d out. But ther chances are thet it'll never be heard of
by anybody except them we tell it to. Ther varmints will make tracks
outer ther park, fer they're on forbidden ground."

"If the soldiers should turn up----"

"It'd be a mighty good thing fer us. Still, I kinder reckon we'll be
able ter hold Half Hand an' his gang off till they git weary."

They took care that their revolvers were replenished with cartridges,
and then Frank loaded his rifle.

A sudden silence seemed to brood over the whole world.

Old Rocks stirred uneasily.

"I don't like it," he muttered, speaking to himself.

"Don't like what?" asked Frank, who felt a foreboding of some coming
catastrophe.

"This yare stillness. Why, thar ain't even an owl hootin'."

"What do you think it means?"

"Dunno; but it means somethin'. Keep yer eyes an' ears open, an' be
ready fer what may come."

Little Fay had ceased her sobbing, and the silence was finally broken by
her voice:

"Who's doin' to tate me to my mamma?"

Then the Hermit was heard trying to comfort and reassure her.

"Dog my cats ef I wouldn't like ter smoke!" muttered Old Rocks; "but
I'll allow thet it w'u'dn't do ter light a match hyar."

"No; it might be fatal. The light----"

The sharp report of a rifle rang out, and Frank fell backward behind the
bowlder.

With a grated exclamation, Old Rocks flung up his revolver, and took a
snap shot at the spot where he had seen the red flash of the weapon as
it was discharged.

"Did you get him?" asked Frank, as he sat up.

"Dunno," was the answer; "but I wuz afeared he'd got you."

"The bullet whistled so close to my head that I felt the wind of it. It
must have penetrated the cave."

To their ears came the sound of a deep groan, and then the voice of the
Hermit reached them:

"The bullet came in here. I am shot!"

"Holy cats!" gasped Old Rocks.

"The child!" panted Frank. "What if the red wretches fire again, and
their bullets reach her? She must be placed where she will be safe."

"Right."

"Can you hold the mouth of the cave?"

"I kin try it."

"I will go in there and see how badly the Hermit is injured, and will
see if both cannot be placed beyond the reach of bullets."

"Thet's easy. Ther cave is a big one, but this hyar is ther only
entrance ter it."

Frank crept back into the cave, softly calling to the Hermit. The man
was groaning, and, as Frank crept near, a pair of soft arms suddenly
closed about the boy's neck