"It will all soon be over--What's that?"

Nan's cry was echoed by Grace: "Is it Walter? Walter!" she cried.

A figure loomed up from around the corner of the boulder that half
masked the entrance to the old bears' den. But the figure made no
answer to the challenge. Surely it could not be Grace's brother!

"Who's that?" demanded Nan again.

Meanwhile Rhoda had darted back into the cave. Dark as it was, she
found her pony and drew the rifle from its case. With this weapon
in her hand she came running to the entrance again, and advanced
the muzzle of the rifle toward the figure that had remained silent
and motionless before the frightened girls.




CHAPTER XXIII

THE LETTER FROM JUANITA


"You'd better speak up _pronto!_" exclaimed the girl from Rose
Ranch in an unshaken tone. "I'm going to fire if you don't."

"Oh, Rhoda!" shrieked Bess.