CONCLUSION
"There goes another shot!" exclaimed Harriet.
"Answer it, dear."
"There are only five more shells in the gun. Shall I use them all?"
"Shoot once."
Harriet did so, getting two signal shots in return.
"That means the strangers have heard and understood, does it not?"
questioned the guardian.
"I think so. Now, I would suggest that we keep very quiet until we see
who it is. We don't know but it may be our old enemy, who is taking
this method of locating us. I have four more cartridges in the
magazine. I think we should be able to hold the strangers off with
those if we have to."
"Do not fire a shot unless I tell you to!" commanded Miss Elting firmly.
Harriet agreed with a nod, while the guardian stepped back to warn the
other girls to be absolutely silent, no matter what might happen.
Harriet, acting upon a sudden thought ran over to the fire and
scattered it with a stick so that it would not blaze up so high. Then
she returned to her post. Some time had elapsed before she was
startled, all at once, by the sound of a stick snapping.
The girl crept to a more favorable position, where she could obtain a
better view of the camp. Then her heart fairly leaped into her throat.
Standing plainly outlined in the flickering light of the campfire was a
man. Harriet studied the man, then slowly slid the barrel of the rifle
into position.
"Stand still! Don't move!" she cried. "I have you covered. If you
move I'll shoot! Hands up!"
The man started, opened his mouth as if he were about to speak, then
quickly raised his hands above his head. There was a half grin of
amusement on the face of the visitor, but Harriet, as she crouched
squinting over the barrel of the captured rifle, failed to notice it.
The light was faint and the man's hat shaded his face.
"Who are you and what do you want here?" she demanded, a trace of
excitement in her tone.
"It's all right, Miss," the man smiled, tilting back his hat and
revealing an open countenance. "I'm the sheriff of the county. I've
been sent to look you up. We have your guide down at the foot of the
White Trail. He's been hurt. We've got another fellow in whom you'll
be interested too. Janus Grubb sent us to find you."
"Is Mr. Grubb badly hurt?" queried Harriet, as all the girls came
slowly out from their hiding places.
"Sprained an ankle, not much, but it will lay him up for a few days.
The other man we have is Charlie Valdes, known as Big Charlie. The
story of Valdes dates back to the time when Jan was a deputy sheriff.
He ran down Charlie and another bad character, Henry Tracy. Both
fellows were poachers, preying on the preserves of rich men in these
mountains. Jan got his hands on the pair and gathered the evidence
that put them in prison. Charlie's time was up first, and he came back
on purpose to even the score with Jan. The instant I had a description
of the fellow who bothered you in Compton I felt sure it was Big
Charlie. He's the man who has been following you, and we'll prove the
burning of the bridge against him, too."
"Did Mr. Grubb catch the man again this time, too?" asked Hazel.
"Jan overhauled Valdes, and in the fight that followed put a bullet in
his leg," replied the sheriff. "It was in the tussle that Jan got his
ankle sprained, but your guide landed his man. Sometimes Jan may seem
slow, but in a rumpus he's a terror for speed, decision, and grit. We
were heading up the White Trail, hoping to head you off, when we ran
into Jan and Valdes."
Later, at the county seat the Meadow-Brook Girls were permitted to put
their evidence against Big Charlie, whom they recognized and
identified. Charlie was held for trial, and afterward sent back to
prison for a much longer term than his first one.
The Meadow-Brook Girls regretted parting with Janus Grubb, whom they
held in the highest esteem. But Janus was not able to guide any one
for the next fortnight or longer, so he recommended a new guide, who
led the Meadow-Brook Girls on a long mountain "hike" over beaten
trails. Then, at last, Harriet Burrell and her friends reluctantly
turned homeward.