old Granny, the herb-woman," Billie assured her. "What is it,
Granny?"

"Phoebe! They gona' tar and feather Phoebe an' her father if they can
find him. Go, quick. Lupo an' his men comin' up mountain. Hurry and shut
house."

"But I don't want to bring this danger on my friends," exclaimed Phoebe.
"I will go with you, Granny."

"No, no, too dangerous," answered the old woman. "Lupo, he see in dark."

"Indeed, you shall not go," broke in Miss Campbell indignantly. "You'll
stay right here and they shall not tar and feather you or anybody else.
The low wretches!"

"Shut up house, quick," was Granny's last piece of advice as she melted
away in the darkness.

Nobody paused to beat down the camp fire or gather up the rugs and
cushions. Into the house they scurried and lost no time in drawing the
great iron-bound winter doors across the openings into the living room,
and bolting them. The doors to the sleeping porches were all carefully
closed and locked from the inside. Then they sat down in the immense
vaulted room and waited.

Phoebe, sitting apart from the others, seemed very quiet and calm in the
face of the danger which threatened her, and Billie knew she was calling
on the faith which had never failed her.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE ATTACK.

They were filled with hot indignation over the situation. They felt sure
now that Ben and Percy had been lured away, but they were not uneasy for
their safety. Billie had told them what Dr. Hume had said: that the
mountaineers would not dare injure any of the campers. But all of them
realized that Phoebe might be treated with cruel indignities. Only a few
weeks before, Billie had read an account in a newspaper of how a pretty
young school teacher had been tarred and feathered by a mob of people
who were jealous of her beauty and refinement. If Lupo could persuade
the villagers that Phoebe and her father were responsible for the forest
fires, Billie felt certain they would have a very unreasonable lot of
visitors to deal with that night. She wished with all her heart that
someone with an eloquent tongue would appear and address these narrow,
stupid men, someone who understood their natures and knew how to deal
with them. She believed that violence would only aggravate their rage.
Someone would have to talk to them.

The other Motor Maids sat on a divan whispering together, and Miss
Campbell, calm as was her wont in the presence of danger, paced up and
down the room, exam