We couldn't understand it, for it was leading away from North Adams.
We hurried on, calling every now and then, but not a sound could we hear, except the birds and squirrels, and not another sign or track could we find.
All that time we were going uphill and away from North Adams. At last, we came out of the woods on top of the hill, where we could see up and down the valley, and Greylock over beyond. Feeling too disappointed to speak we threw ourselves down on the grass.
Suddenly Skinny gave a yell and we thought for a moment that he had gone crazy.
"Look! Look! Look there!" he shouted, pointing back at the mountain.
We looked; then, when the full meaning of what we saw came to us, grew as excited as he was, threw our hats in the air, and danced around and cheered ourselves hoarse.
From the very top of Greylock, two columns of smoke were going almost straight up, for there happened to be no wind to speak of. If it was Bill, and we felt sure that it was, those two columns of smoke meant:
"I have lost the camp. Help."