ving the most water and grass, and pounded out
a lively tattoo as they raced over the stretches of sand which seemed to
slide beneath them.

"What do yu know about this here business?" Inquired Pie, as they raced
past a chaparral and onto the edge of a grassy plain.

"Nothin' more'n yu do, only Buck said he thought Slippery Trendley is at
th' bottom of it."

"What!" ejaculated Pie in surprise. "Him!"

"Yore on. An' between yu an' me an' th' Devil, I wouldn't be a heap
surprised if Deacon Rankin is with him, neither."

Pie whistled: "Are him an' th' Deacon pals?"

"Shore," replied Hopalong, buttoning up his vest and rolling a
cigarette. "Didn't they allus hang out together! One watched that
th' other didn't get plugged from behind. It was a sort of
yu-scratch-my-back-an'-I'll-scratch-yourn arrangement."

"Well, if they still hangs out together, I know where to hunt for our
cows," responded Pie. "Th' Deacon used to range along th' headwaters
of th' Colorado--it ain't far from Cunningham Lake. Thunderation!" he
shouted, "I knows th' very ground they're on--I can take yu to th' very
shack!" Then to himself he muttered: "An' that doodlebug Billy Jordan
thinkin' he knowed more about th' Panhandle than me!"

Hopalong showed his elation in an appropriate manner and his companion
drank deeply from the proffered flask; Thereupon they treated their
mounts to liberal doses of strap-oil and covered the ground with great
speed.

They camped early, for Hopalong was almost worn out from the exertions
of the past few days and the loss of sleep he had sustained. Pie,
too excited to sleep and having had unbroken rest for a long period,
volunteered to keep guard, and his companion eagerly consented.

Early the next morning they broke camp and the evening of the same day
found them fording Sulphur Spring Creek, and their quarry lay only an
hour beyond, according to Pie. Then they forded one of the streams which
form the headwaters of the Colorado, and two hours later they dismounted
in a cottonwood grove. Picketing their horses, they carefully made their
way through the timber, which was heavily grown with brush, and, after
half an hour's maneuvering, came within sight of the further edge.

Dropping down on all fours, they crawled to the last line of brush and
looked out over an extensive bottoms. At their feet lay a small river,
and in a clearing on the farther side was a rough camp, consisting of
about a dozen leanto shacks a