r word for it, my boy. And now that
you're in charge I'm going to vamoose. I've had full and plenty."

He struggled to his feet, plainly showing how weak he was, swayed
unsteadily for a moment and then staggered to a bench on the shady side
of the bunk house not far from the corral.

"If I could have another nip of whatever that was you gave me--" he
murmured.

Bud gave him the remainder of the ammonia and it brought a tinge of
color to the tanned and leathery cheeks of the puncher.

"I guess I can light out now," he went on. "Have you seen my pony--oh,
I forgot--he's dead. Well----"

He looked at the untenanted corral and then to the bunch of tethered
animals the outfit from Diamond X had brought with them.

"Look here!" exclaimed Bud. "Do you mind telling us what happened? We
have heard strange stories about this ranch and don't know whether or
not to believe them. We found you stretched out and----"

"Sort of took me for dead; didn't you?" asked the man.

Now that he had given the opening Billee had no hesitation in replying:

"We sure thought you had cashed in."

"Well, I nearly did," said the man. "I believe I would have been dead
in a short time if you hadn't come along. My horse is dead, I'm sure
of that. And how I managed to drag myself here after he collapsed
under me is more than I know. But I did, hoping I might get some help.
Then I passed out. That's all I know until I found myself sitting up
and drinking camphor water."

"'Tisn't camphor," said Bud. "It's aromatic ammonia."

"Oh," murmured the man. "Well, sort of tasted like the old camphor
bottle my mother used when she got faint. However, I'm much obliged.
And, now that you're in possession I'll be traveling on. Only--my
horse----"

He was as lost without a steed as a sailor would be without a ship, and
he was plainly at a loss how to proceed.

"Look here!" broke in Bud, who, as the representative of his father
could speak with some authority, "we can't let you go this way. In the
first place you're not fit to travel on, and, in the second place we
want to hear your story. After that maybe we can fix you up with a
pony if you want to leave."

"I'll tell you my story all right," said the man, readily enough. "And
thanks for the loan of a horse. As for staying here--after what
happened--I guess I don't feel much like it."

"What happened?" asked Dick, eagerly.

"Lots of things, but the main one was that I nearly pas