ods.

"We had bettah follow him on de mustangs," suggested the negro. "He
can't ride----"

"Of course, we'll follow him!" growled Mangle. "Don't stand and talk
about it. Come on! He'll be out of hearing in another minute! This is
the worst luck yet!"

He leaped for one of the mustangs. In another second all three of the
men were mounted and riding after Allen as rapidly as the nature of the
land and growth would allow.

"How do you think he escaped?" asked Darry, as they pushed on.

"Can't make it out," replied Mangle. "We'll make him tell the story when
we catch him. Ha! what was that?"

A sudden crash ahead had arrested their attention. He listened. A dead
silence followed.

"The hosses and young feller have gone into some sort of a hole," cried
Darry. "We'll have him now, all right enough."

On they went through the brush, Mangle leading the way. Suddenly the
leader came to a halt. Before him was a sheer descent of eight or ten
feet.

"Here's where he and the hosses went down," he said to his followers.

"But where is he?" questioned Darry.

"Not far off, I'll warrant ye. Come on."

"Dis yere mustang won't take dat leap," put in Jeff, drawing back.

"And I won't venture it," added Darry, "I don't want to land on my
head."

"Cowards!" howled Saul Mangle. "Well, then, there is a trail to the
right; take that. Here goes!"

He spoke to his animal, and an instant later rider and mustang went down
in a graceful curve. They landed in a bunch of brush, none the worse for
the leap.

Darry and Jeff followed by way of the trail. They could hear Allen
pushing through the brush not over a hundred yards ahead.

The young man was having a hard time of it. He was going it blindly, and
was so faint from want of sleep and something to eat that he could
hardly sit up in the saddle.

Yet he realized his peril and clung on desperately, meanwhile urging the
horse and his mate to do their best to place distance between them and
their pursuers.

But now the slight trail he was pursuing became rougher, and it was with
difficulty that any progress could be made. The horses labored along
bravely, but were no match on such ground for the nimble-footed
mustangs.

"Halt! Do you hear?" were the first unpleasant words which greeted
Allen's ears, and looking back he saw that Saul Mangle was in plain
sight.

Allen attempted to dodge out of sight. To frighten him Mangle fired off
his pistol, the bullet cutting through the