e time and struck back to the flats.
It was possible that the lost broncos had rejoined the remuda of their
own accord or had been found by some of the riders gathering up strays.

Dave struck the herd trail and followed it toward the new camp. A
horseman came out of the golden west of the sunset to meet him. For a
long time he saw the figure rising and falling in the saddle, the pony
moving in the even fox-trot of the cattle country.

The man was Bob Hart.

"Found 'em?" shouted Dave when he was close enough to be heard.

"No, and we won't--not this side of Malapi. Those scalawags didn't make
camp last night. They kep' travelin'. If you ask me, they're movin' yet,
and they've got our broncs with 'em."

This had already occurred to Dave as a possibility. "Any proof?" he asked
quietly.

"A-plenty. I been ridin' on the point all day. Three-four times we cut
trail of five horses. Two of the five are bein' ridden. My Four-Bits hoss
has got a broken front hoof. So has one of the five."

"Movin' fast, are they?"

"You're damn whistlin'. They're hivin' off for parts unknown. Malapi
first off, looks like. They got friends there."

"Steelman and his outfit will protect them while they hunt cover and make
a getaway. Miller mentioned Denver before the race--said he was figurin'
on goin' there. Maybe--"

"He was probably lyin'. You can't tell. Point is, we've got to get busy.
My notion is we'd better make a bee-line for Malapi right away," proposed
Bob.

"We'll travel all night. No use wastin' any more time."

Dug Doble received their decision sourly. "It don't tickle me a heap to
be left short-handed because you two boys have got an excuse to get to
town quicker."

Hart looked him straight in the eye. "Call it an excuse if you want to.
We're after a pair of shorthorn crooks that stole our horses."

The foreman flushed angrily. "Don't come bellyachin' to me about yore
broomtails. I ain't got 'em."

"We know who's got 'em," said Dave evenly. "What we want is a wage check
so as we can cash it at Malapi."

"You don't get it," returned the big foreman bluntly. "We pay off when we
reach the end of the drive."

"I notice you paid yore brother and Miller when we gave an order for it,"
Hart retorted with heat.

"A different proposition. They hadn't signed up for this drive like you
boys did. You'll get what's comin' to you when I pay off the others.
You'll not get it before."

The two riders retired sulkily. They fe