Just then a groan came from Jake, who was still lying on the floor, and a moment later he opened his eyes and looked about him. He was, as Jack declared, a sight. His face was covered with blood from the blow on his nose, and one of his eyes was nearly closed and was beginning to turn black. “Well, Jake, I’m sorry I had to cut you up so,” Bob began, as he stood over the man, “but you certainly had it coming to you.” “I’ll get you sometime,” Jake growled, as he struggled to free his hands. “Mebby,” Bob replied. “But I rather think that you’ll be kept pretty busy for some time. No use to waste your strength on that rope, man. It’s a good strong one and it’s tied to stay. I’ll get some water and wash the blood off your face. You don’t look a bit pretty.” The storekeeper’s wife quickly brought some water in a basin and soon Bob had the man’s face cleaner than it had been for a long time, as Jack asserted. “Well, boys,” the storekeeper said, after Bob had introduced Rex to him and his wife, “You certainly came in the nick o’ time, as the sayin’ is. That feller’d a had that candle against my foot in another minute and I gess I’d a had ter give in. You saved me close ter two thousand dollars an’ Jeb Slocum ain’t one ter ferget it.” Before Bob had time to reply, the little child that he had found in the woods came running into the room. “Are the bad mans gone, mamma?” she asked. “No, they ain’t gone but they can’t hurt us now,” her mother replied, as she hugged the little girl to her breast. Then Bob told them how he had found the child and how she had told them what was happening. “I was worried to death ’bout what had become of Dot,” the woman said, as she kissed the child again and again. “Those fellers come in here ’bout an hour ago,” Mr. Slocum explained in answer to Bob’s question. “They must have got wind ter the fact that I had a lot o’ money in the house. Yer see there ain’t another soul ’sides us here just now. Everybody’s gone down ter Greenville fer one thing or a nother. Well, they jumped us an’ tied us up and demanded ter know where my money was, and when I wouldn’t tell ’em they got real mad an’ ’lowed as how they’d burn my feet off if I didn’t tell, an’ I guess they’d a done it if you hadn’t come along jest when you did.” Mrs. Slocum insisted on getting the boys something to eat, and it was close to ten o’clock by the time they had finished. Jeb insisted that the boys go to bed while he sat up and watched the prisoners. “Land sakes,” he declared, when Bob announced his intention of serving as watchman. “I couldn’t sleep no mor’n a cat after all this excitement,” and seeing that he was determined, Bob soon gave up the argument and together with Rex and Jack, followed Mrs. Slocum to a room upstairs where were a couple of most comfortable looking beds. “I hope you’ll find those beds all right,” she said, as she bade them goodnight.