ared the plunder. But there was no profit in this for
anyone--only an infinite amount of trouble and worry and extra work for
them all, to say nothing of great financial loss to--Mary Thorne.

When Stratton had secured his rope and rode back to the Shoe-Bar pasture,
his face was thoughtful. He was thinking of those excellent offers for the
outfit Miss Thorne had lately spoken of, which Lynch was so anxious for
her to accept. Could the foreman's plotting be for the purpose of forcing
her to sell? From something she had let fall, Buck guessed that she was
more or less dependent on the income from the ranch, and if this failed
she might no longer be able to hold the property.

But even supposing this was true, it all still failed to make sense. The
land itself was good enough, as Stratton knew from his former careful
inspections, but it would be of little use for any purpose save ranching;
and since the value of a cattle-ranch consists largely in the cattle
themselves, it followed logically that by reducing the number, by theft,
by disease, or any other means, the value would be very much less to a
prospective purchaser.

Unable to make head or tail of the problem, Buck finally gave it up for
the time being. He put back the fence with care and then headed straight
for the ranch. There was no time left for the desired inspection of the
north pasture. To undertake it now would mean a much longer delay than he
could plausibly explain, and he was particularly anxious to avoid the need
of any explanation which might arouse suspicion that the criminal action
of the two men had been overseen.

"If they guessed, they'd be likely to try it again," he thought, "and
another time they might succeed."

Stratton managed his route so that for the last two miles it took exactly
the course he would have followed in returning directly from Las Vegas
camp. His plan was further favored by the discovery that none of the men
save Bud were anywhere about the ranch-house.

"Gone off to ride fence along with Flint an' Butch," Jessup informed him,
when Buck located him in the wagon-shed. "Wonder why he's so awful
interested in fences all of a sudden," he went on thoughtfully. "They've
been let go all over the ranch till they're plumb fallin' to pieces."

"You've got me," shrugged Stratton. He had been cogitating whether or not
to confide in Bud, and finally decided in the negative. It would do no
particular good, and the youngster might impul