Part 17 (1/2)

”What do you want?” delanced over their shoulders to see if the newcoht we heard a woman in trouble,” answered Ben, slowly

”And we did hear a woulars exchanged unsteady glances, for each was somewhat the worse for liquor ”There ain't no woman here,” answered one of the for help?” persisted the young captain

”See here, cap'n, you are on the wrong trail,” caulars ”Me and Bill's jest been having a little rumpus between ourselves We meant no harm by it”

”I don't believe you,” came from Major Morris, promptly ”There is so to find out what it is!” he went on

The major had scarcely finished when Ben's eyes fell to the floor, and he saw the outline of a trap-door under one of the regular's feet One edge of the door was raised about half an inch above the floor proper, as if the door had been opened and not put back evenly into place

”Major, look at that trap-door!” he cried ”I'll wager they used it while ere coht, captain If you'll--”

”We didn't use no trap-door,” shouted the younger of the regulars, but he appeared much disconcerted over the discovery Ben had made

”Captain, I have theht out the two pistols hich he had wisely provided hiate”

”I will,” returned the young captain, and backed out of the roo his weapons at them theis all right, you won't be harht to ”

”And what business have you here?” deed his ht of last week, and were just trying to get back to our lines again”

”We'll talk about that when ets back, ize and do the handso by you,” he added

In thehis way down to the bank of the stream, under the mill, with all possible speed It was extremely dark, and he had to pick his ith caution for fear of tuly hollow Below the mill was a fall of water, and here the streaained the bank of the stream when a low moan reached his ears At first he could not locate the sound, but presently discovered that it ca he ain the top of the rocks Here he saw the water foa twenty feet below

”That woman must be down there,” he muttered Then he raised his voice ”Where are you?”

”Down here, by the rocks!” ca the voice as well as he was able, the young captain began crawling down from one rock to another This was difficult work, and he had to move with extreme care for fear of a tu stream At last, however, he found himself perched on a bit of a shelf, with the water less than two feet away

Fro in the water, with her ar a sharp stone which reared its point just above the surface of the strea in years, and that her dress was sadly torn, and her long hair was floating loosely over her neck and face

Itcaptain was perplexed over the situation that confronted him The sufferer was just beyond his reach, and he felt that to plunge into the water after her would be to take a big risk, for if the stream at this point was over his waist, the force of the current would carry hier?” he called out

[Illustration: ”Can you hold on a few e 173_]

”No! no! I am too weak,” came more faintly than ever ”Help me quickly, and Heaven will reward you!”

”I will do what I can--but you ht for a minute,” answered Ben