The visitors climbed into the jitney and said good-by, and the scouts turned to go up the hill again, when Mrs. Vernon remarked: "Now that you have a boarder to look after, you must pay more attention to your cookery. Mr. Gilroy must not regret having accepted our invitation to camp with us for a few days."

"But our invitation had 'a string' to it, Verny," added Julie laughingly.

"That's true--I said I would take 'pot luck' and teach the scouts many camping tricks to boot!" declared Mr. Gilroy.

Sunday morning at breakfast Mrs. Vernon said she was very anxious to meet young Dunstan, for he might have met her son in the Aviation Service. Then she had to tell Mr. Gilroy about it.

"I thought I would like to drive down to Freedom later in the day, Mrs.

Vernon, and see if there was any mail for me. It was to be forwarded from Junction, you know. If you would care to go and ask about Dunstan, we might make a little party of it," suggested Mr. Gilroy.

"Yes, Verny, let's!" exclaimed the scouts.

"I am willing, as there seems little else one can do," added Mrs.

Vernon.

So Hepsy was. .h.i.tched to the buckboard and the campers climbed in. As they started down the trail, Ruth remarked: "We ought to be thankful the posse found our hamper and seat in the Cave, and brought it back to camp."

"Yes, or we'd have to ride on the floor of the buckboard," added Joan.

"We'd have more room there than on this seat," retorted Julie, who was clinging to the iron rail.

"We can take turns walking if we are too crowded," suggested Mr. Gilroy, who shared the back seat with two scouts.

"We'll have to do that, anyway, when Hepsy comes to a hill," laughed Mrs. Vernon.

So with light banter the party rode to Freedom; there they were received like heroes, for every inhabitant of Freedom had clipped the papers and saved the items that mentioned the capture of the convicts. While Mr.

Gilroy went with Lemuel to get his letters, Mrs. Vernon asked if young Dunstan had been heard from.

"Not yet, but sometimes he takes the Crest Trail to hum. In that case, he nary comes nigh Freedom," replied an old native.

"Where does the Crest Trail start?" asked Mrs. Vernon.

"Wall, that's the way Mr. Gilroy went from Junction. It runs along the top affer one gits halfway up from Junction."

As this description was not very accurate, the Captain decided to trust to Mr. Gilroy's ability to lead them there. So she made a proposition to Mr. Gilroy. The girls did not hear what it was, so they knew nothing of the outing planned for the morrow.

"I think it will be fine, Captain, and I will see the man who has charge of the stable," returned Mr. Gilroy, in a low voice.

Soon after this Mr. Gilroy went down the main street and turned in at the livery stable. He was not gone long, however, and when he returned, he nodded satisfactorily to Mrs. Vernon.

That night Mrs. Vernon said to the scouts: "You must all go to bed early, as we have a jaunt planned for you to-morrow. Breakfast must be out of the way quite early, as we hope to start from camp about eight o'clock."

"Where are we going, Verny?" asked Ruth.

"I heard Verny asking about Dunstan's Cabin, and I bet she plans for us to walk there," quickly added Julie.

Mrs. Vernon smiled at this added proof of Julie's mental alertness, but she shook her head as she said: "Not a walk, but a ride."

"A drive, you mean," corrected Joan.

"No--just what I said. There will be horses from Freedom brought to camp before eight to-morrow, if it is clear," explained Mrs. Vernon.

"Good gracious! I haven't any habit!" exclaimed Ruth.

"We will ride in the bloomers we wear at camp," said the Captain.

"I never knew there were enough saddles in Freedom for all of us,"

laughed Julie.

"That is what I went to find out," said Mr. Gilroy. "The man, Mark, who has charge of the stable, told me he could hire some from the farmers round about. He is going to bring up the horses in the morning and take them back in the evening."

"What will he do meantime, to kill time here?" asked Joan.

"He said he would make some bird-boxes for you, and nail them up in various trees, so you can entice the birds to nest here."

But the scouts had not yet studied bird-life, so they were not aware that the nesting period was past. They delighted in the news that they were to have bird-houses, however.

When Mr. Gilroy took up his flashlight to go down to his "Royal Suite,"

as the scouts called the walnut bedstead, Joan said: "Shall we escort you down the trail?"

"Oh, no! I can find the bed, all right. It is such a huge affair that I would have to be blind not to see it in the dark."

The scouts were soon in bed after this, and honestly tried to go to sleep, but the new adventure planned for the morrow kept them awake.

After telling each other what they would wear and how well they could ride horses, one after the other quieted down, and, last of all, Mrs.

Vernon was able to sleep.

It was past eight when Mark was seen coming up the trail leading a line of horses, saddled and ready to ride. Stopping at the Royal Suite, he waited for Mr. Gilroy to get upon the largest horse. Then they continued to the camp.

The girls had breakfast out of the way, and were anxiously waiting for the horses, so Mark had quite an audience as he rode up on the plateau.

The scouts seldom had opportunity to ride a horse when at home, and now they commented on the different animals. Julie instantly said: "I choose the brown one--he is so shiny."

"Seems to me they look awfully tall," whispered Betty.

"They be the usual size, miss," said Mark, who overheard.

"Maybe they won't seem so high when we get up," added Joan.

Mrs. Vernon laughed. "That is always the first thought of an amateur rider--how high up the saddle seems!"

Mr. Gilroy a.s.sisted the Captain to mount, then he helped the girls up.

Mark had an extra horse, and now he said: "I brung my own hoss ez I figgered I'd best lead the way as fur as Crest Trail. After that it's easy going and you can't miss Dunstan's Cabin."

"All right, Mark--lead on," said Mr. Gilroy.

"As the hosses is all safe fer ridin', the scouts needen' fear 'em. They ain't colts ner air they skittish," said Mark.

Mr. Gilroy smiled, for he surmised as much. The mounts, in fact, seemed aged enough to be pensioned for the rest of their lives.