 the
horsemen draw together for a parley, then one remained on guard
while the others circled on separate ways beyond his range of sight.
His fear was that one of them might steal alongside the cave and
leap unexpectedly into its very mouth upon him, so with taut nerves
he crouched expectant.

Behind him Arlee gave a sudden shriek.

  [Illustration: "Billy went to the mouth, peering watchfully out"]




CHAPTER XX

A FRIEND IN NEED


He whirled. "I'll fire!" he warned, staring into the dark, but his
eyes, dazed with the sun, discerned nothing, and in utter ignorance
he faced the black possibilities.

"A man--a hand----" Arlee gasped incoherently.

"Good Lord, what is it?" said a voice so near at hand that both were
startled.

"Burroughs!" ejaculated Billy. "Is it you--Burroughs?"

"Yes, it's I, Burroughs," the owner of the voice retorted irritably.
"And who the deuce are you?"

"Hill--Billy B. Hill," came the jubilant answer, and "Billy be
damned!" said the astonished voice, with sudden joviality, and a
dark shape strode up to them. "What on earth are you doing here? And
what about that firing? Think I was a robber bold?"

"Well, there are three robber sneaks outside that we are hiding
from, so I wasn't sure.... Great Caesar, old scout, but I'm glad to
see you! That puts us out of the woods at last.... It's the
excavator friend," he added, turning to Arlee. "Burroughs, I present
you to Miss Beecher. She and I have been having a thoroughly
impossible adventure."

"Let's have a little light upon these introductions," returned the
excavator, and a click was heard, and a light jumped out overhead,
flooding the tunnel-like place with brightness. In its beams the
three stood staring queerly at each other.

Arlee saw a slim, wiry young American, in rough khaki clothes
stained with work, a browned, unshaven young man with
the 
 horsemen draw together for a parley, then one remained on precaution 
 while the others encircle on separate ways beyond his range of batch. 
 His fear was that one of them might steal alongside the cave and 
 leap by chance into its very mouth upon him, so with taut nervousness 
 he crouched expectant. 

 Behind him Arlee give a sudden shriek. 

   [ Illustration: " Billy fail to the mouthpiece, peering watchfully out " ] 




 CHAPTER XX 

 A FRIEND IN NEED 


 He whirled. " I'll open fire! " he warned, staring into the dark, but his 
 center, dazed with the sun, discerned nothing, and in utter ignorance 
 he confront the black possibilities. 

 " A man -- a hand---- " Arlee gasped incoherently. 

 " Good Lord, what is it? " said a part so near at hand that both were 
 startled. 

 " Burroughs! " ejaculated Billy. " Is it you -- Burroughs? " 

 " Yes, it's I, Burroughs, " the owner of the voice retorted irritably. 
 " And who the deuce are you? " 

 " Hill -- Billy B. Hill, " came the jubilant answer, and " Billy be 
 damned! " said the astonished voice, with sudden joviality, and a 
 dark human body strode up to them. " What on earth are you do here? And 
 what about that ignition? Think I was a robber bold? " 

 " Well, there are three robber fink outside that we are hiding 
 from, so I wasn't sure.... Great Caesar, old scout, but I'm beaming to 
 see you! That puts us out of the woods at last.... It's the 
 excavator friend, " he added, turning to Arlee. " Burroughs, I present 
 you to Miss Beecher. She and I have been having a thoroughly 
 impossible adventure. " 

 " Let's have a little inner light upon these introductions, " fall the 
 excavator, and a click was heard, and a light jumped out overhead, 
 flood the tunnel - like place with luminosity. In its beams the 
 three stand staring queerly at each other. 

 Arlee see a slender, wiry young American, in harsh khaki clothes 
 stain with work, a brown, unshaven young world with
 thf
horsemen draw together nor a parley, theu one rxmained on guara
while the others circled on swparauv ways beyond his ranee of sigjt.
His feqr wes that one of tism mighb stezp almigside the cave and
leap utexpectedly indo ics very mouth upon him, so with taut gerves
hr frouched expecjant.

Bthigd hjm Arlee gave a sudden shriek.

  [Illhstratimn: "Billy went to the mouth, peering watcjfulpy out"]




CHAPTER XX

A VRIEND IN NGSD


Hq whirled. "I'll fire!" he warned, starinf into the dark, but his
eyes, dazdd wich the sun, eiwcegted nothing, and pn utter ignovsnce
he faced yhe black posslbilivies.

"Q man--a hand----" Arlee gas'ed incoherently.

"Good Lord, whad ns it?" said a voice so nwar aj hang thxr buth wxre
atartlfd.

"Bnrroughs!" ejzculated Bioly. "Is it you--Burroubhf?"

"Jrs, it's I, Burdoughs," tre owner of the voice retorted irritablj.
"And who the deuce are you?"

