?"

The brother sprang up also, and gave a searching glance in the
direction Ralph pointed out.

"Unless I am greatly mistaken, it's the mustang."

"Just what I thought. He seems to be grazing just at the edge of the
timber. How had we best get at him?"

The matter was talked over for several minutes, and they came to the
conclusion to ride to the timber at some point below where the pony was
grazing and then work up behind him.

"Then, if he bolts, it will be for the prairie," said Dan. "That will
give me a chance to lasso him."

The timber was soon gained, and they skirted this with the silence of
Indians until within a hundred yards of the white mustang. Then the
older brother called another halt.

"Now you take the north side, and I'll keep to the south," said Dan.
"Have you got your lasso ready?"

Ralph had, and it was decided that he should make the first throw, but
not until Dan was prepared to make the second.

With great caution the two boys advanced to the point agreed upon. Then
they rode out to where the lassoes could be used freely.

In the meantime the mustang was grazing peacefully, utterly unconscious
of their presence in the vicinity. But now, as they drew still closer,
he stopped cropping the grass and raised his head as if to listen.

"Throw!" cried Dan, and the lasso left Ralph's hand with a whizzing
sound. A few seconds later Dan made his own cast.

As luck would have it, both landed over the mustang's head, but while
Dan's was drawn tight with great quickness, Ralph's remained loose, so
that in a twinkle the mustang shook it off, and then of course the line
tightened around Dan's lariat instead.

[Illustration: "'HOLD BACK!' YELLED DAN."]

"Hold back!" yelled Dan, as he saw Ralph sit bewildered in the saddle.
"Run off to the other side!"

The younger Radbury attempted to obey, but as quick as a flash the
mustang turned and rushed forward, bringing the lasso around Ralph's
own steed. Then came a snap of the lariat, and Ralph went down, with
the mustang on top of him.

All this took scarcely more time than to describe it, and now Dan found
himself holding the white mustang alone, with Ralph's lariat end
entangled in his own. Then off went the wild animal, kicking and
plunging in a desperate fashion, which even the tightened leather about
his neck did not appear to hinder. His course was straight for the
timber, and he went on dragging Dan's pony after him. It is true the
pony mig