ye, sir," replied Pete imperturbably.

Meanwhile the mate had been at work with deft fingers and he finally
succeeded in extricating the old man and putting him upon his pins.

"Now if ye are sufficiently rested," proposed the skipper, "we will hike
along."

This they did. Their way now lay between two stretches of fence that
enclosed a road not much traveled for there were only faint traces of
wheels in the turf. It was probably not a public highway but belonged to
the great ranch.

Everything seemed smooth sailing now, as there was no more barbed wire
to be immediately met but Pete soon made himself prominent again. He
was rolling along with that gait peculiar to a sailor when aboard land,
when he gave a sudden spring and clutched Cales convulsively in the
back, giving that individual a big scare.

"Dad burn it, boys. I've stepped on a rattler." An investigation was
made very carefully and Captain Broom quickly picked up a short piece of
rope.

"I'll rattle you," he cried, touching up the old man with the rope's
end.

CHAPTER IV

PETE'S YARN

They went along steadily through the darkness in an almost directly
easterly direction. Being now clear of the brush they could make good
time on the springy turf.

"How far are we now from the ranch, Pete?" inquired Jack.

"Too durn close to suit me," replied Pete. "I can't tell exactly for
these ranches are as big as all outside creation, but I guess we must be
as close as a mile to the buildings."

"I reckon the Captain is going to walk up to the front door and ask for
accommodations."

"Wouldn't s'prise me a bit, if he done that," replied Pete querulously.
"The old man ain't lacking in nerve. Back thar was the first time I ever
seen him hang back in my long experience with him."

"When the old lady was speaking her piece? Suppose I ask him how much he
made when he captured the Senor," suggested Cales, who had recovered his
flippant humor.

"I wouldn't git gay, lad," said old Pete, warningly. "She is just as
liable to haunt you in your black spells."

"Don't have 'em, uncle," replied Cales.

"You collect the material for 'em when you are young," said the old man
wisely, "and they come out of your bones like rheumatiz when you git
old."

"Somebody is coming back of us," suddenly whispered Cales.

"Take to cover, lads," ordered the skipper, who was as quick to hear as
the younger man. The only cover was a high and thick growth of wild
mustard