ad and pinned close in front, thus concealing both the gags and the
manacled condition of their hands.

At last they were all in the machines, each of which was in charge of
a driver. Three of the girls were put into each automobile and one of
the men got in with them to see that their conduct was as per
scheduled program. Then the start was made.

On, on they went, out into the country and along a road that Marion
knew led into the heart of the mountains. She could see the dim,
shadowy form of High Peak in the distance. Meanwhile, as she peered
out eagerly into the darkness with an irrational longing for rescue
from some miraculous source--for this was the only kind of rescue
that seemed possible under the circumstances--she kept working at the
bonds about her wrists and the gag in her mouth slyly and without
obvious effort, until with joy she realized that she was at least
partly successful.

"I am certain I could shove that thing right out of my mouth and give
the most piercing scream ever heard if somebody would only come along
and hear me," she told herself.

The snow kept on falling heavily, much to the alarm of the kidnappers
and the joy of the kidnapped, but the automobiles reached the
mountains before there was any serious delay. It looked indeed as if
the trip would be successful from the point of view of the captors of
the Camp Fire Girls. But at last the snow became so deep that the
girls could feel that the automobiles were laboring under almost
insurmountable difficulties. Marion heard several curses uttered by
the chauffeur, and the man inside the car echoed them once or twice.
Finally the automobile came to a full stop and the driver could force
it along no further. A consultation, with all three of the men taking
part, was held.

In the midst of their debate, something happened that changed the
aspect of things almost as completely as might have been accomplished
if Marion's dream of a miraculous rescue had been realized. Other
persons were on the scene and they were talking to the driver,
inquiring if they could be of any assistance.

"We're a patrol of Boy Scouts," one of the new arrivals said. "We've
lost our way, but that doesn't need hinder our helping you out of your
scrape. Maybe you can direct us how to find our way back."

Marion never felt a more intense thrill in her life than she felt at
the sound of that voice. She looked out of the window and saw a group
of eight or ten boys, each