nue agents,
which Grace Harlowe knew nothing of.

At noon she gave up the attempt to find the trail over which Hippy
Wingate had been taken, and started back towards the camp.

"What luck?" called Nora, as she appeared at the edge of the clearing
where the camp was pitched.

"None. As a trailer, I am a miserable failure, a rank amateur."

"If you were to spend as much time con-centrating as you do tearing
about over the landscape, you would be more successful," declared Emma
wisely, at which there was a laugh at Grace's expense.

"I surely could not be more unsuccessful than I have been," replied
Grace smilingly.

The afternoon was passed in discussing their situation. While the girls
were eager to be out trying to find Hippy, they believed that they were
doing the wise thing in following the advice of their unknown friend,
whose message had been tossed into their camp, so they remained in camp
and waited.

When night came and still no Hippy, the depression of the Overlanders
increased and there was little conversation, each one appearing to be
listening, Emma, with a faraway look in her eyes, now and then relapsing
into deep thought. Emma was "con-centrating."

The same arrangement for guarding the camp, as had been carried out the
previous night, was again followed. This time, Grace took one side of
the camp and Miss Briggs the other. Both hid in deep shadows, each with
a rifle at her side and a revolver in its holster. Thus prepared they
settled themselves for the night, all the other members of the party
being in their tents and, supposedly, asleep.

It was late when Grace and Elfreda were aroused by Washington talking,
muttering in his sleep, then the nerves of the two girls leaped to
attention as, out of the bushes on Miss Briggs' side of the camp, a twig
snapped. It was accompanied by a sound that indicated the presence of a
human being.

"Who goes?" demanded Elfreda sharply.

_Bang!_

Without giving the maker of the noise out there time to answer, she
fired a shot from her revolver into the trees in that direction, but
high enough to be certain that one underneath them would not be hit.

Miss Briggs' shot brought instant results.

"Hey there! Cut the gun!" howled Hippy Wingate.

"It's Hippy!" breathed Grace, springing to her feet. "Don't shoot,
Elfreda!"

The two girls sprang up and waited. They were still cautious, but their
companions, awakened by the shot, were not. Nora, Anne and Emma ru