ng enough, and he scurried into the shelter of a huge rock
that jutted from the canon wall.

In a few minutes he emerged from it and rode back over the trail.

When the party came up with him he told them of the shot.

"It's my opinion," he said, "that Silver Face and his men and our cattle
are in that canon or valley, but how to reach them I don't know."

"S'pose we go scoutin' on ther hills above, an' take a look," said Bud.
"Stella an' ther boys can cache ther hosses an' hide, er come erlong
with us."

"Very well," said Ted. And so they did. Hiding their horses in a thick
glade of cedar trees, they climbed in single file up the side of the
mountain, and were soon in an advantageous position, from which they had
a good view up and down the valley.

A curious sight met their sight.

In the center of the valley they saw their bunch of steers close herded
by several cowboys, while not far away two men were butchering one of
the steers.

"They're going to have beef for dinner," said Ted, with a grin.

"I hope it chokes 'em," growled Bud.

"Or that they never get a chance to eat it at all," said Stella.

Lounging around the fire were a party of Indians, but, though Ted could
not see from that distance whether or not they were the followers of
Crazy Cow, he thought most likely they were.

The great figure of Silver Face could easily be picked out from among
his followers, even were it not from the reflected light from his silver
mask whenever the rays of the sun smote it.

Close to the west wall of the valley, and huddled under its shelter,
were a number of Indian tepees, while farther on were several white
canvas tents.

"Boys, we've stumbled upon the permanent camp or rendezvous of the
outlaw Indians, and the members of the Whipple gang," said Ted.

As they were looking they saw a young woman, dressed as cowgirl, and
with long, blond hair hanging down her back, come out of one of the
tents, and look over the scene.

Silver Face strode to her side, and then began a strange pantomime
between the pair with her hands. This convinced Stella that the man with
the silver mask was unable to talk.

"I don't see how we are going to get at those fellows," said Ted.

"They do seem to be pretty well fixed to defend themselves," said Ben,
who was lying flat on the rocky edge of the canon wall, looking into the
scene below.

"Oh, Ted," cried Stella, grasping the arm of the leader of the broncho
boys. "Look there.