"Who is----" began Clark, when Rob's feet caught him in the stomach and cannoned him against Hank Handcraft. Clutching wildly to prevent his own fall, Hank caught Bill Bender's sleeve, and the next instant all three of the campers were rolling in a confused mass in the ashes of their fire. "It's a bear!" yelled Hank. "Bear nothing!" bellowed Clark Jennings, as Rob scrambled to his feet and darted off like a shot. "It's a boy!" "After him!" shouted Bill Bender, snatching up a rifle and aiming it. "That kid's Rob Blake." CHAPTER XV. WHAT BECAME OF THE SCOUT? But even as the former Long Islander raised the weapon to his shoulder, it was dashed down by Clark Jennings. "Look out, you idiot!" he bellowed. "Do you want to kill the ponies?" Rob, the instant he had recovered his self-possession, which preceded the recovery of the surprised plotters by some seconds, had made a dash for the ponies, which, as has been said, stood, saddled and bridled, near at hand. "Yip-yip!" he screeched, as he leaped onto the back of the first one he reached. Excited by the shouts and cries of the three amazed campers, and half-crazed by Rob's sudden leap onto its back, the animal plunged forward and vanished in a flash into the dark woods which veiled an abrupt turn in the trail. "Now, shall we shoot, Clark?" urged Bill Bender. "No, no; waste no time doing that. Hank, you stay here and look after things. Come, Bill--quick--the ponies!" In a second Bill and Clark were mounted and dashing off down the trail in a cloud of dust, in hot pursuit of the lad. "Do you think he heard what we were talking about?" Clark Jennings propounded the question as they clattered down the trail. Not far in front they could hear the rapid hoof beats of Rob's mount. "Don't know. The minute he came sky-hooting into the camp I'd a notion it was some one I've seen afore some place," rejoined Bill vaguely. "Yes, yes; but do you think he overheard?" "Dunno. We weren't expecting company, and therefore didn't lower our voices. Say, Clark, what if--what if he did hear?" "Then Harkness will find out everything." "Yes, if----" "Well, if what?" "If we don't bring him down. If we should kill him, we could easy blame it on the Indians. In fact, I guess the ranch folks would conclude the redskins did it, anyhow." Clark's ruddy face grew pale at Bill's sinister suggestion. "If he overheard, he knows enough to send us all to jail," prompted Bill. "That's right, too. Do you think you could----" Clark hesitated, as if the thought his mind held was too dreadful for him to voice. "Bring him down, you mean?" inquired Bill cheerfully. "Don't know. We're hitting up a hot pace for good shooting." "Say, Bill, I think you are the most cold-blooded fellow I ever met." "Oh, I'm cool, all right, in such a case as this," rejoined Bill. "Hark!"