It was a real welcome that the Overlanders gave the two men. Elfreda and Grace were studying the face of Haley, with the same thought in the mind of each. Could this carefree, temperamental Haley be the Haley that they had seen facing the bandit gunman calmly, never flinching under the bandit’s fire, and in the end downing his man? It did not seem possible.
“How did you make out with your patient?” he asked, his face suddenly assuming a grave expression as he shook hands with Miss Briggs.
“His wounds were serious, but, if he is not neglected, I think he will pull through.”
“He will not be neglected where he is going,” was the significant reply. “The officers have taken him away from your last camp by now, so don’t worry. After a snack we will have a talk all around.”
The breakfast from then on was a happy reunion, and even Elfreda Briggs forgot to be distant towards Hamilton White. Emma managed to sit beside him, her face wearing a most devoted look.
When the dishes had been put away, the party settled down to talk over their experiences, and after a little Tom Gray cleared his throat and announced that he had something to say.
“You Overlanders have accused some of us of all the time making a mystery of everything. While clearing myself, there are others present whom I wish to clear of any suspicion of doing other than their duty.
“Here are the facts: When I came up here with my wife and her party, I was supposed to come as a forester, but as a matter of fact I came on quite another mission. For a long time tourists and others have been preyed upon by mountain bandits, the Guerrillas of the Cascades, as some call them. As a forester here for a survey it was thought that I might get a line, so to speak, on the gang and its lair without them suspecting me. I did that to a certain extent. Then, too, there was a famous government forester who came to Washington State on the same mission. He thought he could best look over the ground by joining out with a party of tourists, and he was unfortunate enough to fall in with the Overland Riders. That man knew these forests and mountains, and, after finishing this particular mission, he is to be the chief of the foresters, which, in fact, he is already.”
“Hamilton White!” cried Nora.
Tom Gray nodded.