ver they were, got away," commented Mr.
Merkel.

"Must have," said the foreman. "They'd 'a' had time while we was
saddlin' up. But what their object was I can't guess."

"And then we come back here to find you've been robbed," commented Bud.
"Say, doesn't it look as though those first parties came around just to
draw us off, so someone else could sneak in and rifle the safe?" he
asked quickly.

There was a moment of silence, to give the idea time to filter through
the minds of all present, and then Mr. Merkel said:

"Son, I believe you've struck it! That was a game to draw our fire on
the front, while they sneaked up in the rear to frisk my safe! And the
professor----"

"I hope you don't think I had anything to do with your unfortunate
loss!" exclaimed the scientist.

"Of course not!" said Mr. Merkel quickly. "I was about to remark that
you being on the scene was purely a matter of accident, though it may
have had the effect of drawing Slim and his bunch farther away from the
real thieves than was desirable."

"Shouldn't be a bit surprised," admitted the foreman. "It was so dark,
before the moon came out, that we couldn't tell much where we were
going. But as soon as we picked up the professor and his friend we
took after them. Probably this gave the real rascals the chance they
wanted."

"Perhaps I had better explain how I happened to be in this
neighborhood," said Dr. Wright. "Our discoveries of the prehistoric
fossils, at which you helped us so much," he added, nodding toward the
boy ranchers, "our discoveries gained us such scientific honors that I
have been asked to come back and search for more bones. I had no time
to write and tell you I was coming, and that I hoped you would allow my
party to make some location on your ranch our headquarters," he said to
Mr. Merkel.

"You will be very welcome," the ranchman remarked.

"I am glad to know that," resumed Dr. Wright. "Well, I hurriedly got a
party together, taking as my personal helper Zeb Tauth, the janitor of
part of the college building where I am stationed. I know Zeb's ways,
and he knows mine.

"We rather lost our way in the darkness," continued the scientist,
"and, leaving the main party, Zeb and I journeyed on to look for the
ranch. We heard shots and saw a party of horsemen riding after us, and
Zeb at once concluded we were going to be held up and made the victims
of horse thieves. So we did our best to get away."

"You rode mi