"Do you notice we are all in uniform to-night?" said Louise. "Peg, yours is almost like ours."

"Yes, I have worn a Scout uniform, since--Girls," she said suddenly. "I never told you, but I am a Scout myself!"

"You are?" in chorus.

"Yes. I joined in Pittsburg. But when I found myself sort of buried in this mineral work it would be useless for me to talk or even think of Scouting. That was why I didn't mention it."

"And I wanted the child, so much, to go in for all your lovely times,"

murmured Miss Ramsdell. "But there was no use. She would stick to her work."

"And just think, after all, I never found the clue I searched for!"

Peg's face now looked more boyish than ever, for it took on that seriously determined look usually foreign to the feminine.

"What was it?" asked Louise.

"Wait, I'll get my box and show you," offered Peg; and Cleo went to the "safe" with her to get out the square j.a.panned box. They returned to the council almost immediately. Then Peg took from the box a number of stones.

"See," she said to her audience, "you asked me what zinc looked like.

Here are some pieces."

The Scouts examined the specimens and pa.s.sed them from one to another.

"And are they found around here?" asked Miss Mackin.

"Yes; dad found some and I found others. That is what I have been searching for with my little hand-drill. Don't you remember you saw me on the big rock the day of your picnic?" asked Peg.

"Yes, we thought you were digging gold," joked Corene. "But I suppose zinc is quite as valuable."

"Indeed, it is, if we could only find the lost vein," went on Peg.

"The men you have seen prowling around here are hired by Mr.

Fairbanks. But if they had discovered the ore on daddy's claim I should have fought them for it," declared the plucky girl, emphatically.

She was taking out from the box stone after stone.

"See this," she said, holding up a flat, gray piece. "This is the clue. See those marks?"

Instantly the same thought flashed through the minds of the Scouts.

The Star Clue!

"We found pieces like that!" gasped Cleo.

"You--found them!"

"Yes, up by the big rock!" Every word spoken now seemed electrically charged. It was Grace who said this.

"Wait! Wait!" begged Corene. "I'll get ours," and she dashed into the tent to drag from the "safe" the Scout's own treasures. Then she laid the granite pieces on Peg's lap.

"Oh!" almost screamed the girl. "Do you know what this means! Auntie, they have found the lost star!"

Everyone was talking now, and no one seemed to say anything intelligible; exclamations and sudden bursts of half formed sentences fairly puncturing the calm evening atmosphere. Peg was almost overcome, but being a real girl she was not given to such heroics.

"It all formed the cutest little star," exclaimed Julia, finally. "We marked the spot so we can't possibly lose it. We will take you right to it to-morrow morning," she offered sincerely.

"I don't know how I shall wait, but I'll have to, of course," said Peg. "You see, daddy put that star there the very day he was taken ill, and no matter how he tried to direct me I never could locate it."

"But your dear father could hardly tell you anything, darling," said Miss Ramsdell. "He was not with us long after that."

"However did you come to discover it?" asked Peg, who was piecing together the magic stones that formed the star.

"We were following the danger--dynamite signs," said Cleo. "Have you seen them?"

"Oh, yes, indeed," replied the visitor. "They were put there by the Fairbanks men to frighten me off. At first I did steer clear of them, but after kicking a few over and then watching the men plant them, I saw they were perfectly harmless," declared Peg.

"We did that too, kicked them over, I mean," said Julia. "And did they do that just to frighten you?"

"That and much more. But was there a sign near the star?"

"No; quite some distance from it," replied Corene, "and it was just buried in a little soft pocket."

"That's just what dad said!" exclaimed Peg. "Don't you know, auntie?

He kept saying 'by Big Nose in a little green pocket.'"

"Yes? Strange that we should happen to use the same expression," put in Julia.

"And what does it all mean?" pressed the fascinated Isabel.

"It means that below that mark there is a vein of zinc. It runs from the rock, and dad was ready to bore for it just there," declared Peg.

The sunset was pouring out its glory and the streams of color cut through the trees to beautify the little council group of Girl Scouts.

Aunt Carrie told them of the perseverance of her niece, who had devoted all her girlish energy to fulfilling her father's cherished plans.

"You see, we came up here to follow out my brother's ideas," said the little lady. Julia was now slipping away to light her campfire. "We have traveled a great deal, and followed many trails, but this one discovered in Tamarack Hills offered the biggest prize."

"And just when everything was brightest, daddy had to go," put in Peg.

"I am sure no one could blame me for seeming queer when I was duty bound to take up his unfinished work."

"Only the thoughtless could ever have questioned your purpose," said Miss Mackin. "You see how eager our girls were to get acquainted with you."

"Yes--_your_ girls," emphasized Peg.

"Those other two fright-freaks were simply jealous," declared Grace warmly. "They must have been furious that a girl like you could get the best of their big upholstered father."

Everyone laughed at this description. Mr. Fairbanks really was sort of tufted and overstuffed.

"But I simply cannot believe you have found that vein mark that I have searched months for," repeated Peg. "I don't see how I shall ever wait to go up there. And to think Uncle Edward will be here to-morrow."

"And that you will both stay with us again to-night!" broke in Julia.