g upward, a man with a vicious slap on the animal's
thigh, sent a horse bounding in. He followed the horse. Then after
him came five other men, crowding in with every appearance of haste.
Not a word had been spoken up to this time.

"Now run for your life!" whispered Tad in the ear of his companion.
"No, this way. Stoop low. I don't want to get pinned in that other
place."

Tad had been using his eyes while glancing about the compartment, and
using them to good purpose. He had espied a heap of blankets, either
discarded ones or some that had been used for the ponies. He was
inclined to the former opinion. He was quite sure that blankets would
not be used for the animals at this time of the year. At any rate
there was now no time for reflection. It was a time for quick action.

Leading Chunky to the heap, which lay under a projecting ledge of rock
some four feet from the floor, Tad forced his companion over behind
the pile, then himself crawled in, puffing the blankets over them.

Stacy's teeth were still chattering.

"Stop it!" commanded Tad, giving the fat boy a violent pinch.

This time Chunky did say "ouch!" But before the word was out of his
mouth Tad had clapped a blanket over the offending mouth.

"Do you want to be killed?"

"N---n---no."

"Then keep still!"

"Wha---what are they doing?"

"That is what I want to find out if you will lie quiet and not give me
any further trouble. They are staking their horses. This must be the
stable. The men, as I thought, will go back further. I hope we can
hear what they say."

"I don't care what they say. I want to get out of here."

"You never will if you don't muzzle yourself. Now do try to keep
quiet while I listen."

Tad raised his head cautiously, but quickly drew it back. What he had
seen was the face of the man who had passed himself off as captain of
the Rangers when visiting the camp of the Pony Rider Boys a few days
before that. This was Willie Jones, the man for whom every Ranger in
the state was searching at that moment. And then---Tad shivered in
spite of himself when he made the discovery---stepping up to the leader
to ask him a question was Dunk Tucker, the fellow whom Tad had
captured. Dunk had regained his freedom and had joined his band. His
presence here indicated that it was not a good place for the Pony
Rider Boys. Tad hoped his own fellows might keep close to their camp.
He wondered if the Rangers would be able to tr