Presently he was aroused by a slight noise near at hand. Glancing
quickly around to his right, his keen eyes detected the form of a man
slinking along among the bushes. Dane could not see his face, but from
his attitude it was quite evident that the girl near the fire was the
object of his special attention. At length he stopped, and, crouching
behind a small pile of brush kept his eyes fixed upon the unsuspecting
girl.

Dane was now thoroughly aroused, and he was about to spring forward and
demand an explanation for the man's suspicious actions, when the
crouching figure rose suddenly to a standing position, and then stepped
quickly forward. The reason was at once apparent, for glancing toward
the fire, Dane saw that the girl had just left the children to their
parents' care with the evident intention of returning home. In order
to do so, it was necessary for her to cross an upper portion of the
hillside, considered too rough and rocky for any one to pitch his
abode. There was not the slightest semblance of a trail, but the girl
had traversed the place several times that day, so was quite sure of
her way. Nevertheless, she glanced somewhat anxiously around as she
hurried onward, especially so where the bushes and scrubby trees stood
the thickest.

Dane followed the man who was slinking along after the girl, and for a
while he was able to keep him in view. Then he disappeared among the
trees, and as Dane stepped quickly forward so as not to miss him
altogether, a sudden cry of fear fell upon his ears. That it came from
the girl he was well aware; telling plainly that she was in need of
help. He leaped at once to her assistance, and in another minute he
saw her struggling in the arms of her assailant, and trying to free