d it, yer low down hoss thief
and gambler," returned Jack Blowfen, and then came the fall of one body
over another, just as Paul and Chet leaped into the little opening where
the battle was taking place.

They saw Jack Blowfen on his back with Saul Mangle on top of him. The
horse thief had the butt of a heavy pistol raised threateningly. He
looked alarmed at the unexpected appearance of the boys.

"Let up there!" sang out Paul. "Let up at once!"

The cry and the glint of the boys' weapons decided Mangle. With a low
muttering he gave Jack Blowfen's body a kick and sprang for the bushes.

Chet and Paul went after him, leaving the cowboy to stagger to his feet
and regain his pistols.

The boys followed Mangle not over a dozen feet. Then they came upon
Darry Nodley, who had several horses in a bunch, among them Rush and
Lilly. The man had been waiting for the leader of the gang to finish his
row with Blowfen.

Saul Mangle was ahead of the two boys, but ere he could leap upon the
back of the nearest animal Paul ran up to him and seized him by the arm.

"Stop!" he ordered. "You cannot take those horses. We will shoot you
both if you attempt it!"

"The Winthrop youngsters," muttered Darry Nodley. "How did they find
their way here?"

He attempted to move on, thinking Mangle would follow. But now Chet
barred the way.

The ranch boy had his gun up to his shoulder and there was a determined
look on his sunburnt face. He was fighting for Rush as much as for
anything else.

"Get down!" was all he said, but the tone in which the words were
uttered left no room for argument.

Darry Nodley hesitated and thought at first to feel for his own gun. But
then he changed his mind. He saw that Chet was thoroughly aroused, and
saw, too, that Jack Blowfen was coming up.

"We'll have to make tracks," he cried to Saul Mangle, and leaped to the
ground, putting the horse between himself and Chet, and ran for the
bushes.

In the meantime Paul and Saul Mangle were having a hand-to-hand fight.
The boy fought well, and the wounded man had all he could do to defend
himself. Finally he went limping after Nodley, but not before Paul had
relieved him of his gun. The brave lad could have shot the thief with
ease, but could not bring himself to take the risk of killing his
antagonist.

"Where are they?" roared Jack Blowfen, coming up. "Which way did they
go?"

Paul pointed in the direction. At once Blowfen ran off. In another
second Che