"Not now. Too many at this job would hold the work back," answered the guide.
"You have a plan for getting a light?" questioned Butler.
"I am going to try it," answered the guide. "Got anything dry about your person?"
"My throat is the only dry part of me," answered Tad in a hoarse, laughing voice.
"I think I have something dry. That part of my shirt that is under the tail of my coat I think is fairly dry. I am going to try to show you a trick worth while," announced the guide.
Cale took a cartridge from his belt. He extracted the bullet with his teeth, then placed a wad over the powder. Next he ripped a piece of cloth from the lower part of his shirt, guarding it from the rain, and placing the cartridge in his rifle, he poked the piece of dry cloth loosely into the barrel of the gun.
"Don't be scared, boys. I'm going to shoot," warned the guide.
"Wha—what are you going to shoot at?" cried Stacy.
"At you, if you don't keep still," answered the voice of one of the boys, though Chunky did not know which one.
A flash and a report followed. A few seconds later the boys were amazed to see a glowing ball descending apparently from the tops of the tall spruce.