“What is it, Virginia?” Margaret asked, half awake, as she rose. “Is it a bear or the outlaw?” “Hush! Hush!” Virginia whispered. “Be quiet as you can and follow me. There are two strange men coming up the trail. They do not mean to harm us, of course, for they do not know of our existence, but they probably plan visiting this hut, and we don’t want them to find us here. Climb through the window and then we will crouch down in the dark until we can slip away.” Although Margaret was terrorized, the courage of her Puritan ancestors must have asserted itself, for she did just as Virginia bade her. Silently the girls crept through the small open window and hurried to a place of hiding in a clump of dwarf pines, and none too soon, for a moment later lights appeared in the cabin. They were near enough to hear an exclamation of surprise, followed by a surly voice. “Huh! Folks been here seems like, and mighty recent. Two hats yonder belonin’ to gals, I take it. Tom, get a move on ye and find who ’twas just left here. Like as not whoever ’tis has the information we’re wishin’ to obtain.” Evidently the one addressed as Tom didn’t move. “Stubborn again?” the voice inquired. “Then it’s myself as will hunt for whoever escaped.” Hearing this, the frightened girls crouched lower, hoping that they would escape observation, but unfortunately, the grey of the dawn had come and Margaret’s red belt and neck handkerchief gleamed among the green pines and attracted the roving eye of the searcher. “Wall,” he remarked, “sort of playin’ hide and seek with me, was ye? Come out now, and if ye’ll tell all ye know about what’s goin’ on around here you won’t be hurt, not one scratch.” Virginia, holding Margaret’s hand in a firm clasp, arose, for she knew there was no other alternative. The heavy-set man was a type of which she had heard but had never before seen. She knew that he could be merciless and so with a pretence of bravery which with difficulty she assumed, Virginia led Margaret toward the cabin. She glanced at the slight young man who stood watching them and she was sure that she saw in his bronzed face an expression of pity. Then in another moment, something very unexpected had happened. The surly man, intent upon obtaining whatever information he could from the two girls, had forgotten for the moment that the lad, whom he had addressed as Tom, was not in sympathy with his plans. Had he chanced to glance at the youth he would have seen an expression in his eyes that would have warned him that he would better not bully the girls too much. But, for the moment the older man had entirely forgotten his companion. When they neared the cabin, he commanded, “Turn around here, gals! Tell me all ye know about this here mining property and tell it quick.” Virginia was defiantly silent, but Margaret, whose courage was gone, began to sob, and it was at that moment that the lad called Tom confronted the bully and in each hand he held a gun.