GONE
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?