by Clair Blank
Chapter XII
GONE
Phyllis reached out a hand. "Awake, Val?" But when there was no answerand her hand encountered empty air she sat up alarmed. "Val?" she calledsoftly. Still there was no answer and Phyllis went to the tent flap andstepped out. Everywhere was silence. "Val!" she called again.
"What's the matter?" a soft voice spoke behind her and Virginia joinedher.
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 wonderwhere she can be?"
"Probably went for a walk," Virginia smiled. "I suppose she was thinkingof 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," sherepeated.
"Will you two chatterboxes please go to sleep?" Tom yawned from hisblankets. "Regular night owls, that's what you are."
"We can't sleep," Virginia said, seating herself cross-legged on theground 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'tknow."
"I wish----" Virginia was beginning when she stopped.
From the darkness behind them came a piercing scream. It echoed likethunder through the sleeping stillness of the valley. It brought theremaining girls tumbling from their tent. The four by the campfireexchanged startled, incredible glances.
"That was Val's voice!" Phyllis said with an effort.
"Come on, Jim!" Tom was already disappearing into the sagebrush. Behindhim was Jim and the girls trailed after. No one proposed to be leftalone in camp.
But, uncertain as they were of the exact spot from whence the scream hadcome, they thrashed about in the darkness finding nothing. Finally Tomheld up a commanding hand for silence.
"Listen!" he ordered.
There was borne to them on the night air the pounding of hoofs. For atime they were heard and then the sound died slowly into silence.
"Horses!" Janet said incredibly. "But who--why--who screamed?" shedemanded.
Jim was off at top speed for the spot where the horses must have beenwhen they started. When the rest joined him he was bending overexamining hoof marks with the aid of a burning pine faggot. He stampedthe torch out when he saw the girls and turned to lead the way back tocamp. There he bent serious glances upon all of them.
"Tom," he said finally, "saddle your horse and ride to the ranch foryore father and some men. Don't lose any time about it either. There'ssomething 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 thebandits we've been runnin' across ever since we came on this trip. Ithink they've got Miss Valerie just as they've probably got yore otherfriend."
"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 thecreature into the circle of firelight. In his hand he carried hisrevolver. 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?" heasked turning to the cowboy.
"I can't do nothin' until you and yore Dad come," Jim replied. "Onewouldn't have a chance against a couple of those fellows."
"Right you are!" Tom agreed and swung himself into the saddle. "I'llprobably be back sometime about noon," he said and was off.
As long as they could hear them, the girls listened to the rumbling beatof his horse's hoofs. When silence settled down on the valley again theylooked expectantly at Jim and Virginia. The latter two were westerners,versed in the ways of the West. Surely they could tell the girls whatthey could do. It was inconceivable that they should sit idle for hoursand 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 ofus knowing it," Jim said sternly.
"What could Val have been thinking of to wander off like that?" Virginiaadded worriedly.
"She probably didn't think there was anything to fear," Phyllisdefended. "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 thesuggestion from Gale, and now she was never without it.
"We'll have to watch the camp," Virginia said practically. "Is that youridea, Jim?"
"Yes. I'll take a spot here in the shadows." Jim indicated the directionfrom which Val's scream had come. He stationed Virginia and Phyllis onboth sides of the camp. The others, unarmed, could go back to bed or doas they pleased as long as there was no noise and they didn't leave thecamp.
"As though we could sleep," Janet sniffed disdainfully when bed wassuggested.
"I'm going to sit with Virginia," Madge said and departed to take up herpost in the shadows at Virginia's side.
Carol and Janet went off to join Phyllis and so once more silencedescended 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 thecamp site clearly, but anyone coming stealthily onto the camp could notsee them.
"Why do you suppose Jim thinks it necessary to guard the camp?" Madgewhispered.
"It looks as though those bandits were interested in us for somereason," Virginia murmured. "Why should they kidnap two of the girls, asJim 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 onthem by the outlaws. Or had they? They couldn't tell what Gale or Valmight have found after they left the camp. Perhaps they had stumbled onthe hiding place of the bandits and now were being held prisoner bythose very outlaws. Virginia half smiled to herself. The girls had comeout for a restful, interesting summer and they had stumbled into a feudof 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 shouldcome face to face with any of the rustlers---- She turned her thoughtssternly away from that subject. She had faith in Tom's ability to takecare of himself. He was no child, he was older than she, and he knew therange land and its secrets. The only time he had left the ranch was whenhe had been away to school. After graduation he had returned eagerly tohis interrupted western life. Virginia settled herself more comfortably.No, Tom would be all right. It was not him she should worry about, butthe two girls who had disappeared so mysteriously.
Since she was ten and Gale nine, Virginia had not seen her cousin untilthat day weeks before when the ramshackle car had puffed into the ranchyard and its occupants had piled gratefully from it. They had exchangedletters faithfully, but they never really knew each other until theystarted on this camping trip. Riding, eating, sleeping, laughingtogether in the vast silence and beauty of Virginia's native state, thetwo cousins had grown close. Now Virginia knew and admired her cousintremendously. She recognized in Gale the same high ideals and love oftruth and sincerity that she herself cherished. There was in Ga
le, too,a spirit of mischievous recklessness and courage that delightedVirginia. In Gale's gray eyes there burned a continual spark and her redlips were always laughing. She liked Gale, honestly and whole-heartedly.She wanted to be one of her firmest friends, because she was sure Galewould be loyal and unselfish to those who won her deepest friendship.
Smothering a yawn, Virginia glanced at Madge beside her and received asunny smile. She smiled in answer and folded her arms. She liked all thegirls that had come West with Gale. What a fine name they had chosen forthemselves. The Adventure Girls! The very words spoke of fun, mystery,and excitement. They must have countless good times. All of them werecapable of stirring up mischief and excitement. She wondered how so manydifferent natures had ever come together. She must ask Gale sometime howthey 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 thecampfire in front of them glowed like a small red eye through theblackness. Each faint sound was like a roar in their ears. Their nerveswere 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 inthe east the first faint streaks of daylight were creeping into the sky.
Virginia straightened up, startled. She had been asleep! That was herfirst chagrining thought. Jim had put her on guard and she had fallenasleep. 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," shegiggled, "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 bigdelay it meant. It would be hours yet before they could start lookingfor their comrades.
They had breakfast, consisting mainly of steaming hot coffee and warmedbiscuits; but at that, they felt better, more cheerful, after a littlefood. They could look upon Gale's and Val's absence with more fortitudeand confidence in the good fortune of their friends. Both absent girlswere resourceful and quick-witted. Perhaps nothing serious had happenedto them after all.
The girls were wondering what to do with themselves during the hoursthey must spend when the galloping of hoof beats was heard. Their heartsbeat faster. Was it Tom and men from the ranch or--could it possibly bethe bandits?
