Water holes are few and far between in that section, and a
cowboy who rides a country a great deal knows the location of every
single one. Often that knowledge means the saving of a human life.

The Kid had been gone ten minutes when Bud said:

"Thought Yellin' Kid said he'd be right back? I guess he's all right
though. He knows the country about here pretty well, doesn't he,
Billee?"

"Like the palm of his hand, Bud--like the palm of his hand! But maybe
his pony broke his leg in a prairie dog hole--seein' as how it's a new
pony, he might do that. Tell you--I'll just have a look. You fellows
wait here for me."

The three boys watched Billee ride off in the direction the Kid had
taken. It was a deserted, lonesome place.

Fifteen minutes later Billee rode back--alone.

"The Kid show up yet?" he asked as he pulled up.

"No--couldn't you find him?" Dick asked, a look of anxiety on his face.

"Nope! Neither hide nor hair! Something sure must have happened. The
Kid isn't one to go wanderin' off and get lost. I'm afraid he's in
trouble, boys!"

CHAPTER III

A SUSPICIOUS VISITOR

The three looked at each other in alarm.

"Golly, I never thought anything could happen to the Kid," Bud said
slowly. "He was brought up in this country, and always said he could
find his way about blindfolded."

"Perhaps the water hole was farther away than he thought," suggested
Nort hopefully. "It's easy for any man to go astray on a matter of
distance, you know."

"Well, maybe--but I doubt it. What I think happened is that his pony
stumbled into a hole and lamed hisself. Well--we'll have to go looking
for him, that's all. Nort, you and Dick branch out here to the right.
Bud, you take the left trail. I'll try straight ahead. Now remember
your trails, boys--we don't want no more accidents to happen. We'll
all meet here in one hour. If anything happens, fire three shots. Git
along there!" And Billee Dobb, together with the rest set out to find
Yellin' Kid who was so mysteriously and unaccountably lost.

Nort, who was riding with Dick, was the first to pick up a possible
clew.

"Looks as though someone passed here in a hurry," he said as he pointed
to a newly beaten path through some heavy brush. "Now if I was just
going along easy like I'd have ridden 'round that bush. The pony that
went through there got a few scratches."

"Wonder if it could have been the Kid?" Nort mused. "Though why he
should b