“Perhaps we’ll run across him again,” Frank said. “If we do, I’ll find out whether he’s a Boy Scout or not!”
“Well,” Jack exclaimed, springing to his feet, “are we going to sit here all day and let Jimmie do all the hunting? We ought to get out in the mountains and help find Ned.”
“Look here, boys!” Harry cried, “do you see anything to the east there that looks at all familiar?”
“Do you mean the smoke coming up over the tops of the trees?” asked Frank. “I noticed that several minutes ago.”
“Well, just keep your eye on it,” Harry advised, “and see if it brings anything to your mind.”
“Sure it does!” shouted Frank, all excitement now. “There are two columns of smoke close together, and you ought to know what that means.”
“Indian sign! Boy Scout sign! Means ‘Help is wanted’!” exclaimed Harry. “We’ve got to go and see what it is.”
“It may be Jimmie,” Jack suggested.
“It’s either Jimmie or that messenger boy,” Frank said. “If it’s Jimmie, he’s really in trouble, and if it’s the messenger boy, he’s doing it to get more of us into his clutches.”
“Then we’d better go well armed and ready for any kind of a reception,” Jack advised. “No knowing what we’ll find.”