Nat nodded his head rigorously, but he made no effort to bring his right hand out from behind his back.
"Perhaps now," continued the other slowly, but with a positive ring to his voice, "it might happen to be a hat or a cap you picked up?"
"That's right, it's a cap," broke in Jasper Merriweather, who had slipped behind Nat, and glimpsed at what he was trying to keep hidden.
"Wait, I'm going to turn my back on you, Nat, while you hold it up so all the rest can see. Now, out with it. Take a good look, fellows. Jasper said it was a cap. Does it belong to anybody here?"
"Why, we've all got our regular scout hats, except the four new members, and every one of them has a cap on his head right now!" declared Jack Armitage.
"Just so," Elmer continued. "That settles one thing; this cap you picked up must belong to the fellow who ran away, after listening to all we did at our meeting! Take a good look at that cap, Nat. Is it a sort of mixed gray in color and pretty well worn?"
"Say, that's what it just is now, Elmer," replied the other in surprise.
"And has it got a red button fastened in front just over the peak?"
"Hey, listen to him tell, will you, fellows. Here's the red button all right."
"Then the mystery is solved," laughed Elmer; "for that cap belongs to a certain boy we happen to know right well; and his name is Matt Tubbs!"