The natural impulse was to turn on her light, but Grace Harlowe was too prudent to do that just yet. She preferred to wait and listen. This policy produced results. A second groan, more prolonged than before, followed.
It was a human groan of distress that she had heard, though whether real or feigned the girl was unable to decide in her own mind, but she now realized that she must make the advance herself. Arriving at this decision, Grace turned on her light, and, with the automatic revolver thrust ahead of her, ready for instant use, she began a cautious search for the source of the voice.
“Groan again, so I may know where you are,” she called softly. “If you are hoping to play a trick on me I shall shoot on sight!”
The response came back almost at once, the voice sounding ahead of her and to the right side of the tunnel. She moved forward with renewed caution, and, a few steps further on, as she flashed her ribbon of light into a niche in the wall of the tunnel, she saw him.
Grace approached cautiously, still holding her weapon at ready, for, though she was looking down on a man, apparently hound and gagged, she proposed to take no more than the absolutely necessary chances.
Leaning over, with the revolver pointed down at him, Grace turned the light of her lamp into the face of the owner of the voice. As she did so she uttered an exclamation of amazement.
CHAPTER XXIV
GRACE SOLVES THE MOUNTAIN MYSTERY
“JOE SMOKY FACE!” cried Grace Harlowe. “What does this mean?”
“Me kill um!” raged the Indian who had guarded their ponies on the night of the Overland Riders’ arrival, after Grace had removed the gag from his mouth.