in the search for Miss Harding; but where, in the name of

all that's holy, are we to start?"

"Why, where we seen her last, of course," replied the

mucker. "Right here on top of dese bluffs."

"Then we can't do anything until daylight," said the

Frenchman.

"Not a ting, and at daylight we'll most likely have a scrap

on our hands from below," and the mucker jerked his thumb

in the direction of the cove.

"I think," said Theriere, "that we had better spend an hour

arming ourselves with sticks and stones. We've a mighty good

position up here. One that we can defend splendidly from an

assault from below, and if we are prepared for them we can

stave 'em off for a while if we need the time to search about

up here for clews to Miss Harding's whereabouts."

And so the party set to work to cut stout bludgeons from

the trees about them, and pile loose fragments of rock in

handy places near the cliff top. Theriere even went so far as to

throw up a low breastwork across the top of the trail up

which the enemy must climb to reach the summit of the cliff.

When they had completed their preparations three men could

have held the place against ten times their own number.

Then they lay down to sleep, leaving Blanco and Divine on

guard, for it had been decided that these two, with Bony

Sawyer, should be left behind on the morrow to hold the cliff

top while the others were searching for clews to the whereabouts

of Barbara Harding. They were to relieve each other at

guard duty during the balance of the night.

Scarce had the first suggestion of dawn lightened the eastern

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