.

"What is it?" asked Kit.

"A girl," answered Stella curtly.

"A girl?"

Stella paid no attention to him, but rushed ahead of Ted, and led the
way to her own room.

"This way, Ted," she cried. "She must be brought in here."

Ted did as he was told, and laid the strange thing he carried on
Stella's bed, and stepped back to look at it.

It was the skin of an enormous gray wolf, which all but enveloped a
human form. Between the opening in the head, where once had been the
cruel jaws of the wolf, peeped a pretty, brown face. But the eyes were
closed. And a little, brown hand swung inertly from the place where a
wolf's paw once had been; while below was a dainty foot, incased in a
Japanese stocking divided, like a mitten, for the big toe.

"Who, or what is it?" asked Kit, looking curiously down at the strange
object.

"I think it must be Itsu San, the little Japanese girl who was Helen
Mowbray's maid," answered Ted.

"Great Scott, how did she happen in this fix?"

"I don't know. We'll have to wait until she recovers."

"Is she hurt?"

"I don't think so. I think she is merely exhausted by fatigue, hunger,
and fear."

Meanwhile, Stella was busy cutting away the wolfskin in which the
Japanese girl was concealed and entangled.

The commotion had brought the boys into the room, and they gazed with
wonder at the sight.

"Now, you chaps clear out," said Stella, pushing them gently toward the
door. "Do you want to scare the poor thing into fits when she comes to?
The sight of all you fellows will frighten her worse than ever."

The boys hastened to leave the room, and Stella had just closed the door
upon them when Itsu San, for it was she, opened her eyes and gave a
little scream of joy when she saw that she was safe, and in the presence
of a very pretty and kind-looking American girl of her own age.

"Don't be frightened," said Stella.

"I not no fright now," said Itsu San, with a charming smile, that was
like that of a happy baby.

"How in the world did you come to be in this horrid thing?" asked
Stella, kicking the wolfskin, which she had thrown to the floor.

"I come to give warn," answered the Japanese girl.

"About what?"

"The Gray Wolves."

"Go ahead and tell me."

"The Gray Wolves catch my blother. I hide, and hear them talk and say
they kill all evelybody here."

"When?"

"Mebbe so to-night. Mebbe so to-mollow."

"Who said that?"

"The devil man."

"Who is he?"

"Mistah Mowbra