“Over on the fork waiting for us.  You are to pack up and return with me at once.”

“But—–­but, the danger,” protested Professor Zepplin.

“The danger is past.  I don’t believe you will have to worry.”

“Explain what you mean!”

“I’ll leave that for Tad to do after we get over there.  Are you all ready?”

“Is Tad all right?” demanded Perkins.

“Fit as a fiddle.  You can’t put Tad out of business for any length of time.  You are to fetch everything.  We are going into camp where we originally planned to spend the night,” advised Rector.

The professor, very much relieved to learn that the boys had met with no harm, but still somewhat nervous from the hours of fretting he had passed when the lads failed to return, now hastened to get ready to accompany Ned.  On the way he explained bow Stacy Brown had been fanned by another bullet when the fat boy indiscreetly showed himself on the rise of ground between the camping place and the foothills of the mountains.

“Maybe you’ll learn something one of these days,” scoffed Ned.

“I—–­I’ve learned something to-day.”

“Have you?”

“I have.”

“Well, what have you learned?”

“That these fellows down here can shoot to beat the band.”

“I have observed something of the same sort myself,” muttered Ned, with the memory of the mountaineer’s bombardment of Tad Butler.

The party had set out at a slow trot with Ned leading the way.  Ned’s confidence assured them that all was as it should be, but the young man turned a deaf ear to all their questions, replying only now and then with the remark that Tad would tell them all that was to be told when they got to the camping place.

In the meantime Tad had built up a fire, mainly for the reason that he wanted to keep his prisoner well in sight all the time.  Butler knew that the man was a tough customer and that were he to get free it would be a sad night for Tad Butler, and so, too, perhaps, for the rest of the party.

The prisoner had nothing to say, nor did Butler seek to draw the fellow into conversation.  But the man was watching every move of the young rider who had so cleverly outwitted and captured him.  The mountaineer now believed more firmly than before that these two young men were carrying out the orders of Captain Billy McKay of the Texas Rangers.  He swore to be revenged on every man of them when once he had gained his freedom.  At present that hour of revenge was a long way off.

Suddenly a loud “Yip!  Yip!  Yahee!” sounded off on the plain.  Tad smiled broadly.

“That’s Stacy Brown, I’ll wager my hat.  I’ll bet Ned is scolding him, too.”

Ned was.  He was at that instant threatening to break Chunky’s head if he opened his mouth again before they reached the camping place.  Shortly after that Butler’s keen ears caught the sound of hoofbeats.  He stepped back into the shadows, the prisoner eyeing him inquiringly.  Tad did not take the trouble to explain.  Let the prisoner think what he might.  Then the party rode in in single file.  Tad was not in sight.  He was hiding in the bushes.