CHAPTER XII.
LAYING A GHOST.
"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.