rive for some time yet. We-all just got here, and we left Oak Creek at
midnight," explained one of the men, encouraging the two girls.

"But we-all stopped on the way and cooked breakfast and fed our hosses.
Simms and his party will ride right up and ought to be ha'r pritty soon,
now," said Bill.

"How about leavin' some one here at Four Mile Blaze to direct the Simms'
party, while we-all ride on with Sam to hunt those three claim-jumpers,"
suggested one of the posse.

"Barbara and I will wait here with Jeb if you leave us each with a gun,"
offered Eleanor, eagerly.

Barbara gasped at the very idea, but Eleanor added:

"We don't want to be mixed up in a fight with rascals, and we are safer
here than up there."

"The gal's right, Sam. They'd onny be in the road if we-all have to
chase them men," said Bill.

"But they can't shoot! Why give them any guns?" asked Mr. Brewster,
anxiously.

"I just bet I could kill you at forty paces, if you were a claim-jumper
and looked at me the way Hank looked at you!" declared Eleanor,
emphatically.

The men laughed, and Bill wagged his head approvingly. "Ah say, Sam, let
the gals take a crack at the Four Mile tree--and see."

"Well, even the sight of guns will make the villains respect us, even if
we can't shoot!" added Barbara, who felt that the lesser of the two
dangers would be to remain with Eleanor and Jeb where they now were.

After many instructions and warnings had been given to Jeb and the two
city girls, Mr. Brewster spurred his horse on to ride after his
companions who were already up the trail. But he had not far to go.

At the bend of the trail, where there was a small clearing, he saw the
men standing up in their stirrups, intent on something ahead. He urged
his horse up to join them, and just before reaching the group, he
called out: "What's wrong?"

The horses were tossing their heads, pawing the ground, and acting
restive. Bill turned half-way around in the saddle and replied:
"D'you-all smell anything, Sam?"

Mr. Brewster noticed then, that the men held faces up and were sniffing
in different directions. He then sniffed carefully himself and
exclaimed: "Smells like smoke."

But even as he spoke, the thought reached him: "A forest fire!" His face
went white and he murmured a prayer to himself for Polly and Anne.

"Yeh, Sam. Comin' down from the Slide," was all Bill said.

"My Gawd, men! what shall we do?" cried one of the posse.

"We-all must ship