Supper was ready for the mountaineers, but, before sitting down to it, one of them walked over to the prisoner and stood peering down at him.

Hippy's heart almost stopped beating, so intent was he on listening for the breathing of the man behind him and from his fear that his mysterious friend might be discovered.
No such emergency arose, nor did he hear the breathing he was listening for.
After satisfying himself that the captive was safe, the mountaineer returned to the fire and sat down to his supper.
Hippy felt a slight tug on the rope that bound him, then its pressure about his waist was released.
"Steady, now," warned that even voice behind him.

"Crawl on all fours." The rescuer placed a hand on Hippy's shoulder and guided him slowly, cautiously, every movement forward threatening to draw a groan from the released captive.
"Now get up! Give me your hand," whispered, the stranger.

"Don't speak." For some little time they crept on in silence, the stranger twisting and turning, finally taking to the middle of a mountain stream and following it up for some distance when he halted.
"Tell me what the situation is back there.

What did they propose to do to you ?" demanded the man.
"I expect the gang is on its way there now to shoot me up, provided I do not give them the information they seek," answered Hippy.
"What information ?" Lieutenant Wingate repeated the conversation of the previous night, leaving out no details, however trivial they might seem to him.
"I thought so.