t
time to see if that fellow returns and tries to follow us?" asked Nora,
still full of fight. "I should just like to teach him a lesson."

"You already have done so," chuckled Anne.

"Your suggestion is excellent," agreed Grace. "However, it is getting
dark and we must locate ourselves before that. That is, we should do so.
Let's go!"

The Overlanders then mounted and retraced their steps until they found a
place where they could climb to the ridge. Reaching the top, they
followed the ridge trail for half a mile, then struck off into the
mountain fastness. In order to better hide their trail, they guided
their horses into a small stream and rode up that for a full mile,
finally finding a suitable camping place.

A cook fire, a small blaze, was made under a shelving rock, and
Washington was left to cook the supper while Hippy and the girls watered
and cared for the ponies. Supper was ready about the time they finished.
The pitching of the tents was left for the boy to attend to while the
Overlanders were eating.

"Now that we are composed, what does all this disturbance of to-day
mean?" demanded Miss Briggs.

"It may be the result of our running that fellow out of our camp last
night, or rather Hippy's running him out. Then again, the incident of
to-day may be explained in another way. I first had a duel with some one
in the bushes; later, when we headed into Spring Brook valley we may
have been getting into the Moonshiners' territory. I understand they are
rather touchy when it comes to outsiders penetrating their mountain
preserves. At least this last savage was thoroughly in earnest when he
ordered us to get out. I fear we should have gotten into trouble had it
not been for Nora." Grace smiled at the recollection of Nora's
chastisement of the mountaineer.

"Surely, they do not think we are revenue officers, do they?" asked
Anne.

"They are suspicious of all strangers," Hippy informed his companions.
"I had a friend in the flying corps, who comes from Kentucky, and he
told me all about these mountaineers. They are, in a way, simple as
children, but bad all through when they differ with you."

"Then, there is the Mystery Man," reminded Nora. "Is he one of them?"

"He may be for all we know about him," answered Elfreda, shrugging her
shoulders.

Grace said "no."

"It doesn't seem probable, that, were he one of them, he would have shot
one of them in our defense, does it?" she asked.

The Overlanders ad