d station."

"The trouble is the cap'n air hard to find," said Daddy Wampole. "He
ain't on his ranch more 'n a quarter o' his time. Ye know he's as much
interested in mines ez he is in cattle."

The mention of mines gave a new turn to Allen's thoughts. Had that
communication from Uncle Barnaby contained any reference to the valuable
claim over by the Black Rock River?

"If it did, then Captain Grady will rob Uncle Barnaby as sure as fate,"
thought the young ranchman, with an inward groan.

CHAPTER XVIII.

Allen Changes His Plans

A moment later a clatter of horse's hoofs on the road outside betokened
another arrival. Catching up his gun, Daddy Wampole strode out to see
who it was.

"Ike Watson! Wot brings ye here?" Allen heard him cry, and then ran out
to greet the old hunter.

"Allen, by all the good fortunes o' the Rockies!" ejaculated Ike Watson.
"Jes' the boy I'm pinin' ter see."

"And I'm mighty glad to see you, too, Ike," returned the young ranchman.
"I want a bit of advice, and you are just the man to give it to me."

"Advice? I'm ready to give ye bushels o' it, if it will do ye the least
bit o' good, lad. But wot are ye doin' here? Why ain't ye hum?"

"I came here on my way to the railroad station, I am bound for San
Francisco to hunt up Uncle Barnaby."

"Gee whiz! Now thet's what I call fortunate! If I hadn't a cotched ye,
ye would be goin' off on a wild goose chase, with no end to the trail."

"A wild goose chase? O, Ike, have you word from my uncle?"

"No, I ain't got no word from him, but I got word in a way thet two
rascals didn't dream on."

"But what do you know?" questioned Allen impatiently.

"Not much, ter tell the truth, an' yet a good deal. It happened this
mornin', when I wuz down to Casey's Fork. I wuz ridin' along the old
B'ar Trail when along comes a couple o' the worst lookin' bad men ye
ever seed. Sez one to tudder, 'If we can make him tell us whar the mine
is, we will all become millionaires.' Then sez tudder, 'We'll make him
speak. We didn't trap Barnaby Winthrop inter leavin' San Francisco fer
nuthin'.' The fellers wuz on the bottom trail, while I wuz up on the
rocks. I tried to git to 'em to make 'em tell me wot wuz the meanin' of
it all, when they spied me comin' down, an' by the grasshoppers o'
Kansas! ye ought ter hev seed 'em put an' scoot. They got out o' sight
in a jiffy, an' I couldn't locate 'em, try my best. I hung around an
hour, an' then I made up my m