and made him start.

"Who is there?" he asked aloud.

"Oh, Dick Arbuckle, is that you?" came in an eager voice.

"Nellie Winthrop! Is it possible? Where are you?"

"In the next room."

"Can't you come out?"

"No; I'm locked in."

"Gosh, you don't say!" Forgetting his former fear, Dick hurried across
the cabin floor to the door of the inner apartment. Feeling around in
the dark he found a hasp and staple and pulled out the plug which
fastened the barrier. In another instant boy and girl plumped into each
other's arms in the darkness. Even in that moment of peril Dick could
not resist giving Nellie a little squeeze, which she did not resent.

"But how came you here?" asked the youth quickly.

"I was captured by a government spy, who wants to get from me some
secret of the boomers. He is a bad-looking man, and I was awfully afraid
of him."

"Yellow Elk brought me here. We are prisoners together. Some noise in
the woods just took Yellow Elk off."

"The man has been gone less than five minutes. Perhaps they are in
league with each other," suggested Nellie.

"Perhaps, or they may be enemies. But never mind how that stands. We
must get away, Nellie, and that before Yellow Elk comes back."

"Heaven knows, I am willing!" gasped the trembling girl. "I want no more
of Yellow Elk."

"The window is nailed up," went on Dick, after an examination. "And the
Indian fastened that door from the outside. I wonder if I can't get out
by way of the roof?" He lit a match and gazed upward. "There is an
opening. Here goes!"

In another instant he was climbing up beside the fireplace, to where a
scuttle led to the sloping roof. He was soon without, and Nellie heard
him drop to the ground. Then the outer door was thrown back.

"Quick! The Indian is coming back, and there is somebody with him!"
whispered Dick, and, taking hold of Nellie's hand, he led her away as
fast as possible. Their course was from the rear of the cabin and across
a broad but shallow stream.

"We'll go down the stream a bit before we land," said Dick, as they were
on the point of stepping out of the water. "That may serve to throw
Yellow Elk off the trail."

"Yes, yes, but do hurry!" answered the girl. "If Yellow Elk gets hold of
me again I'll die!" The fear of getting into the clutches of the red man
was so great she trembled from head to foot and would have gone down had
not Dick's strong arm supported her.

It was wonderful how strong the youth felt