een consulting her
map.

Miss Briggs nodded.

"Out of your jurisdiction, Mister Deputy! It might be in order for me to
suggest that you remove your persons from our camp," finished Elfreda in
the same even tone with which she had carried on the conversation
throughout.

"I'll see whether ye'll go with us or not!" raged the deputy.

"Joe!" called Hippy sharply. "If these rough-necks don't go _instanter_,
trim 'em right."

"Don't set Henry on them. They might hurt him," called Grace.

"Get out!" commanded Hippy.

The three men got, but before going they warned the Overland Riders that
they would have the law on them for shooting at officers in the
discharge of their duty.

In reply, Hippy waved a hand and grinned, and the men rode away rather
more rapidly than they had come into the camp.

"Great thought of yours, J. Elfreda," complimented Lieutenant Wingate.

"Elfreda uses her head, Hippy. How much better than flying into a rage
and threatening your enemy with dire things," reminded Grace.

"You don't always do that yourself," retorted Hippy. "Thanks, Joe. Had
it not been for you we might have had a disturbance."

"Aren't we ever going to have peace?" wailed Emma. "I know I shall have
nervous prostration at this rate."

"Cheer up. Let the voice of nature soothe your troubled spirits and rise
above such common things as mere officers of the law," comforted Hippy.
"What next?"

"Suppose we break camp and move," suggested Grace.

"Yes, yes; let's do so," urged Anne.

"Do you think they will come back, darlin'?" questioned Nora anxiously.

"Not before it is time for the swallows to build their nests under the
eaves."

Joe, muttering to herself, went out to fetch in her pack mules, June and
July, preparatory to loading the equipment on them for the start. Joe
was a little rougher with the animals than usual, and their ears, tilted
back at a sharp angle, indicated their resentment, but the guide was too
angry to notice this danger signal. A sharp slap on June's thigh to make
the animal step over was followed by a lightning-like flash of two tough
little mule heels, and Joe Shafto was lifted from her feet and hurled
against July, and then July began to kick.

The Overlanders, frightened for the safety of the guide, ran to assist
her, when, out of the mix-up, leaped the forest woman, her hair tumbled
down her back, and eyes blazing through the big horn-rimmed spectacles,
she having rolled under July and