Part 2 (1/2)

”Sure, if we've got any right to know, read it out, Mr Scout Master,”

buerness

The scouts clustered around Thad as he once again held the scrap of soiled paper up so he could see the comparatively feords scrawled upon it with a pencil, that must have been a mere stub, since it evidently had to be frequently wet in order to ive you my word, boys,” he said

”Here, let me hold it up, and every one of you can push in to read for yourselves The writer believes inhis words correspond with their sound With that for a tip you ought to be able to make it out”

And this, then, hat they read, as they bunched together on the e:

”Beter tak my advis an skip outen this neck ov the woods The s That's awl Savvy?”

There was no signature to the communication

”Well, that's cool, to say the least,” remarked Allan, after he had read the uncouth note that had come doith the rock that fell froo back,” declared Giraffe, as inclined to be peppery, and a bit rash ”Now, I like the nerve of the gent Just as if we didn't have as h theseour own business, and I don't see how anybody would want to shoo us away froinary specks of dust from his neat khaki uniform, always spic and span in co the marks of many a tumble

Thad was rather puzzled himself He knew that it would be hardly wise for a parcel of boys to deliberately defy such a notorious character as Old Phin the moonshi+ner, whoain there was a natural reluctance in his boyish heart to retreat beforeout their original design

Besides, when he happened to glance toward Bob White, and sa cruelly disappointed the Southern boy looked, Thad ied his ht about it; since they had long gone by the wise principle that o back, boys?” he asked

A chorus of eager dissenting voices greeted his words

”Not for Joseph, not if he knows it!” Giraffe chortled

”We never turn back, after once we've placed our hand to the plow,”

remarked the pompous Smithy; and his sentiment was cheered to the echo

”Take a vote on it, Thad,” advised the sagacious Allan, knowing that if trouble ca after they had decided to continue the advance, it would be just as well to point to the fact that by an _overwhel majority_ the patrol had decided upon this rash course

Every fellow held up his hand when Thad put the question as to whether they should continue the mountain hike And the sad look vanished fro sun

So thehappened to disturb their peace ofdown the face of the mountain; and as the afternoon advanced they found the deeper and deeper into the heart of the uplifts

”Wow! but this is a loneso up at the lofty ridges flanking their course ”I give you hts alone in this gay neighborhood If ever there was a spooky den, this is it, right here

Glad to have company; such as it is, fellers”

No one took any notice of the pretended slur The fact was, the scouts no longer straggled along the road as before that incident of the falling rock They seeood deal like Step Hen expressed it, that under the circu to have coreat deal toward buoying up one another's drooping courage