"Gentlemen, Lieutenant Wingate has given you good advice. That colored boy is not to be blamed for what has occurred here," declared Miss Briggs, getting to her feet. "It is not necessary for you to take my word for that, nor the boy's. You can prove it for yourselves." "How?" demanded several voices. "Go outside and examine the bushes that grow by the window through which the shot was fired, and look at the ground carefully for foot-tracks. I am amazed that you didn't think of it yourselves. You see when one is angry he does not reason and--" The men did not give her opportunity to finish. They again bolted from the schoolroom. Their voices and their exclamations were heard under the window a moment later. "That was fine, J. Elfreda," glowed Grace. "If they fail to find tracks there I am sorry for Wash, that's all," replied Miss Briggs with a shrug. "Yer right!" cried a mountaineer, entering the room at that juncture. "We seen where the critter was standin' when he shot Lum. We seen the mark o' his boots, and the bunch is startin' to follow his trail. Reckon you gals might as well go home, fer they'll be a different kind o' a party if they kotch him. Won't be no more dancin' t'-night." "Ladies, I am sorry if we were the cause of trouble here," began Grace. "You-all ain't," protested Julie. "Thank you." Grace favored her with a radiant smile. "What I was about to say, is that we expect to break camp and go on to-morrow morning. If we do not, we should like to have you young ladies come and call on us. It is always open house in the Overland camp. Julie, I hope we shall see you in the morning." "Ah don't reckon as you-all will be goin' away in the mornin'. Ah s'ppose Ah ought t' tell you-all what Ah knows, but Ah reckons you-all'll find out for yourselves soon 'nuf." Julie's words did not impress the Overlanders at the moment, but while on their way to camp they pondered over them, discussed them and wondered what she may have meant. The answer to the question in their minds Grace and her friends found awaiting them when they reached the camp. CHAPTER XIX A CALL FOR HELP "Hippy, did you know that I saved your life to-night?" asked Emma Dean as the party neared their camp. "You--you saved my life?" questioned Lieutenant Wingate in amazement. "Uh-huh." Hippy laughed uproariously. "You poor child, you got us all in Dutch, that's what you really did." "With your assistance, Hippy," interjected Anne. "How did you save his life, please, Emma?" "I con-centrated. When Lum pointed the revolver at Hippy, I put my mind on making him miss his aim. He did, didn't he?" "Yes," agreed the girls, Hippy saying nothing at all. "Then, I con-centrated on him that he might not shoot again. He didn't, did he?" "Of course, you are right in what you say," agreed Nora. "He did miss and he did not shoot again, but I think you are drawing the long bow, darlin', in taking all the credit to yourself. What do you say, Hippy?" she asked solemnly.