With rifles held at ready, ears alert, Elfreda Briggs and Grace Harlowe sat almost motionless until the skies began to assume a leaden gray that foretold the coming of another day. A few moments later Elfreda crept over and returned with the stick that she had observed to fall. An old newspaper sheet was wrapped about it. This Miss Briggs undid cautiously, Grace's eyes keenly observing the operation. "Look! There is writing on the lower margin of the sheet," she said. Miss Briggs turned the page around and eagerly read the words that were penciled there. "'Stay where you are. Friends are working in your behalf. In the meantime guard yourselves vigilantly. 'A FRIEND.'" The message that Elfreda had read out loud to her companion served to deepen the mysteries that surrounded them, yet, as they pondered and discussed it, the message seemed to convey to them the hope that at least one of the mysteries might soon be solved. CHAPTER VIII A FRIEND IN NEED "Hey! What hit me?" demanded Hippy Wingate, opening his eyes. "Keep shet!" commanded a surly voice near at hand. Hippy tried to raise his arms, but could not. They were roped to his sides, as he discovered now that he was regaining full consciousness. A dim light filtering through an opening that he could not see, for it was behind him, showed Lieutenant Wingate that he was lying in one of the shallow caves that may be found almost anywhere in the Kentucky mountains. "How did I--I get here?" he ventured to ask. The other occupant of the cave stepped up and gave the captive a vicious prod with his boot. "Ouch! Say, you! Don't be so infernally rough about it. Kicking is a dangerous habit to get into. One of these days you will forget yourself and kick a Kentucky mule. Then _good night_!" "Didn't Ah tell ye-all to keep still? Want another clip ovah the haid?" "Thank you, no," replied Hippy. "If you don't mind, before I relapse into gloomy silence, you might tell me what the big idea is. Who or what hit me, and why am I here hog-tied like a captured hoss thief?" "Mebby ye-all be that. Kain't answer no questions, an' if ye don't keep still Ah'll shoot ye. Ah reckon ye-all will keep still that-away." "Ah reckon maybe you're right," agreed Hippy, and was silent. Lieutenant Wingate was kept in the cave all that day. Now and then his guard would go out for a short time, and, returning, would stand peering down at the prisoner, but no further conversation passed between them.