"Well, I guess you hit it," said Hal. "There it is, right where he dropped it. But his bullet whistled pretty close to my ear."

"I suppose I shouldn't have taken a chance," said Chester. "Next time I'll shoot to hit something better than a pistol."

"Well, it doesn't make any difference now," said Hal. "He didn't get me.

I wonder who he is and what he wanted to shoot me for?"

"You've got me, look at the gun and see if there is any mark of identification on it."

Hal stooped over and picked up the revolver. He examined it carefully and then pa.s.sed it to Chester.

"Can't find anything," he said.

Chester examined the weapon with no better success.

"Well," he said at last, slowly, "there is one thing certain. You've an enemy of some kind in the camp. It will behoove you to be careful in the future."

"I suppose the bullet was meant for me," said Hal, "although, of course it might have been meant for either you or Stubbs."

"Great Scott! What would anybody want to shoot Stubbs for?"

"Well, you can search me," said Hal with a shrug of his shoulders, "which may not be very good English, but expresses my sentiments just the same."

"How about Stubbs' conspiracy? Maybe one of the conspirators has caught Stubbs nosing about."

"By Jove! It might be that, after all," said Hal. "I wonder!"

"At all events, we shall all have to be on our guard," declared Chester. "We don't know for which of us the bullet was meant. We'll have to warn Stubbs."

"So we shall, and if I mistake not here he comes now."

Hal was right. A moment later the rotund face of the little war correspondent appeared in the tent entrance.

"Stubbs," said Hal gravely, "you missed getting killed by just about five minutes."

The little man started back in alarm.

"Wha--what's that?" he demanded.

"I said you just escaped getting killed."

"But who would want to kill me?" demanded Stubbs, plainly very nervous.

"It might have been one of your conspirators," said Hal. He displayed the weapon from which a bullet had sped toward his own head.

"Hey!" shouted Stubbs. "Put that gun down! Don't shoot!"

The little man was so visibly frightened that Hal looked at him in surprise.

"Surely you didn't think I was going to shoot you, Mr. Stubbs?" he asked in some surprise.

"I don't know," returned Stubbs, wiping a moist brow with his handkerchief. "I don't understand you fellows at all. First you said you wanted to kill me five minutes ago and there you stand with a gun in your hand. What am I to think?"

"Stubbs, you're crazy," said Hal, calmly. "I didn't say I wanted to kill you. When I came into the tent just now there was a man took a shot at me. I don't know whether he wanted to kill me, or whether he wanted to kill you. He may even have been trying to kill Chester. He didn't take time to investigate. He fired at the first figure to enter the tent. I don't know who he was. Have you any enemies?"

"I--I--Why I don't know," said Stubbs.

"How about the conspirators. Do any of them know you?"

"What conspirators?" demanded Stubbs, and added, "I wish you would quit harping on that subject. It's all right to have a little fun with me once in a while. I don't mind it; but enough is enough."

Chester was about to make an angry retort, but Hal stayed him with a word.

"All right, Stubbs," he said. "If you don't know anything about a conspiracy you don't and that's all there is about that. But if you do, I should advise you to be careful. I believe that shot was meant for you."

"I am afraid that this tent is going to be dangerous for me," said Stubbs, slowly. "I shall remain here no longer."

"What! Not going to leave us, Stubbs?" exclaimed Chester.

"Yes," returned the little man quietly. "If I remain here I'm liable to wake up dead some morning, and I wouldn't like that. There's an expression in New York that hits me just right. 'Safety first!' I'm going to get out of this tent, and I'm going to get out right now, while I'm all together."

He hurried to the far side of the tent and got his belongings together.

Then he moved toward the door. There he paused a moment, as if undecided, then walked up to Hal and extended a hand.

"Good-bye, Hal," he said quietly. "I may not see you for some time and then again it may be soon."

Hal took the hand as he said:

"Look here, Stubbs, we don't like to lose you."

"I know, I know," said the little man, "but it will be better for all concerned."

He approached Chester and extended a hand to him also.

"Come now, Stubbs," said Chester. "Drop those things back down there and go to bed."

"Not much," replied Stubbs grimly. "I'm going to hunt a safer spot than this."

He released Chester's hand and made his way to the door. There, just before moving away, he turned and spoke.

"Boys," he said, "we've been pretty good friends, the three of us, haven't we?"

"You bet we have, Stubbs," returned Chester warmly.

"We certainly have, Mr. Stubbs," Hal agreed.

"All right, then," said the little man. "You both have been good enough to tell me once or twice that I have been of some service to you."

"You certainly have, Mr. Stubbs," declared Hal, "and anything we can do to repay you--"