needless chances. Rex, you will stand guard for
the first two hours. Then you can awaken Dill, who will keep guard until
it is time to arouse the camp, which will be just as soon as the moon
rises, somewhere around midnight. Now everybody but Rex get into their
blankets."

A small tent had been secured for the use of Mrs. Dickson, into which
she now retired; but the men found "soft" spots of ground near the
camp-fire, spread out their blankets on them, and, rolling themselves up
in the blankets, lay down to as sound a sleep as ever blessed a man in
the most comfortable of beds.

A little after midnight, just as the white disk of the moon rose above
the tops of the mountains to the east, Dill quietly awoke his father;
and then the two quietly, and cautioning all to make as little noise as
possible, awoke the others.

Pedro, who had lain down near the horses, was at first inclined to be
surly, when aroused from a sound sleep and told to pack the horses as
quickly and as quietly as possible; but in a few minutes all his
surliness had vanished and he was doing the work with a swift and
skilful dexterity that showed long practice.

In half an hour the horses were packed and everything was ready to
start.

"Now," and Mr. Conroyal lowered his voice almost to a whisper, "there
must be no talking and everyone must move quietly, so as to make as
little noise as possible, until we have put a couple of miles between us
and the camp. I'll go on ahead and the others can follow in single file.
Rex, you and Dill and Thure and Bud help Pedro with the horses. You had
better lead them for awhile. We will leave the camp-fire burning.
Everybody ready?"

"Yes"--"Yes," came in whispers.

"All right. Come on," and Mr. Conroyal, walking carefully so as to make
as little noise as possible, moved off down the trail that showed
faintly in the moonlight.

In the excitement of the moment no one saw Pedro bend quickly down to
the ground, just before starting, and swiftly slip a piece of paper on
which was written the two words, "Humbug Canyon," under a stone that lay
near the camp-fire, and then, with a cunning gleam in his snaky black
eyes straighten up and give all his attention to the horse he was to
lead.

All now fell into line and followed close behind Mr. Conroyal, Thure and
Bud and Rex and Dill and Pedro each leading one of the pack-horses.

For a mile the trail was over the soft grass-covered sod of the valley,
which muffled t