Then everybody began to prepare for supper. The proprietor of the coach house moved out a table, and put some boards across it to make it larger. The Scouts compared provisions with the five trampers, and found that the strangers had coffee which the boys were rather shy on, and condensed milk, which the boys didn’t have at all, while the boys had powdered eggs and dehydrated vegetables, which the strangers didn’t have. There wasn’t time enough, however, to soak the vegetables. “You make us coffee, and we’ll make you an omelet,” said Art. “That’s a fair swap. I’ll cook griddle cakes for the bunch.” “More than fair,” said the bugler. “It’s taking a whole meal from you chaps, while we have more than enough coffee. Here, use some of our minced ham in that omelet.” “Just the thing!” said Art. “We ate most of ours in the shelter.” He began at once to mix the omelet. In a short time the party of eleven (the proprietor cooked his supper later) sat down to the rough table, with bouillon cube soup first, and then steaming coffee, omelet made with minced ham, griddle cakes flavored with butter and sugar furnished by the proprietor, and sweet chocolate for dessert. For a time nobody said much. The men and boys were all hungry, and they were busy putting away the delicious hot food. “Nothing could keep me awake to-night,” said Peanut, presently. “May I have another cup of coffee?” “Who else wants more?” asked the bugler, who was pouring. “Me,” said Art. “And me,” said the bugler. “And me,” said Mr. Rogers. “And me,” said one of the men. “And I,” said Rob, whereupon the rest all burst out laughing, and Rob looked surprised, for he hadn’t intended to rebuke them by using correct grammar. “You see the advantages of a college education, gentlemen,” cried Mr. Rogers, while poor Rob turned red. It was a merry meal. After it was over, the five men pulled pipes out of their pockets, and puffed contentedly, while the boys sat about the stove, and Peanut said: “Now, Mr. Bugler, tell us why you have the bugle.” Much to the boys’ surprise, the man addressed blushed. “Gee, you boys will laugh at me!” he said, like a boy himself. “But I’ll tell you. I toted this bugle up from Randolph yesterday. We came in around through the Great Gulf, and up the Six Husbands’ Trail----” “Some trail, too!” the other four put in. “----and back over Adams to the Madison Hut. We spent last night there, and came over the Gulf Side this morning. We’d reached Clay before the bad weather hit us. The summit cone held it back. And we got to the carriage road before it got so thick that you couldn’t see at all. Lord, how the wind blew coming around Clay! Honestly, I didn’t know if we could make it.” “But the bugle?” said Peanut. “Oh, yes, the bugle. I was forgetting the bugle, wasn’t I?” “You were--maybe,” said Peanut. The rest laughed.