"Well, Elmer," remarked Mr. Garrabrant, the next morning, as he came out of his tent and met the young scout leader face to face, "I must have slept unusually sound last night, for the alarm failed to awaken me!"

"There was no alarm, sir," smiled Elmer.

"Meaning that we did not have the pleasure of a second visit from Diablo, the educated monkey, is that it?" asked the scout master, pleasantly.

"Yes, sir," the boy went on, "Diablo must have secured enough rations in his first raid to last him for twenty-four hours. But Mark and myself do not think of giving our job up yet awhile. We expect to catch a likeness of our hairy visitor, even if the trap fails to work, and hold him a prisoner. I suppose Colonel Hitchens would be very glad to have the beast back, if it turns out that this is Diablo?"

"I'm sure of it, and as he is a wealthy man, no doubt he would willingly pay a round sum to those who would return his pet," Mr. Garrabrant declared.

"Oh! we were not thinking of that, sir, I give you my word," declared Elmer; "but possibly, if we did happen to succeed, the gentleman might be willing to do something for poor Abe in return for our restoring his pet."

The scout master looked keenly at Elmer, and then thrust out his hand impulsively.

"That was well said, my boy," he remarked, with a little quiver in his voice. "I am proud to know that you feel that way toward the unfortunate. And I give you my word, if you are so fortunate as to capture Diablo, I'll convince Colonel Hitchens that it is his duty to do a lot for Abe and his little flock. That boy is made of the right stuff, I'm sure, and ought to have the advantages of an education. I'm going to see that he has his chance."

"Yes, sir, just to think of a kid not over six years old being able to set a muskrat trap, and actually take skins. Why, I know a lot about the little varmints, and I give you my word, sir, they're pretty sharp. It takes a bright boy to outwit an old seasoned muskrat. He showed me quite a lot of skins he had cured, of course under his father's directions."

"And then that girl, Little Lou—think of her doing all the cooking for the family ever since her mother was taken away?" continued the gentleman. "She's a darling, if I ever saw one. I grew quite fond of her, and mean to see more of them all. But I ought to be laying out the program for to-day's work."

"What are we to try to-day, sir?" asked Elmer, who, as second in command, had privileges in talking with the scout master that none of the other lads dared assume.

"Well, as it promises to be a warm day, we might try the swimming test for one thing," replied Mr. Garrabrant, thoughtfully. "At the same time there is that feat of landing a big fish with a rod and a small line, the said fish being of course an active boy, who does his best to break away. While we're at it, we may as well go through our usual formula whereby anyone who has been nearly drowned may be resuscitated again. And last, but not least, we can have Dr. Ted give us his talk on first aid to the injured. He will get back in good time if he leaves after lunch for the Morris cabin."

"I think Chatz is waiting to speak to you, sir," remarked Elmer, who had been noticing the Southern lad hovering near for some little time, looking queerly in their direction.

"Is that so?" remarked Mr. Garrabrant. "Now I hope he hasn't been seeing more of his hobgoblins. That is about the only weakness Charles seems to have. Otherwise I find him a very sensible lad. If only he could be cured of his belief in the supernatural it would be a good thing."

"Well," laughed Elmer, "some of us would be only too glad of the chance to cure him. Shall I go away, and let him have an interview, sir?"

"No, remain, and hear what Charles has to say. It may be I shall need your services. This time the tracks of the ghost may not have been trampled out of sight, and you can give a guess at its character. I never in all my life knew of so many queer happenings inside of so short a time."

The scout master beckoned toward Chatz, and obeying the mandate the Southern boy came quickly forward.

"You wish to speak with me, Charles, I imagine?"

"Yes, sir," replied the other, with a frown on his brow.

"Has something happened again to disturb you?" inquired Mr. Garrabrant.

"Yes, sir."

"Last night, I presume, since you would have spoken before, had it happened yesterday?" the scout master continued, quietly.

"Last night it was, sir. I saw IT again!" remarked Chatz, appearing to swallow something that was in his throat.

"Oh! you mean that mysterious white object which appeared to you on the other occasion, and seemed to assume all the characteristics of a supernatural visitor? In other words, Charles, your pet ghost?" remarked Mr. Garrabrant.

The boy flushed, but held his ground.

"Of course," he said, slowly, "I understand what a contempt you have for any such idea, sir; and indeed, I only wish it could be shown to me that this is only some natural object, and not of the other world. I'd be too glad to know it. I hate to think I'm given to such ideas, but they seem to be a part of my nature, and I can't help it, try as I may."

"Well, perhaps we may be able to assist you, Charles," returned the genial scout master, laying a hand on the lad's shoulder in a way that quite won his confidence. "Now tell me what you saw, when and where, also what it looked like."

"I think it was in about the same quarter as before, sir. My watch happened to come late in the night this time, in fact just before dawn broke. I heard again that blood-curdling sound, a plain 'woof'! and raising my head I could just make it out in the darkness. It was white, as before, and it moved! Then all of a sudden it seemed to vanish most mysteriously."

"Well, did the other sentry see anything, Charles?" asked Mr. Garrabrant.

"We had arranged it all between us, sir, Ty Collins and myself. And he will tell you, sir, that he saw just what I did," replied Chatz, earnestly.

"That sounds as though you might have seen something, then," smiled Mr. Garrabrant. "And Elmer, you were so successful in picking out those other tracks, suppose you try again."

"Shall I go now, sir?" asked the other, readily.

