ee Cameron?"

The voice of the renegade was threatening. Fremont heard only the
sweep of the rain outside for a moment, and then the voice of the guard
came through the sashless window opening.

"I'm going in to warm up a bit," he said.

"All right," the renegade replied. "I'll let you know when to go on
guard again. Boy," he added, facing Fremont with lowering brows, "I
can make it to your advantage to tell me all about your connection with
Cameron."

Fremont heard the words dimly, for as the door of the hut slammed
behind the drenched guard and his voice was heard in the outer room,
the howl of a wolf came from the darkness just outside the window.

"Confound the wolves!" the renegade snarled. "They are becoming
dangerous!"

"What you say may be true, so far as you are concerned!" Fremont
replied, grimly.

CHAPTER XXII.

THE CALL IN THE RAIN.

There was a sudden splash, heard above the downpour of the rain,
followed by an exclamation of surprise, and then Jimmie's voice called
out:

"Say, you fellers, throw me that life preserver!"

Nestor turned the flame on the electric flashlight and directed it
toward the spot from which the voice had come. Jimmie, who had been
feeling his way cautiously a few paces in advance of the party, was
seen floundering about in a pool of water.

"Come on in!" the boy cried out. "The water is fine!"

"What you doing in there?" demanded Frank, nearly choking with laughter
at the odd plight of the little fellow.

"I came in to get measured for a suit of clothes!" replied Jimmie.
"Say, you fellows, give me a hand and I'll climb out."

The pool was neither wide nor deep, and the boy was soon on solid earth
again. The storm had filled one of the depressions in the canyon the
boys were following, with muddy water, and in the darkness Jimmie had
tumbled into it.

"You're a sight!" Nestor said, turning the light on the boy, whose
clothes were now a mixture of mud and briars acquired while descending
the mountain slope above.

"I ain't any wetter than you are!" retorted the boy, as the rain
switched his hair about his face. "Why don't you let me take the light
when I go on ahead, then?"

"For the same reason that we do not head our procession with a fife and
drum," laughed Frank. "We're not supposed to be here at all!"

"There's nobody out lookin' for a light in this canyon to-night,"
grumbled Jimmie.

As he spoke he seized Nestor by the arm and drew him ba