They had once more raised the tent, having been obliged to cut one new pole, when Jim returned leading the horses.  They were very nervous and kept tossing their heads, rearing and plunging at the slightest unusual sound.

“Something wrong with them.  I don’t know what it is,” he said, in answer to the guide’s glance of inquiry.

“Lead ’em up here.  Well, I swum!”

“Wha—­at is it?” demanded Margery, sitting up.

“Look at that, will ye?”

The girls got as close to the animals as was prudent.  Janus parted the hair on the hip of one horse and pointed to a small wound.  The other horse bore a similar wound.

“Oh, they have hurt themselves.  Isn’t it too bad?” sympathized Hazel.

“Hurt themselves!” exploded the guide.  “Those wounds were made with some sharp instrument, maybe a knife.  I don’t know.  Now, can you blame them for running away and taking the tent down?  This business is moving too fast!  What are we going to do?”

“You are the guide, sir.  You are the responsible head of the party,” replied Miss Elting.

“I thought I was, too.  But, I swum!  I don’t know which from t’other any more.  Jim, what do you think about that?” pointing a finger at the horses and indicating their wounded hips.  “Did they get them themselves, or did somebody do it to them?  I can’t make up my mind.”

“Some one did it, Jan.  The hosses never did that themselves.”

“But how could they?”

“Maybe tied a knife to a long stick.  Didn’t mean to do any serious work or would have cut deeper.  Just went through the skin, that’s all, but enough to set the critters crazy.  See any one about these parts?” questioned the driver, turning to the girls.

“No, sir.  We were under the tent.  We saw nothing,” answered Harriet.  “I think it must have been the squealing of the horses that awakened us.  The next we knew we were being trampled on and the tent was down about our ears.  Have you looked about here carefully, Mr. Grubb?”

“For what?” returned Janus quickly.

“For thpookth,” Tommy replied pertly.

“Pshaw!”

“I mean have you looked where the horses were tied,” explained Harriet.  “You did examine the halters.  You say they were broken, not cut.  I think we should look further.”

“Yes.  I agree with Harriet that we ought to make a careful search of the ground about the camp,” said Miss Elting.  “We cannot afford to miss opportunities that might solve this mystery.  I wish you and the driver would make a start,” she urged.

“All right.  Where’s the lantern?” demanded Janus.

“It went down with the bridge,” Harriet informed him.  “We have another, a smaller one, but I hardly think it will be of much use for our purpose.  I’ll tell you what.  Why not use some of the dry pitch pine roots that you gathered?” suggested Harriet.  “They are ready to burn and will make excellent torches.  We have plenty of kindling wood without them.”