"Hullo! who are you?" demanded one of the guerrillas as he leaped up and drew up his gun. "Friends!" answered Jack. Just then he caught sight of the men who had marched him away from the stable, and also of Pete Gendron, who was lying on some blankets in the shade. "Friends, are you!" cried one of the men who had marched him off. "Up with your hands, sonny!" There was no help for it, and Jack put up his hands, and his negro companions did likewise. "I reckon as how we cotched ye nicely," went on the man with the gun. "Whar did ye come from--thet cabin up the mountain?" "Yes." "Whar is Dr. Mackey?" "I do not know." "Did he let ye go?" "Of course he didn't let the boy go," growled Pete Gendron. "The niggers must have released him." "Is that true, sonny?" "That is none of your business," answered Jack, not knowing what else to say. "Aint it, though? All right, ride yer high hoss, if yer want to. But throw down them arms fust." "What do you mean?" "I mean all of yer are prisoners, thet's wot I mean," drawled the guerrilla. "You have no right to hold me up in this fashion." "Ye forgit, sonny, thet might makes right in most cases. Come, hand over them firearms." Jack had been provided with a pistol by Old Ben, and this he was compelled to surrender, and his companions were also disarmed. The guerrillas numbered fully a score, so resistance would have been foolhardy. "What do you intend to do with me?" asked our hero, after he had been made a prisoner by having his hands bound behind him. "We'll hold ye till Dr. Mackey comes back." "When will that be?" "Can't say." This ended the talk, and presently the guerrillas moved up the mountain side to where there was a fair-sized cave. They marched our hero into this cave, and tied him and his companions fast to some jagged rocks in the rear. A fire was started up and the outlaws--for the guerrillas were nothing less--proceeded to make themselves comfortable by lying around, drinking, smoking, and playing cards. Gendron was not badly wounded, and sat up to look on at the card-playing. So the hours wore away. Toward night a scout went out to learn what the armies were doing, and he did not come back until the next day. Two days were spent by Jack and his companions in the cave. During that time the guerrillas treated them brutally, and gave them hardly sufficient food to keep them from starving. Gendron was particularly bitter against Jack, and insulted our hero upon every possible occasion. "If I was the doctor I'd blow your head off, and get that money for myself," he said once. "What do you know about that money?" demanded Jack. At this the guerrilla closed one eye suggestively. "I know a whole lot, sonny." "Then you know what a rascal Dr. Mackey is? "I didn't allow as how he is a rascal, sonny." "Well, he is, and you know it. I can't see how he puts up with a fellow like you, though." This was said to draw Gendron on, and it had the desired effect.