eader of the invaders pitched and fell, shot through the hip.

"Take to cover, boys!" roared the stricken leader. "Take my rifle, too.
Defend yourselves. The soldiers are down on us!"

But Sergeant Hal, after that first moment of joyous surprise, felt a
thrill of astonishment.

The bullets that were whistling through camp had not the sound of Army
missiles!

Yet the young sergeant had no time to speculate on this discovery, for
now he heard a voice, and a wholly strange one, shout, as the volley
ceased:

"You men surrender, if you don't want to be riddled. If you start to
make a move away from camp we'll drop every one of you before any man
can reach cover. We mean business!"

"Hello! What's going on here? Halt! Deploy, there! Lie down!
Ready--load--aim!"

That was Noll Terry's voice, and the young sergeant was right on his
word like a flash.

While the first party was hidden behind cover to the northward, Sergeant
Noll and his men had come up from the westward.

"We're friends," hailed that same voice from northward. "Who are you
over to the westward? Who commands there?"

"Sergeant Oliver Terry, United States Army," Noll called back.

"Good for you, Sergeant! Stay in command. We'll back up any move you
make," came from northward.

"Do you rascally prowlers surrender?" called Noll.

"It's about the only thing that seems left to do," sullenly admitted the
leader of the invaders.

"Then hold up your hands and step away from those rifles," ordered Noll.

That command was obeyed, except by the man whose head had been battered
by Hal's flying revolver.

"Have they any other weapons, Hal?" called Sergeant Noll.

"So far as I know they haven't," Sergeant Hal answered.

"You to the north!" called Noll.

"Ahoy, there!" came the good-natured answer.

"Will you move in, covering the prisoners with your rifles?"

"Gladly, Sergeant."

"Thank you."

Out of brushwood cover to the northward stepped three men. One was a
middle-aged man, a mountaineer if dress and manner went for anything.

With him, supporting this guide on each side were two tall, very
straight young men who appeared to be about twenty-three years of age
each. These younger men were nattily though plainly attired in corduroy,
with leggings and caps.

"Just stand right there, and hold the prisoners, please," directed
Sergeant Terry.

Then Noll's next step was to move in with his own men, four in number.

"Get the handcuffs," directed