he vast forests which he had
roamed since childhood! If they did not take to horses, he'd make them
sick of their bargains before they had gone many miles!

CHAPTER XXVII

UNDER THE DRIPPING TREES

Vaguely Hiram Hooker sensed a diabolical plot as he pounded on through
the rain, tireless, determined, remorseless, on the trail of the
abductors of Jerkline Jo.

The doping of his four fellow skinners at Ragtown had a part in the
plan. It had been done deliberately to force the girl and Hiram into
the wilderness alone. Some one had known of Huber's shortage of hay,
and had schemed accordingly, aware of Jerkline Jo's eternal willingness
to do her best by her patrons, regardless of the strain upon herself.
The plotters had not been able to get at Hiram. Perhaps they had not
tried. Jerkline Jo would hardly essay a trip to Julia and back alone.
Too many difficulties might arise on the road that a lone skinner--even
a man skinner--could not cope with. So they perhaps had not molested
Hiram, hoping, if he were on his feet, that the girl would attempt the
trip with him. They had waited at the first U curve, and the moment he
was out of sight had pounced upon her. Suppose he had not chanced to
look back? The many curves ahead would have hidden her from him for
nearly an hour after that first one had been passed. That would have
given them a start, the disadvantage of which he could not have
overcome. As it was, though, he knew that he was hot on their trail,
and burdened as they were, was gaining on them at every leap. Was
Drummond back of this? Hiram could think of no one else who would be
even remotely at enmity with the lovable Jerkline Jo.

He brought up suddenly and squatted behind a bush of southern
manzanita. Just ahead, in an open portion of the forest, was a group
of three men, standing in a circle about a stiff, immovable figure on
the ground. Three saddled horses stood close by, their tails turned
toward the rain, their heads lowered disconsolately.

The men had just stopped and laid down their burden, which was nothing
else than the tightly bound body of Jerkline Jo. All three men wore
masks over their faces and new bright-blue overalls to further aid in
hiding their identities. Hiram saw the rope about the girl, running in
a spiral from her shoulders to her ankles. He saw the cloth over her
face, knotted behind her head.

What should he do? There were three men standing about the girl,