of the wind I could hear Joe's voice whoopin' it up, an'
believe me, it was the most welcome sound I'd ever heard. The next
minute the whole gang from the ranch, in a flyin' wedge, rode right
into that bunch of long-horns, and split them wide open!

"That saved them. They was scared out of the drift, an' we soon drove
them down behind a hill, where the wind wouldn't get at them, and they
could reach the grass through the snow. Joe had made it just in time,
though how he found the ranch in that storm is still a mystery, even to
him."

The boys on the rail sat silent for a moment. Then out from the
kitchen of the ranch house there came the blast of a horn.

"Grub!" Yellin' Kid shouted. "Let's eat, boys!"

CHAPTER XVI

BUD'S ESCAPE

Bud stood listening, with bated breath, to the conversation on the
other side of the closed door. He heard the words "to-morrow night"
and "all set" repeated several times. With his ears strained he leaned
forward until his shoulder was almost touching the door. If they would
only talk just a little bit louder----

Suddenly Bud lost his balance. He had been so tense that he had not
realized how precarious his position was, the smallest noise being sure
to alarm the occupants of the room. Now his foot slipped, and, with a
crash, he went headlong against the door!

There was a quick scraping of chairs within, and voices raised in
excited outcry. Bud recoiled from the fall as fast as he might, and,
springing down the hall, he made for the front door. By this time the
plotters had emerged from the room and had seen Bud in his wild sprint
for safety.

"Grab him!" someone shouted. "Get him, Jack! He's been listening!
Jump on his neck!"

"Jump on him yourself! What's the matter, are you tied to the floor?"

"Never mind those wise-cracks!" came Delton's voice. "Out that door
quick, and nab him!"

Bud had reached the porch, and looked desperately about him. Where
were the horses? A sudden neigh answered his thought, and he dashed
around to the side of the house. The ponies were tethered to a rail
not one hundred yards away. Luckily Bud's horse was among them.

"All you've got, bronc! We're holding our own, anyway. Gee!" A
report sounded behind him and he heard the whine of a bullet. "They
mean business, all right! On your way, pony!"

The feet of his mount scarcely seemed to touch the ground, so fast did
he travel. On and on they flew, keeping their dis