Phyllis reached out a hand. “Awake, Val?” But when there was no answer and her hand encountered empty air she sat up alarmed. “Val?” she called softly. Still there was no answer and Phyllis went to the tent flap and stepped out. Everywhere was silence. “Val!” she called again.

“What’s the matter?” a soft voice spoke behind her and Virginia joined her.

Phyllis smiled. “Can’t you sleep either?”

“No,” Virginia answered. “But--Val. Where is she?”

“She isn’t in the tent. I thought she might have stepped out here,” Phyllis said with a thoughtful frown. “But I don’t see her. I wonder where she can be?”

“Probably went for a walk,” Virginia smiled. “I suppose she was thinking of Gale. I wish it was morning,” she added uneasily.

“What do you honestly think has happened to Gale?” Phyllis asked. “I wish I knew,” Virginia said with a sigh. “I wish I knew,” she repeated.

“Will you two chatterboxes please go to sleep?” Tom yawned from his blankets. “Regular night owls, that’s what you are.”

“We can’t sleep,” Virginia said, seating herself cross-legged on the ground beside her brother. “And there is no reason you should either,” she added mischievously.

“Go away!” her brother implored. “We have to get up at dawn.”

“Anything wrong?” Jim asked, sitting up and shaking off his blanket. “Girls all right?”

“Val has gone for a walk,” Phyllis informed him. “How long ago I don’t know.”

“I wish----” Virginia was beginning when she stopped.

From the darkness behind them came a piercing scream. It echoed like thunder through the sleeping stillness of the valley. It brought the remaining girls tumbling from their tent. The four by the campfire exchanged startled, incredible glances.

“That was Val’s voice!” Phyllis said with an effort.

“Come on, Jim!” Tom was already disappearing into the sagebrush. Behind him was Jim and the girls trailed after. No one proposed to be left alone in camp.

But, uncertain as they were of the exact spot from whence the scream had come, they thrashed about in the darkness finding nothing. Finally Tom held up a commanding hand for silence.

“Listen!” he ordered.

There was borne to them on the night air the pounding of hoofs. For a time they were heard and then the sound died slowly into silence.

“Horses!” Janet said incredibly. “But who--why--who screamed?” she demanded.

Jim was off at top speed for the spot where the horses must have been when they started. When the rest joined him he was bending over examining hoof marks with the aid of a burning pine faggot. He stamped the torch out when he saw the girls and turned to lead the way back to camp. There he bent serious glances upon all of them.

“Tom,” he said finally, “saddle your horse and ride to the ranch for yore father and some men. Don’t lose any time about it either. There’s something mighty funny goin’ on up here and we’re goin’ to need help.” The girls exchanged frightened glances.

“What do you think, Jim?” Virginia asked.

“I think, I know,” he corrected himself, “those riders we heard were the bandits we’ve been runnin’ across ever since we came on this trip. I think they’ve got Miss Valerie just as they’ve probably got yore other friend.”

“You mean--Gale?” Carol asked in a whisper.

“I shore do and unless we do something mighty prompt there’s no tellin’ what’ll happen.”

Tom had hastily thrown his saddle on his horse and now he led the creature into the circle of firelight. In his hand he carried his revolver. Gravely he handed it to Virginia.

“You might need it before I get back,” he said.

“But you----” Virginia protested.

“I’ll get another,” he said calmly. “You’ll stick to the camp, Jim?” he asked turning to the cowboy.

“I can’t do nothin’ until you and yore Dad come,” Jim replied. “One wouldn’t have a chance against a couple of those fellows.”

“Right you are!” Tom agreed and swung himself into the saddle. “I’ll probably be back sometime about noon,” he said and was off. As long as they could hear them, the girls listened to the rumbling beat of his horse’s hoofs. When silence settled down on the valley again they looked expectantly at Jim and Virginia. The latter two were westerners, versed in the ways of the West. Surely they could tell the girls what they could do. It was inconceivable that they should sit idle for hours and hours, just waiting for Tom and his companions to come.

“Can’t we do something?” Madge asked, voicing the desire of all of them.

“We can make sure that nobody enters or leaves this camp without all of us knowing it,” Jim said sternly.

“What could Val have been thinking of to wander off like that?” Virginia added worriedly.

“She probably didn’t think there was anything to fear,” Phyllis defended. “What are we to do?” she asked of Jim.

“Get your revolver,” he said crisply.

Phyllis bent down and pulled it from her boot. She had taken the suggestion from Gale, and now she was never without it.

“We’ll have to watch the camp,” Virginia said practically. “Is that your idea, Jim?”

“Yes. I’ll take a spot here in the shadows.” Jim indicated the direction from which Val’s scream had come. He stationed Virginia and Phyllis on both sides of the camp. The others, unarmed, could go back to bed or do as they pleased as long as there was no noise and they didn’t leave the camp.

