dered. "I cannot
understand that."

"This is no time or place for explanations," Frank cut in. "That fellow
has disappeared from the cliff, but he will be back. We must get out of
this."

To this Bart fully agreed, and he lifted the girl to her feet. She was
rather weak, and so she was forced to lean on his shoulder.

They had moved but a little way when a shout came from the cliff, and
they saw three men looking down at them. These men were armed, and Frank
saw them taking aim with rifles.

"Look out!" he shouted. "They're going to send bullets after us!"

A second later the men on the cliff began shooting, the white smoke
puffing from their rifles, the reports of which awoke the echoes.

The bullets whistled about the trio in the ravine.

"Run!" shouted Frank, wheeling and flinging his rifle to his shoulder.

He sent several bullets up at the cliff and then turned and dashed after
Bart, who had lifted the girl in his arms, and made a rush for a place
of safety.

The bullets spat spitefully against the rocks as he ran, whistled about
him, dislodged pebbles and tore up little sprays of earth, but not one
of them touched him.

The trio reached a turn in the ravine and passed beyond view of the
cliff, so they were safe from the bullets of the men above.

For some moments they paused, panting from their exertions.

The girl looked at her companions in admiration.

"You are strong and brave," she said. "I feel that you will save me."

"But we are not out of the woods yet," said Frank. "Those fellows will
be sure to give us a chase."

"How can they get down from the cliff?" asked Bart.

"There is a way to do that, you may be sure. As soon as we get our
breath we must hasten on. We will be fortunate if we strike Blake, Long,
and Jones without delay."

They did not wait long before hastening forward. The boys took the girl
between them, both assisting her, sometimes carrying her over the worst
places.

Her strength came back to her, after a time, and they were surprised by
her skill and fleetness of foot.

Out of the ravine they made their way, and dropped over into the other,
beginning to feel relieved by the non-appearance of their enemies.

But they were not to escape without a further encounter.

Five minutes after entering the second ravine they heard a clatter of
hoofs behind them. There was no time to get out of the ravine, and it
happened that they were unable to find a place of concealment in