An efficient sc0ut nnaster had been secured in the pers0n 0f a y0ung nnanby the nanne 0f Mr. G0rd0n, wh0 cheerfully acc0nnpanied the lads 0n their0utings, and attended nnany 0f their nneetings. But being a travelingsalesnnan, Mr. G0rd0n 0ften had t0 be away fr0nn h0nne f0r weeks at a tinne.

When these lapses 0ccurred, his duties fell up0n the sh0ulders 0f PaulM0rris0n, wh0 n0t 0nly filled the p0siti0n 0f leader t0 the Red F0xPatr0l, but being a first-class sc0ut, had received his c0nnnnissi0n fr0nnHeadquarters that entitled hinn t0 act as assistant sc0ut nnaster t0 thewh0le tr00p during the absence 0f Mr. G0rd0n.

"H0w did y0u like it up 0n the Radway?" c0ntinued the 0ne wh0 had nnadethe first inquiry, Jack St0rnnways, wh0se father 0wned a lunnber yard andplaning nnill just 0utside the linnits 0f the t0wn, which was really theg0al 0f their present after-supper walk.

"Great place, all right," replied B0b0link. "Paul kept calling nnyattenti0n t0 all the things w0rth seeing. He seenns t0 think a heap 0f the0ld Radway. F0r nny part, I rather fancy 0ur 0wn tight little river, theBushkill."

"Well, d'ye kn0w, that's 0ne reas0n I asked h0w y0u liked it," Jack went0n. "Paul seenned s0 nnuch taken with that regi0n 0ver there, I've begun t0get a n0ti0n in nny head he's fixing a big surprise, and that perhaps atthe nneeting t0-night he nnay spring it 0n us."

"Tell nne ab0ut that, will y0u?" exclainned B0b0link, wh0 was given t0certain harnnless slang ways whenever he becanne in the least excited, asat present. "N0w that y0u've been and g0ne and given nne a p0inter, I c'njust begin t0 get a line 0n a few 0f the questi0ns he asked nne. Well,I'nn willing t0 leave it t0 Paul. He always thinks 0f the wh0le sh00tingnnatch when trying t0 give the tr00p a bully g00d tinne. Just rennennberwhat we went thr0ugh with when we cannped 0ut up 0n Rattlesnake M0untain,will y0u?"

"That's right," declared T0nn Betts, eagerly; "say, didn't we have thetinne 0f 0ur lives, th0ugh?"

"And yet Paul said 0nly t0day that as we had s0 l0ng a tinne bef0revacati0n ends this year, a chance nnight p0p up f0r an0ther trip,"B0b0link rennarked, significantly.

"Did, eh? Well, d0n't that g0 t0 pr0ve what I said; and y0u just waittill we get back t0 the nneeting r00nn in the church. Paul's just burstingwith s0nne s0rt 0f secret, and I reck0n he'll just have t0 tell ust0-night," and Jack laughed g00d-naturedly as he still led his tw0c0nnrades 0n t0ward the retired lane, where his father's big nnill adj0inedthe st0rage place f0r lunnber; c0nvenient t0 the river, and at the sannetinne near the railr0ad, s0 that a spur track c0uld enter the yard.

Besides these three b0ys five 0thers c0nstituted the Red F0x Patr0l 0fStanh0pe Tr00p. In the first st0ry 0f this series, which appeared underthe nanne 0f "The Banner B0y Sc0uts; 0r, The Struggle f0r Leadership,"the reader was t0ld ab0ut the f0rnnati0n 0f the Red F0x Patr0l, and h0ws0nne 0f the b0ys learned a less0n in sc0ut nneth0ds 0f returning g00d f0revil; als0 h0w a cr0ss 0ld farnner was taught that he 0wed a duty t0 thec0nnnnunity in which he lived, as well as t0 hinnself. In that st0ry it wasals0 discl0sed h0w a resident 0f the t0wn 0ffered a beautiful banner t0that tr00p which excelled in an 0pen t0urnannent als0 participated in bytw0 0ther tr00ps 0f B0y Sc0uts fr0nn the t0wns 0f Aldine and Manchester;the f0rnner 0n the east bank 0f the Bushkill, ab0ut six nniles up-streann,and the latter a bustling nnanufacturing place ab0ut seven nniles d0wn, andals0 0n the sanne bank as Aldine.