Ah looked, Ah didn't sawed
him no moah."

"Who was it?" demanded a mountaineer.

"Ah doan know. Ah didn't sawed him close 'nuf, an' den Ah didn't sawed
him at all."

"He oughter be strung up anyway," suggested a voice.

"Don't get excited! Don't get excited," urged Lieutenant Wingate, when
it became plain that the mountaineers were determined to make further
trouble.

"Gentlemen, Lieutenant Wingate has given you good advice. That colored
boy is not to be blamed for what has occurred here," declared Miss
Briggs, getting to her feet. "It is not necessary for you to take my
word for that, nor the boy's. You can prove it for yourselves."

"How?" demanded several voices.

"Go outside and examine the bushes that grow by the window through which
the shot was fired, and look at the ground carefully for foot-tracks. I
am amazed that you didn't think of it yourselves. You see when one is
angry he does not reason and--"

The men did not give her opportunity to finish. They again bolted from
the schoolroom. Their voices and their exclamations were heard under the
window a moment later.

"That was fine, J. Elfreda," glowed Grace.

"If they fail to find tracks there I am sorry for Wash, that's all,"
replied Miss Briggs with a shrug.

"Yer right!" cried a mountaineer, entering the room at that juncture.
"We seen where the critter was standin' when he shot Lum. We seen the
mark o' his boots, and the bunch is startin' to follow his trail. Reckon
you gals might as well go home, fer they'll be a different kind o' a
party if they kotch him. Won't be no more dancin' t'-night."

"Ladies, I am sorry if we were the cause of trouble here," began Grace.

"You-all ain't," protested Julie.

"Thank you." Grace favored her with a radiant smile. "What I was about
to say, is that we expect to break camp and go on to-morrow morning. If
we do not, we should like to have you young ladies come and call on us.
It is always open house in the Overland camp. Julie, I hope we shall see
you in the morning."

"Ah don't reckon as you-all will be goin' away in the mornin'. Ah
s'ppose Ah ought t' tell you-all what Ah knows, but Ah reckons
you-all'll find out for yourselves soon 'nuf."

Julie's words did not impress the Overlanders at the moment, but while
on their way to camp they pondered over them, discussed them and
wondered what she may have meant.

The answer to the question in their minds Grace and her friends found
awaiting them when