of them

d and gently touche

ly resembles them," he said. "It looks bad," h

Roy on a little shelf designed to hold aerial charts. Th

ce now," she said; "it's som

canyons. In some of these canyons there appeared to be traces of vegetation

no

igh cone shaped hill that the plan in

ot a trace of

as pale and troubled. As for Peggy, her heart began to b

brisk a tone as she could call up on the spur of

m. There was no sign of the missing aeroplane or her occupants, but all at once

denly revealed the forms of an immense pack o

!" crie

" declared Roy; "I rec

se hills were fre

wing brought another angle of the gully into view, and there

upants there w

end at once,"

y, the c

brutes thoroughly unnerved her. As they swung lower, too,

" said Roy. "I've heard Mr. Bell sa

t we simply must examine that aeroplane for some clue of

decision. "Now look out and hold tigh

inally, almost alongside its companion machine. Luckily, the big rock before mentione

ell and Jimsy had brought with them still lay in the chassis. This seemed to dispose of the theory that they had been attacked. But what could have become of them? Was it possible that the coyotes-?

" said Roy suddenly; "if they are in the vici

Jess. "Oh, I'm almost crazy with

her half hysterical outbreak. Following t

and her pulses beating wildly. "Wasn't t

at time, too,"

!" cri

e canyon where those

gg

e've got to go on now. You girls wait here for me while I investigat

not going alone

a chance till I see what's ahead, tha

here was borne to the girls' ears the most appalling confusion of sounds they had ever heard. The bedlam was, punctuate

aeroplanes! The

rush. Great, half-famished looking brutes, whose red mou

been upon him, but Peggy jerked the rifle she had selected to her shoulder and fired into the midst of the savage horde. With a howl of anguish one of the creatures leaped high in a death agon

them they entrenched themselves in what they cou

t of a choke in his voice, was able to gasp o

ung people began desperately pumping lead into the s

beside herself with terror

g to faint," she

her a sha

y, although the pity in her eyes belied the harshness of

largest of the creatures of the desert, a big hungry looking brute with tawny, scraggy hair and bristling hackles. As he rolled over wit

em beaten!" shouted R

movement, which presently changed into a mad, helter skelter rush. Panic seized on them, and down the dry arroyo they fled, a dense cloud of yellow, pungent dust rising beh

from further up the gully, there came a

shout of a

n you were n

in startled immobility at the recognition o

! Hello, Peg

hem two uncanny looking figures in which they had at first some difficulty in r

instant later the reunited adventurers were busily engaged in exchanging

ne site, and lay if off for purposes of proper location with the United States government. I must tel

hat that the coyotes were gathered

r discomfort, too, I can tell

besieged!" e

t. I suppose, however, they realized that they had us cornered, for, with a sort of deadly deliberation, they seated themselves round the mouth of the cavern, seemingly awaiting the

and drew very

o weapons," vo

in this lonely place, and least of all from the source from which it came. But I can, tell you, it was an ugly feeling when, on preparing to emerge with some specimens of the ore-bearing rocks, we found our

an their yapping and barkin

ed and morning still found the brutes there, things began to look bad. Of course we knew that you woul

ding the dead bodies of coyotes t

ur rifles did, too," d

e interested listeners from the cavern some incidents which caused the