rks out."

Ridley lay awake for hours beneath a million stars, unable to get his
alert nerves quiet enough for sleep. The crisis of his adventure was
near and his active imagination was already dramatizing it vividly. He
envied his friend, who had dropped into restful slumber the moment his
head touched the saddle. He knew that Roberts was not insensitive. He,
too, had a lively fancy, but it was relegated to the place of servant
rather than master.

In the small hours Arthur fell into troubled sleep and before his eyes
were fully shut--as it seemed to the drowsy man--he was roused by his
companion pulling the blankets from under him. Ridley sat up. The soft
sounds of the desert night had died away, the less subdued ones of day
showed that another life was astir.

"Time to get up, Sleepy Haid. Breakfast is ready. Come an' get it,"
called Jack.

They packed their supplies on the extra horse and saddled their mounts.
The day was still young when they struck across the plains to the north.
The way they took was a circuitous one, for Roberts was following the
draws and valleys as far as possible in order to escape observation.

The sun was high in the heavens when he drew up in the rim-rock.

"We'll 'light here an' picket the broncs," he said.

This done, both men examined their rifles and revolvers carefully to
guard against any hitch in the mechanism. Then, still following the low
country, they worked forward cautiously for another half-mile.

Jack fell back to give the other Ranger final instructions. "There's a
clump of cactus on the summit. We'll lie back o' there. You stay right
there when I go forward. If I get the breaks I'll wave you on later. If
I don't get 'em you may have to come a-shootin' to help me."

They crept up an incline, wriggling forward on their stomachs the last
few yards to the shelter of the cactus on the crest. Before them lay a
little valley. On the cactus-covered slope opposite a herd of cattle was
grazing. No guard was in sight.

For two hours they lay there silently, watching intently.

"I'll slip down right now an' take a look at the brands," said Jack.

"Hadn't I better come too?"

"You stick right where you're at, Art. I might need a friend under cover
to do some fancy shootin' for me if the Dinsmores arrived unexpected."

There was no cover on the near slope. Jack made no attempt to conceal
himself, but strode swiftly down into the valley. Goosequills ran up and
down his spi