"I have not seen Hippy since I left this camp. He must have got lost," replied Grace. "Elfreda, fire three interval shots with your rifle to guide him in." Miss Briggs did so, and all listened for an answer, but none came. Acting on Grace's suggestion, Elfreda fired further signal shots, and still no reply from Lieutenant Wingate. Grace, finally becoming disturbed at Hippy's long absence, announced her intention of going out to look for him, and was giving her companions directions about signaling her when Hippy Wingate came strolling into camp, his clothing torn and his face scratched from contact with brier bushes. "Hulloa, folks," he greeted, grinning sheepishly. "My darlin', my darlin', are you hurt?" cried Nora, hurrying to him solicitously. "No. I got lost and just found myself. Where do you suppose I was? Why less than ten rods from this camp all the time. Never saw such a country for mixing a fellow up. Confound the whole business. If my property is in such a mess as this I'll set the lazy mountaineers at work clearing it up before I'll set foot on it. Hey! What hit you, Brown Eyes?" "A bullet." "I heard it. I mean I heard the shot, and, like the hero I am, I ran to the rescue, but got all tangled up," explained Hippy. "Didn't you hear our shots?" demanded Anne. "I heard 'em, but I was too busy untangling myself to answer. I thought the shots sounded off the other way and got deeper into the mess trying to find the camp." "You are a fine woodsman," rebuked Elfreda. "Yes, and you wouldn't be here yet had it not been for me," declared Emma Dean. "How's that?" demanded Hippy. "Well, you see, when we found that you did not come back and we surmised that you were lost, I just sat down and con-centrated. Then you came back, just like the cat did in the old story." "Where did you get that piffle?" chortled Hippy when his laughter had subsided. "From a professor who visited our town last winter. He said that, by con-centrating, one could bring anything to pass that he wished--provided he con-centrated intently enough and long enough. Why, he said that a person, by con-centrating properly, could move a house if he wished." The Overlanders shouted. "You'd better see a doctor," advised Hippy. "Brown Eyes, you haven't told me what happened to you. Who shot you?" "I don't know. I did not see the person who did it. He saw me, evidently. Perhaps, catching a glimpse of my campaign hat, he thought it was you and shot at me. I let go at him, and we had it out. His second shot hit me and my third hit him. How badly I don't know, but he plainly had enough and got away without even picking up his rifle. It is out there yet, unless he returned for it." "Did you follow him?" asked Nora. "A few yards only, then I got dizzy and had to sit down for a few moments. That is all I know about it. I think we had better pack up and move."