“May the spirit of the all-seeing Manitou go with every brave as he leaves his place at our council this night!”
Flashlights pointed out the path as the drowsy braves filed toward their tent homes. The Utway twins, although pleasantly tired from their active day in the open, were nevertheless wakeful and alert. Behind them came the low chatter of a pair of youngsters from Tent Seven.
Jerry caught a phrase dropped by one of them, a small lad named Toots. “Gee, I clean forgot to make my report of scouts. You remember, Al, that when we saw that smoke from the woods across the lake, I said I’d report it at council?”
“What’s that?” Jerry questioned him. “You saw smoke across the lake?”
“Yes,” said the boy eagerly, “me and Al here, we were out in a rowboat over that way, and saw some smoke coming up like somebody had a campfire in the woods.”
“Hmm. Take my advice and don’t say anything about it. Not worth mentioning.” But Jerry looked at Jake, who nodded back. The expanse of heavily-wooded land across the lake was almost always deserted, so much so that deer tracks were often to be discovered within its depths. A campfire there was certainly a most unusual thing.
CHAPTER VII
NEWS AND MORE NEWS
“Come on, Jerry!” said Jake Utway.
“We’ll go up and pitch down the chunks, and the other guys can stow them away in the refrigerator.”
“You’re on!” answered his brother, and began climbing the ladder.