“Now,” thought Frank grimly to himself, “my fine fellow, here’s where you get the shock of your young life.”
He gathered himself for a spring, leaped to his feet and grappled with the intruder. The latter tried to escape, but Frank launched himself into him with such impetus that they both went down together.
The head of the unknown struck the ground hard and he lay still. Frank was alarmed.
“Quick!” he called, as Tom and Billy, aroused by the fracas, rushed toward him. “Strike a match, one of you.”
Billy did so, and as the light flashed upon the face of the prostrate man they gave a shout.
“Bart!”
CHAPTER XXII
A JOYOUS REUNION
“Bart!” Frank repeated with a groan. “And perhaps I’ve killed him!”
Tom lighted a candle while Billy rushed for his canteen. They dashed some of its contents into Bart’s pallid face and chafed his hands and wrists.
In a few minutes their vigorous efforts had results. Bart moved uneasily, his eyes opened and rested vacantly at first and then intelligently upon the faces of his friends.