nd. He didn't ask for help.

They were waiting; Fitz had unpacked the burro and was making camp.
General Ashley was sitting with his back against a rock. He looked pale
and worn. He had sprained his ankle, back there when we had all tried to
escape, yesterday, and it was swollen horribly because he had had to
step on it some and hadn't been able to give it the proper treatment.
(Note 49.) Fitz looked worn, too, and of course we three others
(especially I) showed travel, ourselves.

After I had introduced the Red Fox Scouts to him and Fitz, then before
anything else was told I must report. So I did. But I hated to say it. I
saluted, and blurted it out:

"I followed the beaver man and sighted him, sir, but he got away again,
with the message."

The general did not frown, or show that he was disappointed or vexed. He
tried to smile, and he said: "Did he? That surely was hard luck then,
Jim. Where did he go?"

"We were with Bridger, and it seems to us that he did the best he could.
The fire interrupted," put in Red Fox Scout Van Sant, hesitatingly.

He spoke as if he knew that he had not been asked for an opinion, but as
a friend and as a First-class Scout he felt as though he ought to say
something.

"The best is all that any Scout can do," agreed the general. "Go ahead,
Jim, and tell what happened."

So I did. The general nodded. I hadn't made any excuses; I tried to tell
just the plain facts, and ended with our escape in the willows, from
that fire.

"The report is approved," he said. "We'll get that beaver man yet. We
must have that message. Now Fitz can tell what happened to us. But we'd
better be sending up smoke signals to call in the other squad, in case
they're where they can see. Make the council signal, Bridger."

Fitz had a fire almost ready; the Red Fox Scouts helped me, and gathered
smudge stuff while I proceeded to send up the council signal in the Elks
code. Fitz talked while he worked. The general looked on and winced as
his ankle throbbed. But he was busy, too, fighting pain.

Fitz told what had happened to them, after I had escaped. He and the
general had been taken back by the gang, and tied again, and camp was
broken in a hurry because the gang feared that now I would lead a
rescue. They were mean enough to make the general limp along, without
bandaging his foot, until he was so lame that he must be put on a horse.
The camp-fire was left burning and the bacon was forgotten. They climbed
a