they want,"
suggested Nugget. "If we don't they'll surely cut our throats."

"Keep quiet!" whispered Clay savagely. "If you don't I'll throw you out
of the tent."

At this awful threat Nugget subsided and buried his head in his blanket.

Meanwhile Randy, whose temper was beginning to rise at the thought of
being robbed, had quietly reached for his gun, and was fumbling with it
under cover of the darkness.

An unlucky move dashed the stock against his lantern, and the crash of
broken glass followed. At the same moment Batters called in a loud
whisper, "Here they are. I see them movin' among the trees."

At this startling news a wailing cry broke from Nugget, and an instant
later a gruff voice called distinctly:

"Come out of that one at a time, young fellars. Move lively, an' you
won't be harmed."

There was dead silence for a few seconds, and then the command was
repeated in a more peremptory tone.

"They ain't got no shootin' weapons," whispered Batters; "only short
sticks. I can see 'em by the firelight."

On hearing this, Randy was seized with a sudden access of courage. Gun
in hand, he dashed by his companions to the front of the tent.

Batters saw the glint of the weapon and made a futile grab at it.

"Don't do no shootin'," he whispered hoarsely.

The warning came too late. Randy stepped out from the flaps and raised
it to his shoulder.

"Make tracks, you villains," he shouted, "or I'll put daylight through
you." (This was a favorite expression of Randy's purloined from the life
of Kit Carson.) Then, as retreating footsteps were heard, he lowered the
weapon a little and pulled the trigger.

The thunderous report was followed by a yell of pain, and two voices
hissed out dire threats of vengeance as the baffled men went hastily
down the slope.

As Randy turned toward his companions Batters sprang at him and wrenched
the weapon from his hands.

"Didn't I tell you not to shoot?" he cried. "Now you've gone an' hit
Bug. I kinder feared it might be him, but I wasn't certain. That's him
swearin' this very minute. Oh! I'll fix you for this."

Pushing Randy to one side and dashing the gun on the ground, Batters
vanished in the darkness, yelling at the top of his voice, "Bug! Bug!
it's me!"

The boys were overcome with terror and amazement. Who in the world was
Bug, and why should Batters be so anxious about him?

"Why did you do that?" demanded Ned sternly. "If you have shot any one
don't expect us