"Easy, easy," came the exasperating, sneering words from the bandit.
"Take it easy or it will be all the worse for you. Now where do you
keep the goods?"

He had actually succeeded in tying her hands and now held her prisoner
with one strong arm about her waist, and with the other hand he was
endeavoring to unclasp her beautiful little gold bracelet. Fearing to
lose her footing, in her frantic efforts to get free, Dorothy thought
quickly. It would be better to lose her jewelry, than to have her life
perhaps imperiled.

"You may take my--gold," she panted. "You seem to be stronger than I,
and if you are not crazy you must be--a thief!"

"If you shout--I'll gag you," came the astonishing declaration, while
the bandit struggled with the bracelet, and almost cut Dorothy's wrist
on the knife with which he was trying to cut loose the circlet.

"Oh, don't," pleaded Dorothy. "Let go my hand and I'll give it you!"

How she wanted to yell! But if he should tie her mouth!

Voices sounded!

"Oh, it must be the boys," thought Dorothy. "If only they come this
way!"

Her assailant heard the same voices, and desperately he pulled at the
locked bracelet. As he made one final attempt to wrench it from