“Do—do you think they are watching us now, Tom?” begged Emma with concern.
“Possibly, but I rather think they are fully occupied at present. I will let you into a secret. The purpose of leaving Elfreda’s gold and the old prospector’s diary was to trap the bandits and attack them.”
“Who will attack them?” Elfreda asked.
“Certain officers of the law who were lying in wait about the camp even before you left there. It was a battle on our campground that you heard—a battle between the officers and the bandits of the range. We will now get breakfast and have forty winks of sleep, provided we are not interrupted.”
Sleep was welcome, even more so than breakfast. The meal was quickly disposed of and the Overlanders lay down with their clothes on, Tom advising them to be ready to move at an instant’s notice.
They had not been asleep long ere the crash of a rifle brought all members of the party to their feet.
“Lie down and stay down!” commanded Captain Gray, setting the example by throwing himself to the ground. Tom knew what the others did not—that a rifle bullet had sped low over the spot occupied by the Overlanders.
Then came a heavy scattering fire from two sides of the mountain meadow, and now they could plainly hear the bullets singing overhead.
Frightened, Emma Dean sprang up to run to the cover of the trees and as she ran they saw her throw up her hands.
“I’m hit! Oh, I’m shot!” she cried, and pitched forward in the deep meadow grass.