jewelry, watches and the like.

"We won't go any further just now," declared the captain. "But we'll
take back this chest with us."

On the return to Fort Clowdry the prisoners, though captured on the
military reservation, were turned over to the civil officers. Even Tip
Branders and the wounded chief of the band were taken to Clowdry for
care by the town authorities.

The chest was found to have contained all the stolen jewelry. The money
that had been taken on the same raids, however, was not found. Plainly
the thieves had used the money for the needs of the moment.

Hal and Noll, on their return, reported promptly to the commander of the
guard, for they still belonged to the guard detail.

"Queer, ain't it?" asked Private Bill Hooper that morning in Hupner's
squad room as the men were washing up before morning mess call.

"What is?" demanded Private Hyman.

"Why, that kid, Overton, knew one of the gang--one, at least--all the
time. Yet Overton shot his old-time friend. And Overton knew all along
where the bunch was hiding. And did you hear how neatly he led Corporal
Cotter right to the cave of the gang? Now if that don't prove----"

Hyman promptly knocked Hooper down.

"It proves, Bill," growled Hyman, "that you're so fond of lying that you
don't know the truth when you hear it."

CHAPTER XXIV

CONCLUSION

TIP BRANDERS recovered.

So did the leader of the gang with which Tip had foolishly cast his evil
lot down in Pueblo, when he had first come west after robbing his
mother. The man wounded in the neck had been at no time in a dangerous
condition.

Not much sympathy need be wasted on Tip. He had chosen his own place in
life, and had filled it.

Before Tip was out of the local hospital, and in his cell in jail, his
mother, who had read of his fate in a newspaper in her home town, joined
her son in the town of Clowdry.

She stood by her son to the last, until the testimony of officers and
soldiers from Fort Clowdry had sent him away to prison for ten years.

At first, on his recovery, Tip Branders had been inclined to be
boastful. He had shown his boldness by his thieving exploits and by
daring to face the steady rifle fire of Private Hal Overton, United
States Army. But when the sentence of the court came upon him Tip broke
down. He wept and could hardly stand. He implored the judge to lessen
his sentence. All the braggadocio in him ran out as rapidly as the
sawdust from a punctured doll