The wind had become so strong that it was necessary to move the mess boards around to the leeward side of the pavilion. Several fellows remarked on the pungent odor which permeated the air and a couple who had been stalking spoke of the woods fires over beyond Tannerstown. Garry was not at supper, nor the little sandy-haired fellow, but the others of his patrol came down before the meal was over. "Guess we'll cut out yarns to-night," said Jeb Rushmore, "and hike out on a little tour of inspection." "There are a couple of tramps in the woods this side of the cut, right up the hill a ways," said Tom. "We need rain, that's sure," said another scout. "Maybe we'll get some with this wind," remarked another. "No, I reckon it's a dry wind," said Mr. Rushmore, looking about and sniffing audibly. "Gol smash it," he added, rising and sniffing still louder. "Thar's somethin' in the air." For a minute he stood near his place, then strode off up the hill a little way, among the trees, where he paused, listening, like an animal at bay. They could see his dark form dimly outlined in the darker night. "J. R.'s on the scent," remarked Doc. Carson. Several fellows rose to join him and just at that minute Westy Martin, of the Silver Foxes, and a scout from a Maryland troop who had been stalking, came rushing pell-mell into camp. "The woods are on fire!" gasped Westy. "Up the hill! Look!" "I seed it," said Jeb. "The wind's bringin' it." "You can't get through up there," Westy panted. "We had to go around." "Ye couldn't get round by now. B'ys, we're a-goin' ter git it for sure. It's goin' ter blow fire." For a moment he stood looking up into the woods, with the boys about him, straining their eyes to see the patches of fire which were visible here and there. Suddenly these patches seemed to merge and make the night lurid with a red glare, a perfect pandemonium of crackling and roaring assailed the silent night and clouds of suffocating smoke enveloped them. The fire, like some heartless savage beast, had stolen upon them unawares and was ready to spring. Jeb Rushmore was calm and self-contained and so were most of the boys as they stood ready to do his bidding. "Naow, ye see what I meant when I said a leopard's as sneaky as a fire," said Jeb. "Here, you Bridgeboro troop and them two Maryland troops and the troop from Washin't'n," he called, "you make a bucket line like we practiced. Tom--whar's Tom? And you Oakwood b'ys, git the buckets out'n the provish'n camp. Line up thar ri' down t' the water's edge and come up through here. You fellers from Pennsylvany 'n' you others thar, git the axes 'n' come 'long o' me. Don't git rattled, now."