on to a clump of
buffalo grass that had forced its way up beside the stream.

There, almost hidden by great bowlders that had caught the drift of
shale as it swept down from the top of the ravine, they found the second
rider. As the horse was more than forty feet above this spot, they
figured that the man must have shot from the saddle when all were
precipitated over the top, and landed as if by a miracle in this
comparatively safe niche made by the rocks.

The moment the man heard human voices he tried to attract their
attention, but they had already heard and planned how best to reach him.
He could not move, as those limbs which had not suffered fractures, were
rendered helpless by the weight of shale pinning them down. His chest
was free, however, and in spite of the gashes and bruises all over his
face and neck, he could breathe easily.

"Ah reckon we-all had better carry him up the gulch to the Devil's
Causeway, and git out by that route," suggested one of the men.

"Yeh! Let's call to Jeb to go back and meet we-all at the Cliffs so's we
kin put him acrost one of the hosses."

In half an hour, therefore, Mr. Ratzger, the senior member of the law
firm of Riggley and Ratzger, of New York, was carried in front of the
Rainbow Cliffs and placed in Jeb's arms, while another man led Jeb's
horse carefully towards the ranch-house.

"Ah, so these are Rainbow Cliffs, are they! Shall I ever forget them?
Had Riggley listened to my advice we both would now be sitting in our
comfortable office-chairs in New York. But no! he must needs try to
force gold from a stone-wall!" As Ratzger sighed, Jeb remarked
philosophically: "Ef _you_-all'd rather be sittin' at home than a
galavantin' round places where money kin be found, Ah b'lieves it's the
onny reason you-all is spared whiles your friend is locooed."

Ratzger had never heard the term "locooed" so he was not quite sure what
Jeb meant. But he was thankful that he had life enough left even to
suffer with the broken arms and legs; for a trifle like that was not to
be scorned when he might have been done for completely even as he feared
old Riggley was.

CHAPTER XIV

THE VICTORY

Serenely oblivious of all the excitement that had been caused at Pebbly
Pit by the accident, Tom Latimer drove Mr. Maynard and the happy
betrothed pair back to the ranch. John and Anne sat on the back seat
while Mr. Maynard sat beside Tom. Finding that John and his fiancee
needed no assist