nd dollars, if I can help it; and, if you wish to avoid
suspicion, you must be tied with the rest."

"I shall resist. I want to make those fellows believe that they are a
pack of cowards. Don't let your men handle me too roughly."

"I'll look out for that," said Pierre. "Now, let us go back to the camp.
You have been away too long already."

"O, you outrageous villain!" thought Frank, who was so astonished and
bewildered by what he had heard, that he scarcely knew what he was
about. "Won't you suffer for this day's work if we ever get back to the
settlement?"

The movements of the traitor, who just then arose to his feet, brought
Frank to himself again. He retreated precipitately, and, when Arthur
came out from behind the bowlder, he was sitting on his blanket, talking
to Archie and Johnny.

"Fellows," said he, in an excited voice, "we're ruined! That rascal has
blabbed the whole thing!"

"Who? What rascal? what thing?" asked both the prisoners in a breath.
"What's the matter with you?" added Archie, in some alarm, seeing that
his cousin wore an exceedingly long face.

"Arthur Vane has just told Pierre that we had made up our minds to
escape to-night," replied Frank.

"No!" exclaimed the boys, almost paralyzed by the information.

"It's a fact. After supper, we are to be bound hand and foot; and
Arthur, to show how brave he is, and how cowardly we are, is going to
resist, and Pierre has promised that his men shall not handle him
roughly. O, you'll find out!" he continued, seeing that his friends
looked incredulous. "I crept up behind that bowlder, and heard all about
it. I did not understand all the conversation; but I know that Arthur is
a traitor, and that we are indebted to him for our capture."

Archie and Johnny were utterly confounded. They could not find words
strong enough to express their feelings. They sat on their blankets, and
looked at each other in blank amazement. Presently, Arthur came in
sight, and his appearance served to restore their power of action; and
then, for the first time, they seemed to realize the full enormity of
the offense of which he had been guilty. Archie jumped to his feet, and
commenced pulling off his jacket.

"Fellows," said he, throwing down his sombrero, and rolling up his
shirt-sleeves, "I'm going to pound some of the meanness out of him."

"And I'll help you!" exclaimed Johnny, excitedly. "Who ever heard of
such a thing?" And Johnny brought his fist down into the