me from his lips, as, by
the dim light that came from the dying fire, he recognized Old Rocks
bending over him.

"Ther dickens is ter pay!" grated the guide. "She's gone!"

"She? Who?"

"Ther leetle gal."

"Fay?"

"Yep."

"Gone?"

Frank was dazed. He looked around and saw Barney and the professor
sitting up near at hand, but, sure enough, he could see nothing of the
child.

"Yep," nodded Old Rocks. "She ain't in this yar tent."

"But--but how----"

"Dunno how she done it 'thout wakin' me, but she's gone."

"It must be that the Hermit crept in here and kidnaped her."

"Begorro!" cried Barney; "Oi belave thot is roight!"

"It seems reasonable," said the professor.

"Whut d'yer think!" snarled Old Rocks; "fancy I'd snooze right along an'
let anything like thet happen? Wa-al, I guess not! Dog my cats ef I know
how it kem about, but there gal jest vanished."

"She appeared like a fairy, and like a fairy she has disappeared," said
Frank. "But she may be near the camp. We must lose no time in making a
search for her."

"Right ye are!" cried Old Rocks, as he led the way from the tent.

Hastening outside, they called to the child, but received no answer.

"Wait a little," advised the guide, as he replenished the fire. "Don't
go ter trompin' round yar too much. I wants ter look fer sign."

In this emergency they knew it was best to rely on his judgment, and so
they remained quiet, watching his movements.

Having started up the fire, the guide began looking for "sign." His eyes
were keen, and it did not take him long to find what he sought.

"Hyar's whar she left ther tent," he declared.

The others looked, but the ground told them nothing.

"That's foolishness," said Professor Scotch, sharply. "You don't mean to
say you can see anything here?"

"Wa-al, thet's whut I mean. You're a tenderfut, an' so yer can't see
anything. She wuzn't carried off."

"It is not likely she went away alone."

"Likely or not, thet's whut she done."

Bending low, Old Rocks followed the trail as far as the light of the
fire reached.

"I reckon I kin torch her," he muttered.

"What do you mean by torching her?" asked Scotch.

Old Rocks made no answer, but returned to the little pile of fuel he had
accumulated. This he quickly pulled over, selecting several sticks. He
thrust the end of one into the flames, and, in a few moments, had a
lighted torch.

"Git yer guns," he directed, "an' come erlong with me."

They d