She shrank back suddenly as Joe’s tormentor brushed the rock that guarded the entrance of the cave and disappeared into the woods.
“Now, Tavia!” she whispered tensely. “Now!”
CHAPTER XXIX
THE DASTARDLY PLOT
The two girls waited to make sure there was no one else in the cave besides Joe, listened until the sounds made by his captor crashing through the underbrush had died away.
Then Dorothy ran to him, sank to her knees beside him, laughed and cried over him as she lifted his head and held it tight against her.
“Joe, Joe! why did you run away? We’ve been nearly crazy, dear! No, no, don’t cry, Joe darling! It’s all right. Your Dorothy is here. Nothing, nothing will ever hurt you again.”
Her arms tightened about him fiercely and the boy sobbed, great, tearing sobs that he was ashamed of but could not control.
The storm lasted only a minute, and then he said gruffly, big-boy fashion, to hide his weakness:
“I—you oughtn’t to come near me, Dot. I—I’ve done an awful thing and got myself into a heap of trouble!”
“Never mind about that now, dear,” cried Dorothy, suddenly recalled to the peril of their situation. “We’ve got to get you away before that dreadful man comes back.”