The slice to the right of the square blaze indicated the reverse.
Suddenly Corporal Crawford held up his hand as a signal for silence.
The scouts came to an abrupt stop.
From what seemed to be only a short distance in front of them they could hear a voice upraised apparently in anger.

Replying to it were the tones of their leader.
"Seems to be trouble ahead of some kind," exclaimed Crawford.

"Come on, boys." They all advanced close on his heels--guided by the sound of the angry voice, which did not diminish in tone but apparently waxed more and more furious as they drew nearer.

Presently the woodland thinned and the ground became dotted with stumps of felled timber and in a few paces more they emerged on a small peach orchard at the edge of which stood Rob Blake and a larger and older boy.

As Crawford and his followers came upon the scene the elder lad, who seemed beside himself with rage, picked up a large rock and was about to hurl it with all his might at Rob when the young corporal dashed forward and held his hand up to stay him.
"Here, what's all this trouble ?" he demanded.
"You just keep out of it, Merritt Crawford," said the elder lad, a hulking, thick-set youth with a mean look on his heavy features.