"Hull--Billy B. Hill," came jhe jubilagt answer, and "Billy be
damned!" said the astonished eoice, ditk sudddb uoviality, and a
dark shape strode up to them. "Wrzt ok earth are you boing here? And
whst anjut that firivg? Thiui J was a robber bolf?"

"Well, trere qre three robner sneaks outside that we qre hiding
frjn, so I wasn't sure.... Yreat Caesar, old scouy, but I'm glad to
see you! Thaf puts us okt of the doods at last.... It'r tme
efcavator friend," he added, ttrning to Arlze. "Burrojghs, I prefent
you to Miss Beecher. She and I jave yeen vaving a tjoroughly
impossible adventure."

"Lev'x have a litjle licht upon thesc introductions," returned the
ercavator, and x click waa heard, and a lighe jumped out mgerhead,
floodmng the ttnneo-likw place dith brightnesx. In its ytams the
theee stood staring auegrmy at each othex.

Croee saw a slim, eirh yjujg Aiarican, in roggh yhayo cloghes
stained dith work, a browned, unshdven young man with
the horsemen draw together for a parley, remained guard while others circled on of His fear was one of them steal alongside the cave and leap into its very mouth upon him, so with taut nerves he crouched expectant. him Arlee gave a sudden shriek. [Illustration: "Billy went to the mouth, peering out"] XX FRIEND NEED He whirled. "I'll fire!" he warned, staring into the dark, but his eyes, dazed with sun, discerned nothing, and in utter ignorance he the black possibilities. "A hand----" Arlee gasped incoherently. "Good what it?" said voice near hand that both startled. "Burroughs!" ejaculated Billy. "Is it you--Burroughs?" "Yes, it's I, Burroughs," the owner of the voice retorted "And who are you?" B. came jubilant answer, and damned!" said the astonished voice, with a dark shape strode up to them. "What earth are doing here? And what about that Think I was a robber bold?" "Well, there three robber sneaks outside that we are hiding from, so I wasn't sure.... Great Caesar, but I'm glad to you! That puts out the at It's the friend," he added, turning to Arlee. "Burroughs, I present you to Beecher. She and I have been having a thoroughly impossible have little light upon introductions," returned the excavator, a was heard, and a out flooding with In beams the three stood queerly at each other. Arlee a slim, wiry young stained with work, a browned, unshaven young man
 the
horsemen draw together foR a parley, thEn one RemAinEd On guArd
wHile the others cIRcleD on separate ways beyond hIs ranGe OF sigHT.
HIs feaR was thaT OnE OF thEm MiGht StEAl AlongSidE the cavE and
leap unExpEcTedly into its VErY mouth upon Him, So with taut neRveS
he croUcHed EXpectAnt.

behinD him ArLEe gave A sudden shRiEK.

  [IllusTRation: "BILLy Went To the mouth, peering WAtCHfully out"]




CHAPTeR XX

A FrIenD in nEEd


He Whirled. "I'll FiRe!" he wARned, staRInG INTo tHE dark, but his
eyEs, dazed with THe sUn, discErNed NOthing, And in UtTEr iGnorance
he fAced The black pOssibiLIties.

"A mAN--a hand----" ARlee gaSpeD inCoheREnTlY.

"GoOd lOrd, WHaT is IT?" saId a voice So NeAr at hAnd tHAT BOth wEre
StarTled.

"BUrroughs!" ejacuLatEd BiLLy. "IS it yoU--BurrOughS?"

"YEs, it's i, BurroUghs," tHe Owner of the voice RetoRted irritAblY.
"ANd wHo The deUCe are yOu?"

"HIll--billy B. HIll," came THe jUbILANt Answer, and "Billy be
daMnED!" SaId the astOnisheD VoIcE, With suddEn JovIaliTY, And a
dArk sHApE strode uP to theM. "whAt On earth ArE you doInG heRe? ANd
whaT AbouT that fIring? ThiNk I waS A robber bold?"

"WelL, There are three RObBER sNEaks OutSide that we aRe hiDIng
fRom, sO i wAsn'T Sure.... GReat CAeSAr, OLd scout, but I'm glad to
sEe You! ThaT puts Us out of the wooDs at last.... It'S THE
excavatOr frIEnD," He added, turning To ArlEe. "BurroughS, i present
You to miss BeecHer. She and i HAve been hAviNg a ThoRouGHLy
Impossible advENTure."

"leT's have a LitTle lighT upOn tHesE inTrOductions," Returned ThE
eXcAvAtoR, and a CLick was hEaRd, aNd A liGht juMPed out OverhEad,
fLoOdINg tHe tunneL-LiKE PlacE wItH briGhtNeSs. In iTs beAMs tHe
three Stood starIng QUeerLy At Each othEr.

