“Well, perhaps it might be another keeper from the asylum,” remarked Smithson.

“There it is again; what did I tell you, fel—­”

Will stopped speaking in a whisper and gaped.  True enough a human head had bobbed up above the tops of the bushes, as the owner of the same endeavored to get a better view of the camp.

“It’s Jerry!” ejaculated Bluff, in excitement.

Mr. Smithson dropped out of sight, thinking that the stranger in camp might look that way, being attracted by the clamor of boyish tongues.  Jerry had caught the words of Bluff and immediately turned his head.

“Hello, fellows!  Howdye?  And who under the sun is the new manager you’ve got to run the camp?” he asked, pushing out to greet them each in turn, and eyeing Mr. Smithson in some curiosity.

“How are you, Jerry?  Guess you know me all right, eh?  Why, I’m up here looking for an escaped lunatic, you see,” said that worthy, without rising.

“Talk to me about your coincidences—­and that’s him right there in our camp, ordering poor old scared Uncle Toby around with the air of an emperor.  I see it all, boys,” exclaimed Jerry, shaking hands around as though he had been gone for a full week instead of one night.

“Well, he believes himself a bigger man than any emperor, for he makes and unmakes kings.  That is Bismarck you see, young man.  And we have just been laying a plan to capture him.  Suppose you all saunter into camp now.  Somebody tell Jerry what we have decided to do.  He’s looking this way, and ready to either run or hold his ground according to how the wind blows.”

“Come on, Jerry.  You can tell us all that happened later.  We must get rid of this unwelcome visitor first,” said Frank.

“We had just started out to learn what had become of you when we met Mr. Smithson, and he advised us to return to our camp, as he rather expected the gentleman he was looking for would drift that way.  Awful glad you got through that terrible storm safe, old chap,” remarked Will.

“What are those things tied in a bunch at your belt—­scalps?” queried Bluff, as they walked along together.

“The tails of four wild dogs that tackled me in the big timber after I had shot a deer which they wanted,” remarked Jerry, trying to speak naturally.

“What!” exclaimed the others in concert.

“Oh, it’s a positive fact, boys.  I can take you to where the critters lie, if you want to see them later.  I was told about them ranging that section, by Jesse, who warned me to look out for them.  I met the pack all right, and I guess they wished I hadn’t.  Here’s some of the fresh venison.  I hung up most of it so we could get it later.  Then we made a breakfast on part of what I was lugging home,” Jerry went on.

“We?” remarked Frank, inquiringly.

“Of course.  Andy Lasher and myself.”

“Andy Lasher!  Where did you run across him, and how did it come that you let that miserable skunk eat breakfast with you?” demanded Bluff.