wants the fine eating you promised him," said he, but when
they spread before him the best the camp afforded, he broke into a
wild laugh of derision.

"Call that good!" he shrieked. "That is nothing! You ought to see
one of the spreads at the ranch--especially when the men from
Washing-ton and Chicago come down. Everything of the best to eat and
to drink! This is plain cowboy food. Peter wants something better--roast
lamb, peas and pie!"

"This is the best we have, Peter," said Tom. "I am sorry you do not
care for it. So they have feasts at the ranch, eh?"

"Peter must not tell all he knows." The foolish boy started up. "Peter
is going."

"Don't go yet!" cried Tom.

"Peter must go to the other ranch--boss told him so--after he got
through fishing. Going now." And, with a sudden jerk, he tore himself
loose and was off like the wind among the trees.

"Hi!" cried Songbird. "Hadn't we better stop him?"

Tom was already after the dolt. But the foolish boy seemed to have
legs like those of a deer for swiftness, and before they realized it
he was out of sight. He knew how to run with but little noise, so it
became almost impossible to follow him.

"Will he go back to the ranch, do you think?" asked Fred after the
momentary excitement was over.

"He said something about going to the other ranch," returned Tom.
"What he meant by it, I don't know."

"Well, he is gone, so we shall have to make the best of it," went on
Fred. "I trust, though, that he doesn't get us into trouble."

The boys sat down in the temporary camp, and there Tom and Songbird
gave all the details of how they had fallen in with Peter Poll.

"I suppose those rough characters make him do all sorts of dirty
work," said Fred. "The boy isn't really responsible."

After a long consultation, it was decided to leave the neighborhood
and move to the other side of Red Rock ranch. This would tend to
throw the enemy off the trail, if the dolt should go back and relate
what had occurred.

"Dis vos gitting so interesting like a story book," was Hans' comment.
"I only vish I could see der last page alretty!"

"We all wish that," laughed Tom. "Then we'd know if the villain dies
and the girl marries the millionaire," and this sally brought forth
a short laugh.

The things were packed rapidly, and soon they were on horseback and
leading the steeds Sam and Dick had ridden. They had to ford the
stream where the dolt had been captured, and here the horses obtai