“I guess you are right,” agreed Mabel. “I wish he had stayed where we could keep track of him.”
“So do I. But he didn’t. We had better be getting back.”
They turned and started to retrace their footsteps, but even as they did so the footsteps of a large body of men came toward them. They were not yet in sight, but the men were coming right down the street through which the girls must go on their way back.
Mabel looked at Shirley in alarm.
“What shall we do?” she exclaimed.
“We’ll just have to put on a bold face and walk right along,” declared Shirley. “Come.”
She started out slowly, Mabel walking by her side.
A moment later there appeared ahead of them, advancing at a rapid march, a body of armed men. Shirley and Mabel shrank close to the side of the street to give the marchers as much room as possible.
At first it seemed the girls would get by without trouble, for the first troop had passed them, paying no attention to their presence.
But as the officer in command of the troop came abreast of them, a command suddenly rang out: