murmured the man named Dusenbury. "I reckon the jig is
up."

"Don't dare to budge or I'll blow somebody's head off!" roared Jarley
Bangs. And he looked as if he meant what he said.

"You've got the drop on me, and I ain't moving," answered Bud Haddon
surlily.

"Hi, Powell! Come out here, will you?" went on Brassy Bangs' uncle. And
then, as Spouter came from the bushes with rifle in hand, he continued.
"Go up there and take every one of their guns away from 'em."

As soon as they had been disarmed the three rascals were told to dismount
and stand in a line along the side of the road. Then, as the boys
confronted them, Jarley Bangs went through their pockets once more to
make sure that no weapon had been overlooked.

"Fine piece of business, to run away with my horses!" exclaimed the old
ranch owner, and he jerked his head in the direction of the two animals
the men had been leading.

With their hands tied in front of them, the men were made to remount, and
then the entire party lost no time in heading for Big Horn Ranch.

"I'll fix you for this!" hissed Haddon at Brassy when he got the chance.

"You do your worst!" retorted the boy. "I'm not afraid of you any more."

Of course, there was great excitement at the ranch when the crowd came in
with the three prisoners. The story of what had happened was quickly
circulated, and Joe Jackson and a number of the cowboys were called in
from the ranges. One of the cowboys was sent off to notify a deputy
sheriff of what had occurred and of what the ranch owners expected to do,
and two other cowboys were started off to notify the owners of other
ranches in that vicinity.

As a consequence early the next morning a posse consisting of twelve men
headed for Bimbel's ranch. Of course, the boys wanted to go along, but
they were forced to remain behind, much to their chagrin.

"You might get shot," said Songbird Powell. "And, besides that, you have
had glory enough, helping to catch these three rascals," and he smiled
faintly.

The affair at Bimbel's was rather a strenuous one. Jenks and Noxley, as
well as Bimbel, tried to escape, and Noxley was shot in the leg. The
fellow thought he was going to die, and while waiting for the doctor to
come and attend him he made a full confession concerning the stealing of
many of the horses in that neighborhood. He said that Bud Haddon was at
the head of the gang and that Haddon, with Jillson and Dusenbury, were in
the habit of disposing