'd get scared at a rattlesnake,
myself."

"Do you know the way to Mr. Carson Denton's plantation?" went on Dick.

"Sure."

"This is not the right trail, is it?"

"Not by a long shot. The right trail is four miles from here."

"Will you direct us to the right road?" asked Dick.

"Sure thing," answered Jim Jones. He paused for a moment. "Want to
get there the easiest way possible, I reckon?"

"Of course."

"Well, then, keep to this trail for half a mile further. Then, when
you come to the blasted hemlock, take the trail to the left. That
will take you through the upper end of the next town and right on to
Denton's."

"Thanks," said Dick. "Is it a good road?"

"Fine, after the fust few miles are passed. There are a few bad spots
at first, but you mustn't mind them."

"We shan't mind," came from Sam. "We have struck some bad spots already."

A few additional words passed, and then all of the boys rode along
the trail as the cowboy had pointed out. Jim Jones, standing beside
the dead steer, watched them out of sight and chuckled loudly to himself.

"Reckon I squared accounts with 'em," he muttered. "Got twenty-five
dollars in cash and the animile, and if they foller thet trail as I
told 'em--well, there ain't no tellin' where they'll fotch up. But
it won't be Denton's ranch, not by a long shot!" and he laughed
heartily to himself.

All unconscious that they had been wrongly directed by Jim Jones,
the Rover boys and their chums continued their journey. When they
reached the hemlock that had been struck by lightning, they took to
the other path as directed.

"I am sorry I didn't ask how far that town was," said Dick. "For all
we know, we may be miles away from it."

"If it gets too late, we had better go into camp for the night,"
suggested Songbird, and so it was agreed.

The coming of night found them in something of a hollow between two
ranges of hills. The trail was soft and spongy, and the horses
frequently sank in over their hoofs.

"This is something I didn't bargain for," observed Songbird. "I trust
we don't get stuck and have to go back."

"That cowboy said the trail would be poor for a while," came from Fred.

They continued to go forward, on the lookout for some suitable spot
where they might camp for the night. The thought of reaching a town
had faded away an hour before.

"Gosh! this is getting worse!" cried Tom. "Be careful, Hans!" he
called to the German youth, who was ahead.

"Vot's