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  CHAPTER XXVII

  GATHERING CLOUDS

  Pop! pop! pop!

  "Listen to that, will you?" shouted William, as he jumped to his feet,and waved his arms above his head to attract attention.

  It was the following day. The night had passed without any alarm, andthe squad of scouts posted on the side of the mountain with instructionsto shower stones on Ted and his allies should any attack be made on thecamp, had their labor for their pains, since nothing happened out of theordinary.

  During the middle of the morning, while many of the scouts were at workdeveloping plates, and printing pictures that had already been taken,suddenly there came on the breeze that quick pulsating sound, so unlikeanything one might expect to hear up in this vast solitude.

  "It's Ward's motorcycle!" cried Jud Elderkin, almost upsetting thedaylight film-tank in his eagerness to gain his feet.

  "Yes, and he's coming down the old road like fun," remarked another ofthe boys with a laugh; "reckon a wildcat or something is after him!"

  "There he is!" called Philip Towne, pointing to an opening among thetrees; and immediately adding, "no he's gone past. Look what's thatchasing him?"

  "Oh! that's the rest of the lot, whooping it up on their wheels,"remarked William, himself interested, and ready to snap his camera atthe procession as soon as it got within open range; "and they look likethey've had a bad scare, as sure as you live. Oh! there goes Scissorshead over heels in the bushes. What a cropper he took, and how his headwill sing to-morrow."

  "But he's up again, and mounted," broke in Jack. "As sure as you live,boys, they do look like they wanted to get back home in a hurry. Whatd'ye suppose has scared them?"

  By this time Ward on his motorcycle was abreast of the camp. He was notputting up any great speed, for the road would not allow of it. On thisaccount the fellows on ordinary bicycles were able to hang closely tohis rear.

  It was not in human nature to hold back that cheer which went up fromthe camp of the Boy Scouts. Possibly there was considerable of irony init too, the kind that smarts with all lads. Those who were in fullflight seemed to consider that they were being held up to derision, forthey sent back answering cries of scorn, accompanied by not a fewgestures.

  "Hurrah, I've got the whole kit!" shouted William, as he lowered hiscamera, "Ward, Scissors, Bud Jones, Monkey Eggleston and Nat Green.We've got all the evidence we want, to show they were up here. But Imissed that dandy header Scissors took! What wouldn't I give to getthat?"

  "I might spare you a copy, if my exposure turns out all right, William,"remarked Jack, smiling; "for I just happened to be pressing the buttonwhen he showed us what an acrobat he had become."

  "They're gone now," said Tom Betts, as the last of the group, being poorScissors himself, with one hand trying to staunch the blood that flowedfrom his nose, wobbled among the stones that so plentifully strewed theunused road.

  Paul and Jack exchanged glances as they approached each other.

  "What do you suppose has happened to give them that bad scare?" askedthe latter.

  "I might give a guess, but perhaps we'll never know," replied Paul.

  "I suppose," ventured his chum, "you're thinking of that man, the fellowwho stole our ham, and who came up here in that light rig?"

  "Yes," said the patrol leader, seriously, "but when I was out on themountain this morning after breakfast I thought I'd take a chance tofollow that trail further. What do you think I found only a few hundredfeet away from our camp?"

  "I really don't know, Paul."

  "The tracks of two other men!" came the reply, in Paul's most impressivemanner.

  "Oh! then the thief wasn't alone; he has friends up here!" ejaculatedJack.

  "That's a point I'm not decided on," Paul went on. "These tracks werenot made at the same time as his. They always cut across the longfootprint, marked by the patch on the shoe. That told me they were_following_ the thief. Then I figured out that, as it was impossible todo this in the night, they must have come across his trail early thismorning, and taken it up."

  "H'm! That sounds as if they might want to meet the thief. Then theycan't be very dear friends of his, Paul!" exclaimed Jack.

  "My idea is that they want to find the man who made those footprints.Just as soon as they discovered his tracks they started following him.And that was so close to our camp they must have smelled the baconfrying, and the coffee."

  Paul had evidently been thinking seriously over the matter, and hadarrived at some conclusion.

  "I guess they didn't want to see us very bad. Look here, Paul, do youthink the man who drove along in that rig is one of these two men?"demanded Jack, suddenly.

