Ned lost consciousness.  Everything turned suddenly black about him.

CHAPTER IV

TAD BUTLER MAKES A DISCOVERY

Dusk was already settling over the mountains when Ned Butler fell beneath the powerful onslaught of the mountaineer.  Without an instant’s hesitation the fellow picked up the boy, starting down the side of the galley with his burden.  The man ran along carrying the lad as easily as if he had been a child.

Reaching a secluded spot near the west fork the fellow put his burden down, then built a little fire under a thick growth of pines, whose tops served to break up the smoke and scatter it, thus greatly lessening the chances of discovery.

It was a few minutes later that Ned regained consciousness.  His captor, watching him narrowly, had placed Ned against a tree, passed a piece of rope about the boy’s body, pinioning his arms to his sides, securing the rope at the other side of the tree.  Then the fellow had squatted down with rifle across his knees.

Ned saw a powerfully-built, wiry man, whose lean face and deep-sunken eyes created a most unfavorable impression.  Even under more pleasing circumstances this man would have caused Ned to give him a wide berth.  Discovering that he had been bound Ned’s face flushed angrily.  Even then he did not realize that his position was a perilous one.

“You untie me and let me go, or it’ll be the worse for you,” threatened Rector.

“I reckon I’ve got you this time,” grinned the mountaineer.

“I know you.  You’re the fellow who has been shooting at us.  You will get what is coming to you when my friends find out what you have done to me.  What do you think I am anyway?”

“That’s what I reckoned to find out,” answered the man.  “Who be you?”

“That’s what I am asking you.”

“I reckon I ain’t answering fool questions.”

“Why did you shoot at us?”

“Did I?”

“You know you did.”
z
“What’s your name?” asked the mountaineer, evading the question.

“My name is Rector—–­Ned Rector.”

“Where you from?”

“Missouri.”

“What you doing here?”

“Maybe I am traveling for my health,” answered Ned with a half sneer.  He was not advancing his own cause by his attitude.

“I reckon you’ll answer my questions and without putting on any trimmings either,” announced the fellow, shifting his rifle around so that the barrel lay along his right leg, the muzzle pointing straight at Ned.  The latter was not greatly disturbed at this.  He did not think, for a moment, that the man would dare to shoot him.  Ned did not realize what a desperate character he was facing.

“I will answer what I choose.  You can’t make me answer any questions that I don’t want to,” declared Rector defiantly.

“I reckon you’ll change yer mind before I git done with you.  Anybody with you?”