very short time now he would see his dear little
mother, proudly watching him march past; and perhaps also discover a
tiny web of a handkerchief waving from the pretty hand of a certain
little girl he knew; and the thought made Jotham very happy.

"Listen! ain't that boys shouting?" demanded Seth.

"Just what it is now," replied Andy. "They've got scouts at the bend of
the road, and know we're coming."

"We've done what we set out to do, fellers!" cried Seth, gloatingly.

"And the trophy belongs to us; for right now we're in Beverly town, and
there's the blessed old sun still half an hour high," Fritz observed
with pardonable pride in his voice.

"And think of us getting that balloon man safe out of the Black Water
Swamps; yes, and going to the middle of the patch, something that they
say nobody ever did before! That's going to be a big feather in our
caps, believe me," Seth went on to say, as he took a glance down at his
stained khaki trousers and leggins.

Paul gave his little command one last look over, for they were now at
the bend, and in another minute would come under the eyes of the dense
crowd which, from all the signs that came to his ears, he felt sure had
gathered to welcome the marching patrol home again after their long
hike.

Then the curve in the road was reached; a dozen more steps and they
turned it, to see the green fairly black with people, who waved their
hats and handkerchiefs, and shouted, until it seemed to the proud scouts
that the very foundations of the heavens must tremble under the roaring
sound.

Chief Henshall was there, together with several of his men, keeping an
avenue open along which the khaki-clad boys were to march, to a spot in
front of the grand stand, where the generous donor of the trophy,
together with a committee of prominent citizens of Beverly, waited to
receive them.

It was perhaps the proudest moment in the lives of those eight boys when
Paul, replying to the little speech which accompanied the passing of the
silver cup, thanked Mr. Sargeant and the committee for the great
interest taken in the formation of Beverly Troop; and in a few words
explained just why he and his comrades came so near being unable to
fulfill the obligations governing the hike.

When Mr. Sargeant read aloud the message which the wrecked balloonist
was wiring to St. Louis, in which he declared that he owed his very life
to the daring of the Boy Scouts, who had penetrated to the very cent