Pathfinder | Page 3

always sighing because he can't fly, and wishes he had wings?" demanded Red, promptly.
"Toby Jones, the boy who's bent on sailing through the clouds some day!" cried Chatz.
"Exactly," remarked Matty. "And in this clever way our pathfinder has told us who the three scouts ahead are. Now he shows them coming to a fork in the trail. One goes to the north, and the others to the northwest. Which party can be carrying the wampum belt we expect to trace down?"
All of them looked again, and while several shook their heads Red remarked:
"Seems to me one of the two that kept together fell down just at the fork of the trail. Was that only an accident, Matty, or a part of the play?"
"I believe it was done on purpose," the other replied. "Because, if you look closely, you'll find that the one who stretched out on the ground was Ty, and that from that time on he has a funny little wiggly line drawn around his waist."
"Sure, he has. That must be the wampum belt," exclaimed Red.
"Yes. No doubt he was instructed by our scout master, Mr. Garrabrant, that when they separated the fellow carrying the belt must do something to show it. That was a clever dodge of Ty's to lie down, and make an impression in the earth."
"Yes, and smarter yet for Elmer to discover the impression, and read it," declared Chatz.
"What else does the letter say?" asked Landy, who seemed quite enthused now, after discovering how exceedingly interesting this communicating by means of Indian picture writing might become.
"Elmer tries to tell us he is pursuing the two who headed northwest. You see he has made an arrow showing this fact," Matty continued.
"But there are some other marks; can you make them out at all?" asked Landy.
"This is certainly a fire. Before separating, the three enemies built a fire and pretended to feed. Here they are sitting around the blaze and eating; and if you look over yonder right now, you'll see the ashes where the fire has been."
All of them hurried across to where Matty pointed.
"By all that's wonderful, there has been a camp fire here," said Landy.
"You're a little off there, Landy," corrected the leader of the Beaver Patrol; "this was only a little cooking blaze, not a camp fire."
"But what's the difference?" demanded the new recruit; "I thought a fire must be a fire."
"Well," said Matty, "when hunters are in a hostile country and want to prepare a meal they dig a hole and make a small blaze in it that will be hot enough for their purpose, but which might not be seen fifty feet away."
"And a camp fire?" continued the novice.
"Quite a different matter. That is generally a rousing blaze made for comfort, and at a time when no danger is feared. This was only a cooking fire," Matty went on to explain, as he again thrust the "message" into the jaws of the cloven stick.
"Do you know how long ago this fire was made?" asked George.
"The ashes are cold now, but they must have been warm when Elmer was here. He says so--anyhow, that's the way I read it. Here are four hands held up. Counting fingers and thumbs he wants us to know he has gained on the enemy, and was only twenty minutes behind when they separated at this fire."
"Well, that takes the cake!" ejaculated Landy, whose whole appearance indicated amazement.
"I wonder if it's going to turn out so?" remarked George, who was always unbelieving, and hence sometimes called by his friends "Doubting George."
"Well, we'll prove it later," said Matty, "because I am putting all these things down in my record. When we come together Elmer will tell us what he meant, and read our answers out loud. Then well see how that second squad come out. But let's be on the move again, fellows. Plenty to do before we overhaul our pathfinder, and find out if he secured the wampum belt. Come along, everybody!"
CHAPTER II.
AT THE HAUNTED MILL.
Once more the little squad of scouts resumed their forward movement.
Matty remained at their head, as before. This game was growing more delightful to him every minute, and some of the others were feeling the same way.
Of course it was easy work for those who came after, and the second bunch, headed by Mark Cummings, would have, as Red expressed it, a "snap."
The real work of following the trail was falling upon Elmer and his companion, the tall, angular fellow known among his mates as Lil Artha.
In carrying out the purpose of the game they were to do all the reading of the signs, and leave a plain track for those who came after. But the two detachments of scouts were expected to pick up as much knowledge concerning the methods used