a nearby puddle.

A shout arose from those standing near.

"Score one round for the mule!"

"Mike, thet summersault war good enough fer a show. Better jine the
circus!"

"Oi'll show the mule!" yelled Mike, and rushed in again. But once more
Billy turned and got out of the way, and this time he caught the seat of
Mike's trousers between his teeth and lifted the frightened man six feet
from the ground.

"Don't! Let me down! Somebody save me!" yelled the terrorized son of
Erin. "Rosy! Clemmer! Rasco! Hit him! Shoot him! Make him let go av me!
Oi'll be kilt entoirely!"

Outsiders were too much amused to help Mike, but Rosy came to the rescue
with a woman's best weapon--a rolling-pin, one she occasionally used in
making pies for the family when in camp. Whizz! came the rolling-pin
through the air, hitting Billy on the ear. The mule gave a short snort,
broke what remained of the harness and scampered off to make a complete
circuit of the camp and then fall into his regular place near Jack
Rasco's turn-out.

"Want him some more?" asked Jack, who had seen the fun, and was
compelled to laugh, in spite of his worry.

"Want him some more, is it?" growled Mike. "Not fer a thousand dollars,
Rasco! Yez kin kape the mule, an' be hanged to yez!" and he stalked off
to borrow a horse that was warranted to be gentle under the most trying
of circumstances.

In the meantime Pawnee Brown was completing his arrangements for moving
to Honnewell and then to enter the promised land by way of Bitter Creek
and the Secaspie River. Scouts sent out to watch had reported that the
cavalry were watching every movement closely, but Pawnee Brown did not
dream that Louis Vorlange had overheard what was said at a meeting in
the woods, or that this scoundrel had hired Tucker, the cavalryman, to
shoot down both himself and Dick Arbuckle.

Presently Jack Rasco found his way to the scout's side.

"Pawnee, if you can spare a little time I would like your advice," he
said, and mentioned the letter from Nellie Winthrop. "It's mighty
strange the gal don't turn up, ain't it?"

"Perhaps so; but she may have been detained," answered the scout.

At this Rasco shook his head. The bearer of the letter had seen Nellie's
name on the hotel register. Something was wrong, he felt sure of it. The
letter had contained Nellie's photograph, and he showed it to Pawnee
Brown as he asked for permission to leave his work of assisting the
boomers to be prepared for a