rancho, and,
when he rode over on Monday morning, he brought with him a supply of
provisions, which were stowed away in the pack-saddle with the rest.
Frank and his friends had been waiting for him, and now that they were
all ready, they mounted their horses and rode off--Archie leading an
extra horse, which carried the pack-saddle. As they galloped through the
Rancheros' quarters, Dick appeared at the door of his cabin, and shouted
after them words, which, taken in connection with the events that were
about to transpire, seemed like prophecy.

"You'll be wishin' fur me an' Bob, to get you out of the hands of that
ar' greaser, afore you're two days older," yelled Dick.

"You don't suppose that we four fellows will let one man capture us, do
you?" shouted Archie, in reply. "If we do get into trouble, and you find
it out, you'll come to our rescue, won't you?"

"Sartin. Now, don't be keerless, like you allers are."

The boys kept their horses in a rapid gallop until they reached the
bridle-path in the mountains, and then Archie went ahead with the
pack-horse, and the others followed in single file. They rode along
singing and shouting, and little dreaming of the danger that was so
near, until they arrived in sight of the spring, near which Frank had
his last encounter with the robber. He soon found that he was to have
another adventure there; for, as he and his companions rode toward the
spring, they were startled by a shrill whistle, which echoed among the
mountains, and was answered on all sides of them; and, before they had
recovered from their surprise, Pierre Costello appeared in the path, as
suddenly as though he had dropped from the clouds, and came toward them,
holding a pistol in each hand.

"Halt!" shouted the robber.

The boys looked about them, as if seeking some avenue of escape, and
then they saw that Pierre was not alone. Every thicket, toward which
they turned their eyes, bristled with weapons, and a dozen revolvers
were leveled straight at their heads. It was useless to think of flight.

CHAPTER XIII.

PIERRE AND HIS BAND.

"Halt, I say!" repeated Pierre, riding up beside Frank, and seizing his
horse by the bridle. "Disarm them, men, and shoot down the first one
that resists," he added, as the band closed up around the boys.

Frank, seeing, at a glance, that it was useless to think of escape, sat
quietly in his saddle, and allowed Pierre to take possession of his
rifle, pistols, and l