“There might be smoke coming from the chimney,” Margaret replied, “but it is so faint that at first I did not notice it.” “When I tell you that the old crumbling adobe has been vacant for many years and that it is absolutely unsafe as a habitation for human beings of any kind, you will understand why I was so puzzled to see signs of an occupant. The last family to live there was a mountain lioness and her young, but I am sure that some human being must be there now, for a lion could not start a fire.” Virginia, fearing that she might have frightened the eastern girl, said this merrily as she whirled her horse’s head away from the mountains. “We will take the sand hill trail,” she announced. “It is a mile farther to the junction, but perhaps we would be unwise to ride alone too close to the old adobe.” “You really think that the outlaw might be hiding there?” Margaret asked anxiously. Virginia nodded. “It is a very lonely spot,” she said, “and so it is quite possible.” “What is an outlaw?” the eastern girl inquired as they rode side by side toward the sand-hills. “An outlaw is a man who has done something displeasing to his fellow citizens. He is driven from his home state and it would not be safe for him to return. Sometimes an outlaw is innocent of the charges against him and is just a victim of unfortunate circumstances, but one never knows, of course.” Virginia, as she spoke, glanced back toward the old adobe which was hardly visible from that distance; then, to Margaret’s surprise, she drew rein, whirled about and once more gazed intently in that direction. “Virg, what do you see now?” Margaret inquired, for she herself could see nothing. For answer Virginia beckoned the eastern girl to follow, and then, urging Comrade to top speed, she again galloped toward the mountains and the old adobe hut. Much puzzled, Margaret followed on Star. What had Virginia seen, she wondered. CHAPTER XIV THE HUT OCCUPIED Virginia did not pause in her mad gallop over the hard, sandy trail toward the mountains until they were near enough for Margaret’s untrained eyes to see clearly the old adobe. Then, turning in her saddle, the western girl asked: “What do you see now?” “Something white waving on the roof,” the eastern girl replied. “Yes, and the something is being waved by a small boy, and so the occupant is not an outlaw as we feared at first. I believe that the little fellow is trying to call for help.” Then gazing intently at her comrade, Virginia said: “Margaret, I will ride on alone, and you remain here. It may be a trap laid for us, but still it may be someone in trouble. I cannot pass without knowing which it is.” “But, Virginia,” the Eastern girl pleaded, “I wouldn’t want to remain here and let you go alone into possible danger.”