ed this morning before daylight and warned me. I gathered
the animals together, and your mother and I set out for Barwell
in all haste, driving the beasts before us.

"I feel certain of either finding you and Dot at my brother's in
the settlement or of meeting you on the way, for I suppose, of
course, you will follow the regular trail; but, at the moment of
starting, your mother suggests the possibility that you may take
the upper route. To make sure, I write this letter. If the
Indians reach the building before you, they will leave such
traces of their presence that you will take the alarm. If you
arrive first and see this note, re-mount Saladin, turn
northward, and lose not a minute in galloping to the settlement.
None of them can overtake you. Avoid the upper trail, where it
is much easier for them to ambush you; keep as much on the open
prairie as possible; see that your weapons are loaded; make
Saladin do his best; and God be with you and Darling Dot.--
Your Father."

[Illustration: "He hurriedly unfolded the paper and read."]

The youth read this important message aloud to Dot, who stood at his
side, looking wistfully up in his face. She was too young to comprehend
fully its meaning, but she knew that her parents had left for the
settlement, and that her father had ordered Melville to follow at once
with her.

"The bad Indians are coming," he added, "and if we stay here they will
shoot us. I don't think," he said, glancing around, "that they are
anywhere near; but they are likely to come any minute, so we won't
wait."

"Oh, Mel!" suddenly spoke up Dot, "you know I forgot to take Susie with
me when I went away; can't I get her now?"

Susie was Dot's pet doll, and the fact that she left it behind when
making her visit to Uncle Jack's had a great deal more to do with her
home-sickness than her friends suspected. The thought of leaving it
behind again almost broke her heart.

"I am sure mother took it with her when she went off this morning,"
replied Melville, feeling a little uneasy over the request.

"I'll soon find out," said she, stepping hastily towards the door.

He could not refuse her wish, for he understood the depth of the
affection she felt for the doll, whose dress was somewhat torn, and
whose face was not always as clean as her own. Besides, it could take
only a minute or two to get the