The two men turned their attention to Allen curiously. They wished to
hold a consultation, but Watson would not permit it.

At that moment Noel Urner came forward, having succeeded in tying all of
the horses in a little grove not far distant.

He eyed both of the prisoners keenly, and then gave a start.

"I saw that man in San Francisco!" he ejaculated, pointing to Roe
Bluckburn. "He was hanging around the very hotel at which Mr. Barnaby
Winthrop stopped."

"It ain't so," growled Bluckburn, but his face proclaimed that Noel
Urner had spoken the truth.

"If that is the case, then he is the one who decoyed my uncle away," put
in Allen. "For there is no longer any doubt in my mind that he was
spirited away in some fashion."

"Air ye fellers goin' ter speak?" roared Ike Watson, impatiently. "Ye
can't expect me ter stand hyer with a gun the rest o' the day!"

"Unless you do speak, we shall bind you and hand you over to the
sheriff," said Allen. "We believe we have a good case against you--and
will have a better after Captain Grady is placed under arrest," he
added, struck with a sudden thought.

"Captain Grady!" groaned the man named Lou Slavin. "I reckon the jig is
up, Roe."

"Shut up!" growled Bluckburn.

"But if the captain is known wot show have we got?" grumbled Slavin.
"Say?" he continued eagerly. "I went into this thing ag'in my will, an'
I wish I was out of it. Supposin' I tell yer the truth about the hull
gang, does that save me?"

"Don't you say a word, Lou!" shouted Bluckburn, warningly, but ere he
could speak further the muzzle of Ike Watson's gun caused him to retreat
up to the tree, where he stood, not daring to say another word.

"Go on and have yer say!" cried the old hunter to Lou Slavin. "And, ez I
said before, give it ter us straight. Whar is Barnaby Winthrop?"

"He is a prisoner, about ten miles from here," was Slavin's flat and
sudden confession.

CHAPTER XX.

Moving against Captain Grady

Both Paul and Chet Winthrop were deeply interested in the words uttered
by Jeff Jones, the colored member of the horse thieves' gang.

"So you know something of Captain Grady and our uncle, Barnaby
Winthrop?" cried Chet, excitedly. "What do you know?"

"Dat's fer you two fellers ter find out--onless yer let's me go,"
replied Jeff Jones, suggestively.

"You mean you won't speak unless we grant you your liberty?" put in
Paul.

"Dat's de way to figure it."

Paul looked at Chet inquiring