“That’ll do, Dippy!” commanded the leader sternly.  “If you’d been riding as you should have, you never would have fallen off.  Now you’re off, stay off.”  The captain uttered a bird-call which was answered in kind.  The boys understood at once that the Rangers were exchanging signals.  A few moments later, a bronzed, weather-beaten Ranger rode into camp.  He held a few moments’ conversation with the captain, after which he rode away.

“Anything doing, Cap?” asked Morgan.

The leader shook his head.

“Something may turn our way to-night.  Joe has been detained.  I don’t know what is keeping him.  But we’ll wait here till he comes in.  Professor, it is possible that we may have to make a hard night ride to-night.  Do you wish to go along?”

“Of course we do!” shouted the boys.  “We don’t want to miss a single thing.”

“No, we don’t want to miss a thing,” agreed Chunky solemnly.  “I see I’ve been missing a great deal lately.  I don’t propose to miss another thing as long as I’m out on this cruise.”

“He thinks he’s on a canal boat,” jeered Dippy.

“Maybe if I do it’s because we’ve got some mules to pull it,” retorted Stacy.

“Ouch!  But that one landed below the belt!” exclaimed Dippy.

“Our fat friend has a sharp tongue,” observed Polly.

“I guess we’ll have to file it.  Might hurt himself on it if he happened to stumble over a root and fall,” added Cad Morgan.

“Chunky, are you going to get busy and help settle this camp?” demanded Tad.

“I don’t have to work.  I’m a guest of the management,” answered Stacy.

“The management disowns you.  You’re out in the cold world,” laughed Butler.

“All right.  That’s good.  Then I don’t have to work.”

“No, he doesn’t have to work,” agreed the professor.  “Nor does he have to eat.  No work, no eat, is the motto of this outfit.”

Chunky got busy at once.  Captain McKay had little to say.  He was very thoughtful, evidently perplexed by some word that his scout had brought him.  The other men made no further effort to learn what was disturbing their chief.  They knew he would tell them if he wanted them to know.  At McKay’s suggestion, nothing was unpacked save the stuff necessary for their meal.  Of course all the packs were removed from the ponies to give the little animals a rest.  The ponies apparently had ceased from their tantrums and were as docile as if they had never known what it was to buck off a rider.

Polly was getting the dinner while Tad and Ned were starting and keeping up the fire.  The others occupied themselves with various duties about the camp, all save the captain who sat on a rock some little distance from the scene of operations.

Suddenly Captain McKay leaped from the rock, taking a long spring away from it, at the same time drawing a revolver and whirling.  Chunky, who was passing at the time, was bowled over by the captain’s sudden spring.