e girls held a
further conference. At its conclusion, Grace paid another visit to the
scene of Lieutenant Wingate's undoing.

This time, Grace followed the trail left by the two men who had captured
him, and then on down the stream until she came in sight of a rocky
clearing, where she believed the captors had left the brook and followed
out the plan that she had visualized.

Grace dared not press her investigation further, nor even show herself,
the Overland girl shrewdly reasoning that the spot would be watched by
those responsible for Hippy's disappearance. She was not desirous of
taking unnecessary chances just yet, for, being the captain of her
party, she was responsible for their safety.

All during the rest of the day, after her return to camp, one or the
other of the girls was posted outside the camp, secreted in the bushes,
to prevent a surprise by intruders. So far as they could discover no one
approached the camp.

The camp having been pitched at the extreme end of the open space, the
campfire, at Elfreda's suggestion, was built at the opposite end, which,
as she pointed out, would leave their tents in a shadow after dark, for
there were a few scattering laurel bushes between the tents and the
fire, but not so dense that the view was greatly interfered with.

The outside guarding was continued until nearly bedtime, eyes and ears
being strained, not only for prowlers, but for the return of Hippy
Wingate.

"If we get no word to-morrow, what?" questioned Anne.

"Grace and myself will take the trail," announced Elfreda. "If she does
not think it wise to go, I can go alone."

"We will both go, unless something occurs to make our going
inadvisable," answered Grace quietly. "Elfreda, you and I will sit up
together to-night, if you don't mind."

After the others had turned in and Washington had piled some hard wood
on the fire, so that a bed of coals might remain for some hours after
the flames had died out, Grace and Elfreda sat down together in the
shadows near the tents and began their long night's vigil.

Their conversation was pitched too low to be heard by one a yard away;
in fact it was carried on mostly in whispers.

Elfreda's watch showed that it lacked but a few minutes of one when, as
she gazed at the illuminated dial, Grace suddenly gripped her arm.

"I heard something in the bushes," whispered Grace. "It may have been
an animal. I rather think it was. I--"

Something thudded on the ground