they gets scattered, what with Bill and Lahoma and me taking
different ways--they liked Lahoma first time they see her, as a
matter of course. And so, that Miss Sellimer, she gets separated
from all the rest, and I shows her a dandy hiding-place where nobody
couldn't find her, and I shows her what a good joke it would be to
pretend to be lost. So I leaves her there to go to tell her crowd
she dares 'em to find her. Are you listening?"

"Of course."

"Well, while she was setting there waiting to be searched for, of
a sudden a great big Injun in a blanket and feathers and red paint
jumps down beside her and grabs her and picks her up, and about as
quick as she knew anything, she was gagged and bound and being bore
along through the air. I reckon it was a terrible moment for her.
Now there is a crevice in the top of the mountain that nobody don't
never explore, because it's just a crack in the rock that ain't to
be climbed out of without a ladder. So the Injun carries her there,
and lets her down with a rope that it seems he must of had handy
somewheres, and he puts out; and there she is, in a holler in the
mountain, not able to move or cry out no more than if she'd been
captured by a regular highwayman."

Wilfred stared at Willock in complete bewilderment. Willock
chuckled.

"There was a terrible time!" remarked Bill.

"Dark was a-coming on before the party got plumb scared," Willock
continued, "but they brushed and combed that mountain looking for