The gopher is right. The church isn't haunted. It just happens that
cowmen fall into a run of hard luck in that neighborhood now and then."

"Do you believe in spooks, Mr. Stallings!" asked Walter.

"Never having seen one, I don't know whether I do or not. Were I to see
one I might believe in them," laughed the foreman.

"I saw a ghost once," began Stacy Brown.

"Never mind explaining about it," objected Ned. "We'll take your word
for it and let it go at that."

Tad Butler had gotten into a fresh change of clothes after having taken
a bath in a wash tub behind the trail wagon. His wounds pained him, and
he was sleepy, so the lad turned in shortly after his supper, and was
soon sound asleep.

Nothing occurred to disturb the camp that night, and when finally Tad
was awakened to take his watch, it seemed as if he had been asleep only
a few minutes. However, he sprang up wide awake and ready for the work
ahead of him. As usual, he went out with Big-foot. A warm friendship had
sprung up between the big cowboy and Tad Butler. They were together much
of the time when their duties permitted.

"Is there any truth in that spook story?" asked Tad, as the two rode
slowly out to where the herd was bedded down.

Big-foot hesitated.

"You can call it whatever you want to. I only know that things happen to
most every outfit that gets within a hundred miles of the place. Why,
out at the Ox Bow ranch, they have the worst luck of any cattle place in
the state. If it wasn't for the fact that they keep their cows fenced in
with wire fences, they wouldn't have a critter on the place."

"But, I don't understand," protested Tad. "I don't seem to get it
through my head what it is that causes all the trouble you tell me
about."

"No more does anybody else. They just know that hard luck is lying
around waiting for them when they get near and that's all they know
about it."

"When shall we be near there?" asked Tad Butler.

"We are near enough now. Our troubles have begun already. Herd
stampeded. Ponies broke their legs and had to be shot. Nobody knows what
else will break loose before we get a hundred miles further on."

"I am anxious to see the place," commented Tad.

"You won't be after you've been there. I worked on a cow herd near the
place two years ago."

"Yes?"

"Well, I got out after I'd been pitched off my pony and got a broken
leg. That was only one of the things that happened to me, but it was
enough. I got out. A