Page:Ruth Fielding at Silver Ranch.djvu/110

100 young man who has been staying at the Tintacker properties so long?" she asked.

"That's the feller."

"We'd ought to catch him and see what Uncle Bill has to say to him about the fire," said Jane Ann.

"Oh, we ought to thank him for shooting the bear," cried Madge

"And I wanted to speak with him so much!" groaned Ruth; but nobody heard her say this. The others had gathered around the dead bear. Of a sudden a new discovery was made:

"Where's Mary?" cried Helen.

"The Fox has run away!" exclaimed Madge.

"I'll bet she has!" exclaimed Jane Ann Hicks. "Didn't you see her, Jib?"

"We didn't pass her on the path," said Tom.

Ruth's keen eye discovered the missing girl first. She ran with a cry to a little shelf upon which the foxy maid had scrambled when the excitement started. The Fox was stretched out upon the rock in a dead faint!

"Well! would you ever?" gasped Madge. "Who'd think that Mary Cox would faint? She's always been bold enough, goodness knows!"

Ruth had hurried to the shelf where The Fox lay. She was very white and there could be no doubt but that she was totally unconscious. Jib lent his assistance and getting her into his arms