"To-morrow morning. You lie quiet, and quit fussing, and sleep, and be
a model patient in the hospital, and then to-morrow morning early we'll
hike."

"Both of you?"

"Yep."

"One isn't enough, in case you meet trouble. It's two on the trail, for
us Scouts."

"I know it."

"And you'll take the flag? I want the Elks flag to go."

"We will," we said.

"To-morrow morning, then," and the major smiled a peaceful, happy little
smile. "Bueno. Now I'll go to sleep. You needn't give me any dope. I'll
see you off in the morning." And he sort of settled and closed his eyes.
"When are you Red Foxes off?" he asked drowsily.

"Oh, we've arranged to be around here a day yet," drawled Van Sant. "You
can't get rid of us. We want to hear that the message went through. Then
we'll skip. We ought to rest one day in seven. And there's a two-pound
trout in a hole here, Mrs. Harden says, and Hal thinks he can catch him
to-morrow before I do."

"You mustn't miss that trip," murmured the major. And when we tiptoed
out, leaving Fitz on guard, he was asleep already!

So it seemed that we had done the best thing.

Red Foxes Ward and Van Sant divided the night watch between them so
that we Elks should be fresh for the day's march. We were up early, and
got our own breakfast, so as not to bother the two women; but the report
came out from the major's room that he had had a bully night, and that
now he was awake and was bound to see us. So we went in.

He had the Elks flag in his hands.

"Who's got that message?" he asked.

I had, you know.

He passed the flag to Fitz.

"You take this, then. You're sure going, aren't you?"

"Yes, sir."

"All right. You can make it. Don't you worry about me. I'm fine. Be
Scouts. It's the last leg."

"You be a Scout, too. If we're to be Scouts, on the march, you ought to
be a Scout, in the hospital."

"I will." He knew what we meant. "But I wish I could go."

"So do we."

"All ready?"

"All ready."

He shook our hands.

"So long."

"So long."

We gave him the Scouts' salute, and out we went. We shook hands with
the Red Foxes; they saluted us, and we saluted them. We crossed the yard
for the trail; and when we looked back, the two women waved at us. We
waved back. And now we were carrying the message again, with only
twenty-one miles to go.

The trail was up grade, following beside the creek, and we knew that we
must allow at least eight hours for those twenty-one miles. It was n