might die before then," remarked Jotham seriously.

Again a strange silence seemed to brood over the whole patrol. Every
fellow no doubt was thinking the same thing just then, and yet each boy
hated to be the one to put it into words.

They had taken so much pride in the big hike that to even suggest giving
it up, and just in the supreme moment of victory, as it were, seemed
next door to sacrilege, and yet they could not get around the fact that
it seemed right up to them to try and save that forlorn aeronaut. His
life was imperiled, and scouts are always taught to make sacrifices when
they can stretch out a hand to help any one in jeopardy.

Paul heaved a great sigh.

"Fellows," he said, solemnly, "I'm going to put it up to you this time,
because I feel that the responsibility ought to be shared; and remember
majority rules whenever the scoutmaster thinks best to let the troop
decide."

"All right, Paul," muttered Seth, dejectedly.

"It's only fair that you should saddle some of the responsibility on the
rest of the bunch," admitted Jotham, hardly a bit more happy looking
than Seth; for of course every one of them knew what was coming; and
could give a pretty good guess as to the consequences.

"That's a fact," added Fritz, "so out with it, Paul. When I've got a
bitter dose to swallow I want to hurry, and get it over."

"It hurts none of you more than it does me," went on the scoutmaster,
firmly, "because I had set my heart on winning that fine trophy;