is a personal question, is it not?" smiled Grace. "Won't you sit
down and rest before you go on? We shall be glad to have you do so."

"Be yuh goin' to answer mah question?"

"I think not, sir."

"Ah'll tell yuh who Ah be, then, an' mebby yuh'll answer. Ah'm the dep'y
Shereef of this 'ere deestric'. Ah kin land yuh all in the calaboose if
Ah wants to."

"Deputy Sheriff! Mercy to goodness!" murmured Emma. "Next thing we know,
the Lord High Executioner will be calling on us looking for victims to
decapitate."

"Yes?" questioned Grace.

"Let me speak with the man," urged Tom Gray, whereupon Grace waved her
hand behind her to warn Tom to keep quiet.

"Who be yuh?"

"Presumably the man means to ask 'Who are you?' but unfortunately he
doesn't speak English," said Emma in a voice loud enough for the
mountaineer to hear. He glared at her and Emma glared back.

"I think, sir," replied Grace Harlowe, "that this has gone far enough.
We have no information to give. I am sorry, sir. Our purpose in visiting
these mountains is a proper one. We are violating no law, have committed
no crime, and therefore can have no interest for a deputy sheriff.
Besides, I do not believe you are a deputy sheriff!"

The stranger shifted uneasily. Hippy had risen and was stretching
himself and yawning.

"All Ah've got to say is, yuh-all git out o' these mountings right smart
or Ah'll take yuh-all in. T'morrow mornin' yuh git!"

"Thank you." Grace smiled sweetly.

Hippy strolled up to the mountaineer, also smiling, with right hand
extended as if about to shake hands with their caller, but as he neared
the man the smile suddenly left his face, and he inhaled a long full
breath.

"Beat it!" exploded Lieutenant Wingate in the mountaineer's ear, at the
same time turning the man about and running him out of camp in bouncer
fashion.

"Run, Mr. Man! Run as if the Old Harry were after you, and don't forget
to keep that rifle pointed away from the camp. If it goes off you're
liable to get hurt. Get out!"

The mountaineer, as Hippy released him, sprang away a few paces, then,
suddenly whirling, fired point blank at Hippy.

Expecting this very move, Lieutenant Wingate had dropped down the
instant he saw the man turning, and the bullet went over Hippy's head,
and incidentally over the heads of the Overland Riders in the camp a
few yards to the rear.

Lieutenant Wingate was unarmed, his revolver being in its holster on his
saddle, so all he