tumble down from his box and lie for a moment
sprawling on the floor.

When he got to his feet again and climbed on to his perch, he saw, to
his dismay, that things were apparently going very badly for them. The
boy, disabled only for a moment by Drusie's ball, had thrown his lasso
with his usual sure and deadly aim, and Hal was struggling in its noose.

[Illustration: "The boy had thrown his lasso with deadly aim."]

Drusie and Helen were circling round him, and though their shrill
war-whoops echoed through the Wilderness, they were making no effort to
help Hal to escape. And as for Jim, he had totally disappeared.

Tommy, however, knew enough of war to be aware that there was some
reason for Jim's sudden disappearance; and he presently detected a
slight movement among the hawthorn bushes at the back of the fort, and
guessed at once that, under cover of the noise that Drusie and Helen
were making, Jim was creeping up with the intention of rescuing him.
And Hal had probably allowed himself to be taken prisoner on purpose to
distract attention from this manoeuvre.

Very gently and gradually, so as not to arouse the suspicions of his
captor, Tommy edged his box to the corner nearest the bushes, so that
Jim might give him the touch that would bring freedom with as little
danger to himself as possible.

Meanwhile, Hal was making a valiant struggle. As Tommy had already
guessed, he had allowed himself to be taken prisoner; but, at the same
time, he did not wish to be dragged nearer the fort than he could help.
And though, to all appearance, he was a prisoner, he held something in
his right hand by means of which he hoped to sever his bonds when he
chose. He was very nearly as strong as his enemy, and, as he had
managed to keep both his arms free, he hauled back the rope with all
his might and main. But, in spite of his efforts, he was gradually
losing ground, and, quite forgetting how important it was that the
enemy should be kept in ignorance of the stratagem that was being
carried out in the rear, he shouted to Jim to make haste.

Luckily, however, Drusie kept her wits about her, and drowned the
latter half of his sentence by a terrific yell, in which Helen promptly
joined. And under cover of the noise they made Jim tore his way
through the thicket, and came right up to the very walls of the fort.

"Rescued!" he shouted, tapping Tommy on the arm, and immediately diving
back into the bushes.

"Rescued!" Tom