Aggie
had thoughtfully added sliced lemon and a quantity of ginger ale.
Feeling much refreshed, we grasped our weapons and waited.

At half-past twelve we heard a loud shriek on the pass, far overhead,
followed almost immediately by a fusillade of shots. Then a silence,
followed by more shots. Then a solitary horseman rode over the edge of
the pass and, spurring his horse, rode recklessly down the precipitous
trail. Aggie exclaimed that it was Mr. Ostermaier, basely deserting his
wife in her apparent hour of need. But Tish, who had the glasses,
reported finally that it was the moving-picture man.

We were greatly surprised, as it had not occurred to us that this would
be a part of the program.

As he descended, Tish announced that there must be another photographer
on top, as he was "registering" signs of terror--a moving-picture
expression which she had acquired from Charlie Sands--and looking back
frequently over his shoulder.

We waited until he reached timber-line, and then withdrew to a group of
trees. It was not our intention to allow him to see us and spoil
everything. But when he came near, through the woods, and his horse
continued at unabated speed, Tish decided that the animal, frightened by
the shots, was running away.

She therefore placed herself across the trail to check its headlong
speed, but the animal merely rushed round her. Mr. Oliver yelled
something at us, which we were, however, unable to hear, and kept madly
on.

Almost immediately four men, firing back over their shoulders, rode into
sight at the pass and came swiftly down toward us.

"Where's the girl?" Tish cried with her glasses to her eyes. "The idiots
have got excited and have forgotten to steal her."

That was plainly what had happened, but she was determined to be stolen
anyhow, for the next moment she rode into view, furiously following the
bandits.

"She's kept her head anyhow," Tish observed with satisfaction. "Trust a
lot of men to go crazy and do the wrong thing. But they'll have to
change the story and make her follow them."

At timber-line the men seemed to realize that she was behind them, and
they turned and looked up. They seemed to be at a loss to know what to
do, in view of the picture. But they were quick thinkers, too, we
decided. Right then and there they took her prisoner, surrounding her.

She made a desperate resistance, even crying out, as we could plainly
see. But Tish was irritated. She said she could