as only a piece of canvas which
had been at one time a wagon cover, and tore it away.

There was revealed a hole in the rock wall, and beside it a small mound
of earth.

Evidently the hole had been known to the white desperadoes who had used
the hole as a hiding place for many years, and that it had been their
habit to conceal it by means of a stopper of earth. This Shan and Sol
had removed, and had made their escape while the Indians and renegades
were preparing for their raid on the settlements.

Ted at once showed it to the other boys, and it was decided to follow
the passage and find out what was at the other end.

The hole was so small that Ted was compelled to enter it on his hands
and knees. Bud followed him, and then came Stella. Ben remained with
Carl to guard the entrance in case any of the white renegades should
return.

A short distance in, the passage, or tunnel, became larger, and soon
opened out into a natural cave, so that they were able to assume an
upright position.

Ted lighted his pocket electric searchlight and led the way. They walked
for some distance when they saw a gleam of light ahead, and a few
minutes later walked out of the cave into another valley, larger than
that which they had just left.

"Great Scott! Look at that," said Ted, pointing to where a large herd of
cattle was grazing.

"What?" asked Stella, who could see nothing unusual in a bunch of cattle
grazing in the valley.

"I believe they're ours."

Ted strode toward the cattle, which seemed to become uneasy at seeing a
man on foot, which range cattle will not tolerate.

"Don't go any closer, Ted," said Stella. "Wait until Bud goes back after
the horses."

"I just want to get a glimpse of the brand. By Jove, here's our lost
Circle S brand, I believe. But look at it. It has been altered."

"How?"

"See those two perpendicular lines drawn through the S, making the brand
Circle Dollar-mark. That's a most ingenious thing. It has been done with
a running iron. The fellow who stole our cattle has just changed it by
running a curved hot iron through the S."

"Yer shore right," said Bud. "That Circle Dollar brand hez been
registered somewhere. It's up to us ter find out who registered it, an'
we've got ther thief. I'll skip out fer ther hosses an' ther boys. I
reckon we kin git in here by ridin' across ther backbone o' ther hills."

"All right, get back as soon as you can, and we'll wait for you in the
cave."

Bud and