TE VISITOR

So unexpected had been the shot that, for a few seconds, the boys stood
dumbfounded.

"I'm shot! I'm shot!" yelled the professor.

Bang!

A bullet whistled close to the head of Tad Butler. Stacy Brown, who
was just coming into camp with an armful of dry wood for the campfire,
dropped his burden and with a howl made for shelter. Tad and Ned had
sprung to one side so as to be out of range, while Walter Perkins had
flattened himself on the ground.

"Lie still!" commanded Tad sternly as the professor started to get up
from where he had sunk down. "Are you much hurt?"

"I---I don't know."

"Drop that pistol, you!" commanded Tad, glowering at the prisoner.

The man laughed.

"I've got you children now," he sneered. "I'll pick you off unless you
do as I tell you. Now you come over here. Walk straight, one hand
out. Leave your guns behind. Cut me loose or you're a dead one,"
commanded the prisoner.

"Oh, am I?"

Tad glanced around to make sure that all the boys were out of range.
Then with a quick leap he got entirely out of range of the revolver
in the hands of the prisoner. Tad had thought he was out of range
before, but the man on the ground had twisted the weapon about until
its muzzle was pointing in Butler's direction.

But this time the lad got out of range without question. But he was
no better off than before. Reaching for his revolver he made the
discovery that he had thrown off his belt with revolver and cartridges
before beginning to get supper. The others were in no better shape.
Not a boy had his revolver on, and the professor's weapon was in the
hands of the prisoner.

"I know a trick. I've played it once to-day and I can play it again,"
declared Tad, searching for a stone, while the others got well out of
the way, watching T. Butler. In an emergency they always looked to
him to get them out of their difficulties.

"Professor, you lie still. Don't move. I'll fix this fellow. You
had better get a good bit farther off," advised the lad, observing a
movement on the part of the mountaineer.

Suddenly the latter braced his head and digging his heels into the
ground ran around, pivoting on his head. Tad anticipated the movement
by running a few seconds in advance. For a few moments it was a race
of wits. The lad as yet had not found a stone suited to his immediate
requirements. He was using his eyes in this direction as well as
watching the prisoner. Once the la