ved for the first time a line of light under
what appeared to be a door between the front room and the kitchen. A
moment later the door swung open, and she was considerably relieved
when she saw lying on the floor the apparently limp and unconscious
form of a woman.

Instantly the rescuer's Camp Fire training in the reviving of a person
from a faint stimulated in her a sort of professional interest in the
task before her, and she started forward to begin work at once. First
she must loosen her patient's clothing to make it as easy as possible
for her to breathe. Then she must get her in a supine position with
her head slightly lower than any other part of her body in order that
the brain might get a plentiful supply of blood. The air in the house
was heavy and stuffy--the front and rear doors must be thrown open.
She must dash cold water upon the face and chest of the patient and
rub her limbs toward her body. She ought to have some smelling salts
or ammonia, but as these were lacking she must get along without them,
unless the daughter of the unconscious woman were able to supply
something of the sort.

These things flashed through Helen's well-trained mind as she moved
rapidly toward the kitchen. All apprehension of treachery left her as
she beheld the evidence corroborating the story of distress that had
brought her into the house. Then suddenly the whole apparent situation
was transformed into one of the most terrifying character.

A slight noise to her right caused her to turn. Then a piercing scream
escaped her lips as she saw a door open and beheld the dim outlines of
two burly men approaching her. At the sound of her cry of alarm, they
dashed forward like two wild beasts.

The first one seized her around the neck to shut off further alarm. As
those muscular fingers closed in upon her throat, it seemed suddenly
as if her head were about to burst. Then as the thumping in her ears
almost completed the deadening of her auditory nerves, she
indistinctly heard these words uttered in a hoarse voice:

"Look out, Bill; don't kill her."

As if surprised back into his senses, "Bill" loosened his hold on
Helen's throat. She did not struggle or attempt to cry out again.
Evidently the purpose of the ruffians did not contemplate murder, and
she realized that there was no wisdom in anything but submission on
her part now.

But she was not given time to recover completely before the next move
of her captors was made. Wh