They made the trip to the mountains without incident.  There Tad pulled up for a conference.

“Now tell me what your plan is?” said Ned.

“First we will ride on a little further along the base here.  I see a place where I think we can hide our ponies.  I don’t want to go back to the point where we first started to make camp.  That is the place where our enemy will be looking for us first.  But when he gets there we’ll be somewhere in the vicinity.”

Ned wheeled his pony without further comment and followed Tad at a slow trot along the base of the foothills.  The boys were engaged on a more desperate mission than they knew.

CHAPTER III

IN A BAD MAN’S POWER

Having secreted their ponies in a dense growth of scrub oak, Tad laid out his plan as follows: 

“You, Ned, will go straight in from here until you’ve got about a quarter of a mile directly inland.  When you have done so turn due west.  I don’t think you can lose your way for you can see out every little while and thus get your bearings.”

“Where are you going?”

“Back to the point where we first decided to make camp.  I shall have easier going than you will, but I shall be in more risk.”

“What’s the rest?” asked Ned with a short laugh.

“It is my idea to close in on the right fork of the stream there in the foothills.  I’ll come up from the west and you from the east.  In that way we shall close in, you see, covering roughly the greater part of the territory.”

“Then you think we shall find our man there?”

“I am sure he will get there eventually, provided he has not seen our movements out there.  He will go to the stream and from there he will quickly locate our camp.  Understand?”

“As far as it goes, yes.  But what are we going to do if we find him?”

“Watch him.  Find out what he is up to, then from that on be guided by circumstances.  But whatever you do, Ned, don’t use your revolver unless it be to save your own life.”

“No, I’m not aching to shoot any one.  Do you know, Tad, I’m thinking you and I are biting off a bigger mouthful than we will know how to chew?”

“We will manage it somehow.”

“What do you think this fellow is trying to do?”

“It looked very much as if he were trying to kill us,” smiled Tad.

“It did.  But what for?”

“I have an idea the professor was right when he said the fellow mistook us for some other party.”

“And he’s likely to do it again, if that’s the case.”

“He may have already discovered his mistake, Ned.  You observe he hasn’t fired a shot since?”

Rector nodded thoughtfully.

“Well, we must be on the move.  We don’t want to be caught out here after dark, you know, Ned.  Remember, the right fork, where it enters the hills, is the point we have agreed upon meeting.  You will strike the stream farther back, then follow it, but be very careful.  Be an Indian, Ned.  If you are a white man you’re likely to lose your identity.  We don’t want to stop any bullets.  Chunky has done quite enough of that for one day.”