“Now what?” demanded Ned.

“I want you to hurry over to where the ponies are tethered, then ride to the outfit.  Tell them to pack up and move over here at once.”

“Give me a signal before you come into the gulch here.  I’ll answer it if all is right.  Then you may come in without fear.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I am going to stay here to keep our friend company.  He might get lonesome if we were to leave him alone,” chuckled Tad.  “Get back as soon as you can.  I’ll have a fire built, then we’ll get supper.  Did you know this fellow took another shot at Chunky?”

“No.  Was that what he shot at?”

“That was it.”

“I hope he didn’t hit him.”

“I guess not.”

“Chunky seems to be getting more than his share of lead to-day,” answered Rector with a chuckle.  “Serves him right.  It’ll teach him to be more prudent.”

“I don’t think you are exactly in the position to say much yourself,” replied Tad, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

Ned flushed to the roots of his hair.

“For goodness’ sake, don’t tell the crowd how I got jumped on.  I am as easy as a baby.  I’ll never call myself a mountaineer again.”

“Never mind.  You showed your grit at any rate.  You didn’t appear to be the least bit scared.”

“I wasn’t.  But honest, Tad, now that I’ve had time to think it all over, I’m scared stiff right this minute.  I believe he would have shot me.”

“There is no doubt of it in my mind.  So he thinks we are Rangers?”

“Who are the Rangers, anyway?”

“The Rangers are a body of men who did much toward clearing this state of the bad men that infested it for a long time.”

“They don’t seem to have got them all,” replied Rector.

“No, there are some near the border still.  The Rangers are a sort of police who range over the state wherever their services may be needed.  I understand they are paid by the state.  I guess there are not many of them left.  The necessity for Rangers is not what it was a few years ago.”

“So I should judge from what has just happened,” answered Ned somewhat ironically.

“Come, are you going to get started tonight?” demanded Tad with a laugh.

“I’m off this very minute.”

Ned hurried away laughing.  He bore evidences of his recent encounter with the mountaineer, but all this was forgotten now that the man had been taken and was safely tied up back there in the canyon with the ever vigilant Tad Butler on guard over him.

A short time after that Ned was riding his pony over the plain toward the camp at a fast gallop.  He shouted as he neared the camp, where no fire had been lighted, uttering a subdued whoop as he rode in.  Chunky and the professor met him a few rods from the camp.

“I—–­I got shot again!” cried Chunky.

“Where is Tad?” called the professor.