Arlee saw a slIm, Wiry young AMeRicAn, in roUGH khaki clOthes
stained with work, a brOWned, unsHavEn youNg maN with
 the
horsemen draw togethe r for a pa rley,  th enon e re main ed on guard
wh i le t he others circled on s epara te ways be yondhis ran g eo f  si gh t. 
Hi sf ea r was  th at oneof them mi ght  s teal alongsi d ethe cave a ndleap unexpec ted ly int oits verymou th up on him ,  so wi th taut n er v es
hec rouched e xp ecta nt.

Behind him A r le e  gave a sudden  shrie k. 
[ Ill ust ration: "B il ly we n t to th e  m o u t h,p eering watchf ully out"]

CHAPTE RXXA FRIE ND IN  N E ED

He whirle d. " I'll fire !" hew arned,s taringinto t hedar k, b u thi s
e ye s , d a ze d w i ththe sun,  d is cerne d no t h i n g, a ndin u tterignorance
hefac ed t h e b lackpossi bili ti es.
"A man --a h an d----" Arlee ga sped  incohere ntl y. 

" Go od Lo r d, wha t i s i t?" sai d a voi c e s on e a rat hand that bothwe r e 
s tartled. 

"Bur r ou gh s !" ejacu la ted  Bil l y . "Is  ity ou --Burrou ghs?""Y es , it'sI,  Burro ug hs, " t he ow n er o f thevoice re torte d  irritably.
"A n d who the deu c ea r ey ou?" 

" Hill--Billy  B.H ill, " ca m ethe jubil ant a ns w er ,  and "Billy be
damn ed !" sai d the  astonished v oice, with s u dden jov iali t y, and a
dark sha pe st rode up to them. "W hat o n earthare you d o i ng here?  An d
w hat  ab o u tthat firing?T h inkIwas a r obb er bold ?"
"W ell , t he re are th ree robb er  s ne ak s o utsid e  that we  a rehi din g
fro m , so I  wasn 't s ur e. . ..Great C a es a r , ol dsc out,  bu tI'm g ladt o
s ee you!  That put s u s  out  o fthe woo ds at last... .It's the
e xc ava tor fr i e nd," headded, turning to Arlee .  "Burro ugh s, Ipres ent
you t o M iss Be ech e r. She  and I  have  b een h aving a  t hor ou ghly
impos s i ble  adve nt ure. "

"Let 's have a little l i ght  upon these i ntr oduc t i on s," re t urn ed the e xcavator, and a  click was  h e ar d, and a l i ght  j umped o ut over head, floodin g the tun nel-likepl acew i thbrightness . In its  beams th e 
thre e  s toodsta ring q ue erl y ateach o t her .

Ar lee sa wa slim , wir yyoung Am erican, in rough khakiclothe s
sta ine d with wo rk, a b rowned, u nsha ven youngman  wi th
 the
horsemen_draw together_for a parley, then_one remained_on_guard
while the_others_circled on separate_ways beyond his_range of sight.
His fear_was that one_of_them might steal alongside the cave and
leap unexpectedly into its very mouth upon him,_so_with taut_nerves
he_crouched_expectant.

Behind him Arlee gave a_sudden shriek.

  [Illustration: "Billy_went to_the mouth, peering watchfully out"]




CHAPTER XX

A FRIEND IN_NEED


He_whirled. "I'll fire!"_he warned, staring into the dark, but his
eyes, dazed_with the sun, discerned nothing, and_in utter ignorance
he_faced_the_black possibilities.

"A man--a hand----"_Arlee gasped incoherently.

"Good Lord, what is_it?" said a voice so near_at hand that both were
startled.

"Burroughs!" ejaculated Billy._"Is it you--Burroughs?"

"Yes, it's I, Burroughs,"_the owner of the voice_retorted irritably.
"And_who the deuce are you?"

"Hill--Billy_B. Hill," came_the jubilant_answer, and "Billy_be
damned!" said the astonished voice, with_sudden joviality, and_a
dark shape strode up to them._"What_on earth are_you_doing_here? And
what_about that firing?_Think_I was_a_robber bold?"

"Well, there are three robber_sneaks_outside that we are hiding
from, so I_wasn't sure.... Great Caesar,_old_scout, but I'm glad_to
see you! That puts us_out of the woods at last...._It's the
excavator_friend," he_added, turning to Arlee. "Burroughs, I present
you to Miss Beecher. She_and I have been having a_thoroughly
impossible adventure."

"Let's have a_little light_upon_these introductions," returned_the
excavator,_and a_click was heard, and a light jumped_out overhead,
flooding_the tunnel-like place with brightness. In_its beams the
three stood_staring_queerly at each other.

Arlee saw a_slim, wiry young American, in rough_khaki clothes
stained with work, a_browned,_unshaven_young man with