o surprise us. We'll have to look sharp now."

"My advice," said Colonel Edwards, "is that we split up a bit, to return
here at a given signal. If we all remain here, it will be simple for them
to surround us. Scattered, we may catch them at a disadvantage."

"A good plan," Hal agreed. "We'll scatter a hundred yards in each
direction. And the signal to return?"

"I'll whistle," said Colonel Edwards.

"Good! Let's move."

Five minutes later, in the spot where the five had been, there remained
only the five horses.

With revolvers in hands, the five friends were scattered near by, eyes
wide open for the first enemy to show himself.

And the first chanced to be a scant twenty yards from Chester. He came
crawling along the ground, glancing furtively about. He spied Chester at
the same moment the lad saw him. The two revolvers spoke almost as one.

Chester felt a slight pain in his left arm. His opponent gave a loud cry
and toppled over.

"Guess he won't bother us any more," muttered the lad grimly.

He kept his eyes peeled for sign of another of the foes. And in other
parts of the woods the others did likewise.

Hal saw no sign of an enemy and after the one whom he had accounted
for, neither did Chester. They kept careful watch, the while awaiting
the signal that was to call them back to their horses in a final dash
for safety.

From their places of concealment the lads heard a shot. There was not a
second. Each was greatly worried, for neither knew who had fired it or
whether friend or foe had been hit. All they could do was wait.

At last the whistle came, the signal agreed upon. It came so faintly as
to be scarcely audible to those who had been awaiting it. Hal and Chester
moved toward the spot where stood the horses. There they saw Colonel
Edwards holding the bridle of his own animal. A moment later Colonel
Anderson and Nikol appeared.

"All right. No use waiting longer," said Colonel Edwards. "Mount and
we'll run for it!"

All suited the action to the word.

"Go!" commanded Colonel Edwards.

There was a strange catch in the colonel's voice and Hal glanced at him
sharply before touching his horse. He saw Colonel Edwards reel suddenly
in his saddle, then fall heavily to the ground.

With a cry to the others, Hal leaped quickly to the ground, ran to the
fallen figure of the colonel and bent over him anxiously.

The others, at Hal's cry, also dismounted and returned to the fallen man.

"Stand guard