The slope of the hills was now bathed in moonlight, and the Indian hesitated about advancing over the many clear places from which the timber fell away. Urged on by the boys, however, he finally proceeded cautiously in the direction of the fires, keeping out of the moonlight as far as possible.
"Oje's afraid we'll bunt into something," Thede said, as they clambered up the slope. "I wonder what he'd think if he should be called out of his bed by a blooming magician from the East Indies."
The signal coming from the hills was farther to the east than the boys had ventured before. The fires seemed to have been built high up on a shelf of rock facing the north.
When the boys came closer they saw two figures moving about in front of the flames. Directly they bad no difficulty whatever in recognizing Will and Tommy, as they heaped great piles of green boughs on the coals in order to create dense smoke.
"The kids are in the center of the stage all right!" laughed Sandy.
"I don't see how they dare build fires out in that exposed place,"
Thede suggested. "There's no knowing who may be prowling around."
"Perhaps they know where the few enemies we have found in this section are keeping themselves!"
"Perhaps they've got 'em shut up in some of their own caverns!" Thede suggested. "Anyway," he went on, "there's something doing, or they wouldn't be talking Boy Scout to us at this time of night."
As the boys drew still closer they heard the labored breathing of some one running, apparently only a short distance away.
Oje darted away in the direction of the sounds, but soon returned to where the boys waited and headed once more for the Boy Scout signal.