t and Paul were left alone with the horses. The sounds from
the distance told them that Saul Mangle and Darry Nodley were doing
their best to escape from the neighborhood.

"Our money!" cried Chet. "We ought to have made an effort to get that
seven hundred dollars!"

"That's so--but it's too late now, unless we go after the pair on
horseback."

"Let us return Dottery's horses to the barn first and see how he has
made out with the negro."

They took the horses in charge and passed with them across the road and
through the break in the wire fence. At the barn they found the ranch
owner in the act of making Jeff Jones a close prisoner by tying his
hands and legs with odd bits of harness straps.

"Got this one, anyway," growled Dottery. "Whar are the others?"

"Jack Blowfen has gone after them," replied Paul. "Here are your
horses."

"Good enough. Say, will you watch this man if I follow Jack?" went on
the ranch owner, anxiously.

"Of course," exclaimed Chet. "If you can capture Saul Mangle, do so. We
believe he has seven hundred dollars belonging to us."

"So Allen told me."

The boys took charge of the negro, and mounting one of the horses Caleb
Dottery rode out of the inclosure. He took the lantern with him, thus
leaving those behind in darkness.

"Strike a light, Chet, and see if you can't find another lantern in the
barn," said Paul. "I'll watch Jones so he don't get away."

"Dis am werry hard on a poah man," moaned the negro. He was fearfully
frightened, for he knew full well how stern was the justice usually
meted out to horse thieves in that section of the country.

"You ought to have thought of that before you started in this business,"
replied Paul.

"It was Mangle coaxed me into de work, sah. He said as how he had a
right to de hosses."

"Indeed! I suppose he said he had a right to our horses, too," went on
the youth, with a sarcasm that was entirely lost on the prisoner.

"Yes, sah."

"In that case you will have to suffer for your simpleness," was Paul's
short response. He did not believe the colored man.

"No lantern in the barn, so far as I can see," called out Chet. "Better
march the fellow up to the house."

"He can't march with his legs tied."

"I reckon he can hobble a bit."

Jeff Jones was unwilling to move, thinking he had a better chance of
escape while out in the open. But Chet and Paul each caught him by the
arm, and groaning and trembling the colored man was forced to move