s all right. Shuss--there's someone
outside!"

The boys knew they had been discovered, and made a sudden rush for the
door of the shack, to see the two men who were inside. But the Mexican
and his companion were too quick for them. They ran through a back
door, and all the three boys could see of them was two dark forms
disappearing in the bushes.

"They beat us to it," Dick said in a disappointed voice. "But if ever
I hear that Mexican accent again I'll sure remember it!"

"Me too!" asserted Bud, positively, if not grammatically. "No use
hanging around here any longer. We've got to get started early in the
morning, and it might be a good idea to get in a little bunk-fatigue.
Let's hit the hay, boys!" And wondering and speculating on the meaning
of what they had seen and heard, the three went to bed.

The next day dawned clear and cool, and the boys arose with the sun.
On their way down to breakfast they met the Yellin' Kid. He was
evidently the bearer of startling tidings, as his face was more flushed
than usual, and his eyes were shining with excitement.

"Heard the news?" he burst out. Then, without waiting for an answer,
he went on:

"The marshal at Roaring River has been shot by a gang of Chink
smugglers! They captured one, but the rest got away with an auto load
of Chinks! Roaring River, boys--that's where we're going!"

Chink smugglers! That conversation in the new bunk house last
night--in a flash it all came back to the boys.

"Say, Dick, I'll bet that's what we heard the Mex talking about!" cried
Bud.

CHAPTER II

A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE

Yellin' Kid looked at Bud in surprise.

"You heard someone talkin' about this here shootin', Bud?" he asked.

"Not exactly about the shooting of the marshal, but last night Nort and
Dick and myself were wandering down by the new shack that Dad put up,
and inside two men were talking--one of them was a Mexican. We heard
this Mex say something about getting some money for the delivery of
Chinks. That sure means smuggling, doesn't it?"

"That's what it means all right. Couldn't you see who the two men
were?" the Kid wanted to know.

"We tried to, but they got away," said Dick. "We went in the front
door and they ran out the back."

"Aw say, do you know what I think, fellows? I'll bet what we heard was
just some rancher asking a friend to send him a Chinese cook,"
suggested Nort, with a faint grin.

"Cook, hey? Why did they sneak in