“As though we could sleep,” Janet sniffed disdainfully when bed was suggested.

“I’m going to sit with Virginia,” Madge said and departed to take up her post in the shadows at Virginia’s side.

Carol and Janet went off to join Phyllis and so once more silence descended on the Adventure Girls’ camp.

Virginia and Madge sat with their backs against a tree, facing the camp. Protected by the heavy shadows all around them, the girls could see the camp site clearly, but anyone coming stealthily onto the camp could not see them.

“Why do you suppose Jim thinks it necessary to guard the camp?” Madge whispered.

“It looks as though those bandits were interested in us for some reason,” Virginia murmured. “Why should they kidnap two of the girls, as Jim thinks they did, unless for some special reason?”

Madge thought this over for a moment. “But what reason could they have?” she asked at length.

“I don’t know,” Virginia answered.

It was strange. The girls had done nothing to warrant this attack on them by the outlaws. Or had they? They couldn’t tell what Gale or Val might have found after they left the camp. Perhaps they had stumbled on the hiding place of the bandits and now were being held prisoner by those very outlaws. Virginia half smiled to herself. The girls had come out for a restful, interesting summer and they had stumbled into a feud of bandits and rustlers.

She hoped fervently that Tom, riding hard toward the K Bar O, was safe. Since he had given her his gun, it left him unarmed and if he should come face to face with any of the rustlers---- She turned her thoughts sternly away from that subject. She had faith in Tom’s ability to take care of himself. He was no child, he was older than she, and he knew the range land and its secrets. The only time he had left the ranch was when he had been away to school. After graduation he had returned eagerly to his interrupted western life. Virginia settled herself more comfortably. No, Tom would be all right. It was not him she should worry about, but the two girls who had disappeared so mysteriously.

Since she was ten and Gale nine, Virginia had not seen her cousin until that day weeks before when the ramshackle car had puffed into the ranch yard and its occupants had piled gratefully from it. They had exchanged letters faithfully, but they never really knew each other until they started on this camping trip. Riding, eating, sleeping, laughing together in the vast silence and beauty of Virginia’s native state, the two cousins had grown close. Now Virginia knew and admired her cousin tremendously. She recognized in Gale the same high ideals and love of truth and sincerity that she herself cherished. There was in Gale, too, a spirit of mischievous recklessness and courage that delighted Virginia. In Gale’s gray eyes there burned a continual spark and her red lips were always laughing. She liked Gale, honestly and whole-heartedly. She wanted to be one of her firmest friends, because she was sure Gale would be loyal and unselfish to those who won her deepest friendship.

Smothering a yawn, Virginia glanced at Madge beside her and received a sunny smile. She smiled in answer and folded her arms. She liked all the girls that had come West with Gale. What a fine name they had chosen for themselves. The Adventure Girls! The very words spoke of fun, mystery, and excitement. They must have countless good times. All of them were capable of stirring up mischief and excitement. She wondered how so many different natures had ever come together. She must ask Gale sometime how they had first formed their group.

The darkness was like a heavy blanket and the faint wind was soothing. The trees stirred faintly overhead. The few remaining embers of the campfire in front of them glowed like a small red eye through the blackness. Each faint sound was like a roar in their ears. Their nerves were on edge and magnified each whisper of a leaf or cracking of a twig. The stars overhead were fading and the moonlight was waning. Far, far in the east the first faint streaks of daylight were creeping into the sky.

Virginia straightened up, startled. She had been asleep! That was her first chagrining thought. Jim had put her on guard and she had fallen asleep. Madge grinned at her when they glanced at one another.

“Have a good nap?” she asked laughingly. Virginia laughed too. “Why didn’t you wake me?” she demanded.

“What for?” Madge asked blandly. “Nothing happened. In fact,” she giggled, “I’ve a sneaking suspicion that I was asleep too.”

“Wouldn’t we make fine night watchmen?” Virginia laughed.

Jim had stepped into the circle of the camp and now he called them. “Might as well have breakfast,” he suggested practically.

“When should Tom get back?” Phyllis asked.

“It’s a long ride to the ranch house,” Jim said, poking at the fire. “Best he could do would be sometime this afternoon.”

The girls said nothing but each felt a sinking of the heart at the big delay it meant. It would be hours yet before they could start looking for their comrades.

They had breakfast, consisting mainly of steaming hot coffee and warmed biscuits; but at that, they felt better, more cheerful, after a little food. They could look upon Gale’s and Val’s absence with more fortitude and confidence in the good fortune of their friends. Both absent girls were resourceful and quick-witted. Perhaps nothing serious had happened to them after all. The girls were wondering what to do with themselves during the hours they must spend when the galloping of hoof beats was heard. Their hearts beat faster. Was it Tom and men from the ranch or--could it possibly be the bandits?