  "Now you're getting close to what I mapped out myself," smiled Paul.

  "Perhaps Ted and his crowd had an ugly experience with those men?"suggested Jack, following up his train of thought.

  "I can't imagine what else could have given them such a scare," returnedthe patrol leader. "When they came in sight they looked rattled forkeeps. I noticed too, that Ted seemed to hold his left arm half danglingat his side, as if it had been hurt."

  "Well, anyhow, if they've scared the Slavin crowd out of this regionwe'll have to take off our lids to the unknown gentlemen," laughed hischum.

  The balance of that day passed off pleasantly. Many things occupied theattention of the campers; and all the while they were learning moreabout the secrets which a bountiful Nature hides in her solitudes awayfrom the haunts of men.

  "Thank goodness," declared Nuthin, as he rubbed his side withconsiderable feeling, "no more of that guard duty up on the side of themountain after this. Since Ted and his bad lot have skipped out, there'sno need of expecting a shower of rocks at any time during the night.I'll sleep like a brick to-night, boys, you bet!"

  "But all the same we'll keep guard, and don't you forget it, Nuthin,"declared William, who chanced to overhear the remark; "because you see,the same thief who grabbed our fine ham might take a notion to get hisfingers on more grub, and first thing you know we'd have to cut and runfor town just like those fellows on wheels did, starved out."

  "Yes," interposed Bobolink, as he joined the group, and lowered hisvoice mysteriously; "I just heard Paul and Mr. Gordon talking about twomore men that seem to be wandering at large up here. That makes three,you see, and none of 'em care to step into our dandy camp in thedaytime. Boys, don't you see what an ugly look that has?"

  The three scouts exchanged glances, and nodded their heads. Like allboys they loved a touch of excitement, and the fact that there was amystery hanging about Rattlesnake Mountain just pleased them.

  "Now, what d'ye think these prowlers might be?" asked Nuthin, in awedtones.

  "Huh! Why d'ye suppose men'd hang out in such a place as this, and shuntheir fellows, if they ain't been doin' something against the law?"demanded William, with lofty scorn.

  "My! then you mean they're escaped convicts, or something like that?"gasped the deeply absorbed Nuthin, his eyes round with wonder, andperhaps a touch of fear.

  "I wouldn't be surprised," replied William, indifferently, as became avaliant scout; "and it's my opinion that the feller who passed us inthat rig when we were resting on the road that day, looked like _he_ wasa bad egg. If ever I saw what my dad calls a hang-dog look on a man'sface, he was all to the good. I hope I don't meet the same when I'mdoing my lone stunt through the woods, that's all."

  Joe Clausin had been hovering near while they talked in this way. Atfirst he had shown just the natural curiosity a boy might under thecircumstances; but as William began to declare his belief in therascality of the lone traveler, his face turned rosy red, and then pale.He walked quickly away, perhaps afraid that one of his companions mightnotice his confusion.

  A guard was set that night as usual, and their supply of food was placedin such a position that none of it might be stolen by any clever methodof using a fishhook and line.

  Again morning came without any alarm. The scouts by this time had begunto hope that their troubles were
over. During the day they penetratedfurther into the wilderness of rocks and trees that surrounded them, andMr. Gordon was kept busy explaining the innumerable matters that caughtthe attention of the eager lads in every quarter.

  The weather had grown much warmer. Indeed, several of the boyscomplained of the heat; and as clouds covered the heavens at nightfall,the scoutmaster warned them to be prepared for a storm before morning.

  Once more tent pins were examined, and everything made as secure aspossible. At the same time Paul surveyed the black sky with secretmisgivings, wondering what they would have to do should a tornado sweepdown upon them there on the side of the mountains, and demolish theirtents.

  The scouts turned in earlier than usual that night, for Mr. Gordonthought it well to get what sleep they could. He went the rounds last ofall, to make sure the provisions could not be wholly ruined by water, nomatter what befell.

  By nine o'clock the camp was wrapped in silence, even the fire dyingout. The moan of the wind through the pines further up the mountainhelped to sing most of the scouts to sleep. Two hours later the guardwas changed; and again silence fell upon the scene.

  It must have been midnight and past when Paul was awakened by what hethought was the rush and roar of a railroad train. Alarmed he sat up tolisten.