"I would like you to. If you find a trail, you might follow it up a bit. Perhaps Charles would like to accompany you."

"Yes, sir, I would, if you didn't object," replied the Southern lad, quickly.

"Very well," nodded the scout master. "Report to me when you are through, Elmer."

So the two boys went away together. Some of the others, seeing them bending down as though examining the ground, made a move as if to join them, but Mr. Garrabrant was watching, and called them back.

He saw Elmer, followed by the wondering Chatz, walk slowly away, his head bent low, as though he were following some sort of trail.

And the scout master laughed softly to himself as he muttered:

"I fancy Charles is about to have a little surprise, now that Elmer has found a trail to follow. Because, as a true believer in ghosts, he must realize that anything that leaves traces behind can hardly claim supernatural qualities."

Twenty minutes afterwards, shortly before breakfast was ready, the two boys came back again. Chatz was smiling in a queer way, but Elmer looked like a sphinx.

The latter, obeying a beckoning finger, hurried over to join Mr. Garrabrant.

"Unless my eyes deceive me, Elmer," remarked the gentleman, with a quizzical expression on his handsome face, "you've been up to your old tricks again, and finding out things. How is it, do you plead guilty to the charge?"

"I guess I'll just have to, sir," replied the boy, also smiling now.

"Then you found a trail, did you?"

"Yes, sir," Elmer went on, "a positive one; though the ground was that hard a greenhorn could never have seen it. And while Chatz kept at my side I don't think he dreamed what I was doing as we went along. Then, about a hundred yards away I heard that same queer 'woof' he spoke of."

"It didn't give you a shock, I warrant, Elmer?" remarked the scout master.

"Well, you see, sir, I've had too much to do with cattle not to recognize the snort of a startled cow! And that was what we saw just ahead of us. She had been lying down, chewing her cud, and our coming had caused her to get on her feet."

"Did she happen to have a white face, Elmer?" laughed Mr. Garrabrant.

"Just what she did, sir," the boy replied. "Chatz looked at me, and turned pale, then red; after which he laughed till the tears ran down his cheeks. I think we put quite a spoke in his spook wheel, sir. He won't be so ready to believe in supernatural visitors after this."

"It was well done, Elmer, and I thank you for it. Now, let's to breakfast, for we have a strenuous day before us," and the scout master led the way to the place where a bounteous meal had been spread for the entire troop of scouts.

During the morning the swimming tests were started, and Mr. Garrabrant, who was a splendid swimmer himself, took charge of matters. Some excellent work was done, and the timid ones taught how to strike out, to float, and to tread water, as well as various races inaugurated that were full of fun.

After that came the wonderful fishing contest, where the boys did what they could to land one of their mates who played the part of a hooked fish, fighting to get away, just as a monster scaly prize like a tarpon might have done.

Of course Elmer was the leader in this game, for he had had much more experience as a sportsman than any of the rest, but there were several who proved themselves good seconds in the trial, and who would make the winner look to his laurels in the near future.

That brought them to noon, and matters were allowed to simmer while they got busy cooking a lunch to satisfy the tremendous appetites that the vigorous labor of the morning had developed.

Ted and Lil Artha expected to take a tramp over to the lone cabin during the afternoon. They could not start, however, until the concluding work of the day had been attended to. As this was to be "first aid to the injured" the presence of the only budding doctor in camp would be required, in order to explain many important things connected with this valuable adjunct to scout lore.

It was possibly nearly three o'clock before the two lads got started. But that did not matter much, for by this time Ted had become very familiar with the way of the blazed trail, and could follow it "with his eyes blindfolded," as he boastingly remarked, though Elmer knew this was hardly so.

Some of the scouts were out on the lake, trying to coax a mess of fish to come closer to the fire and get warmed up. The taste of browned trout haunted them, and even Mr. Garrabrant admitted that the way Elmer cooked the fish, they were finer than any he had ever eaten. It was to have the salt pork in a hot frying pan, until it had been well tried out, then having rolled each fish in cracker crumbs, or corn meal if the former were not handy, they were placed over the fire in the pan to brown.

Another time Elmer broiled the fish, and the boys were uncertain as to which method they liked most. When they ate the trout cooked one way that excelled, and next day when the other method was tried they believed it could not be equalled.

Evening was not far away when a shout attracted the attention of all those in camp. Even the few who happened to be inside the tents came hurrying out to see what it meant.

"That must have been Lil Artha," declared Elmer immediately. "Nobody else has so loud a whoop. Yes, there they come, he and Ted, hurrying down the side of the mountain. They seem to be in something of a hurry, too."

"And look at Ted waving his hand, will you?" exclaimed Toby, beginning to get excited himself. "He wouldn't act that way, fellers, except that there's something gone wrong. Gee! I hope now the old man ain't been taken sudden, and handed in his checks! That would be tough on the kids, now!"

Mr. Garrabrant heard what Toby said, but made no remark. He was waiting for the coming of the two scouts who had gone across the mountain on their errand of mercy.

The long-legged Lil Artha could have easily outrun his comrade had he chosen, but he made no effort to do so. Still, as they drew closer, it could be easily seen that both boys showed unmistakable evidences of some tremendous excitement. And, naturally, their fellow scouts almost trembled with eagerness to learn what could have happened to affect them in this way.

Three minutes later and they drew up in front of the group, panting, flushed—their eyes sparkling with suppressed news.