Jack Slate were
shaking hands with the ranchmen and cowboys.

Clay's fires were going well, and the steer and sheep were being roasted
for the noontime feast.

Ben had gone on a still-hunt among the tents belonging to the showman,
and, while he found three small dogs, there was no sign of a monkey, and
by adroit questioning he learned that they had had a monkey, but that
it had died at Leadville, because the air in that altitude was too cold
and rare for it.

These facts he communicated to Ted, and seemed to explode the
monkey-thief theory.

During the morning there was a baseball game between the cowboys and the
clerks from the stores in Soldier Butte and Strongburg, in which the
score was forty-one to three in favor of the clerks. The cowboys
couldn't play ball any more than a rabbit, encumbered as they were by
their chaps, high-heeled boots, and spurs. It took a home-run hit to get
one of them to first base.

After dinner the cowboy sports were to come off.

When Ted could get away from his duties as host for a few minutes he
sauntered through the crowd, extending greetings to all whom he knew,
but at the same time keeping a close watch over everything.

The theft of the money from the cubby-hole had aroused in him all his
detective instincts.

He saw two or three of the young fellows who had been with Wiley Creviss
the night of the ball, but he paid no attention to them. They were
welcome to come to the festivities, and to remain so long as they
behaved themselves.

But he determined to have them watched.

Soon he came upon some more of the Creviss gang and saw them mingle with
several boys, whom he knew to be tough characters, from Strongburg.

"The clan is gathering," he said to himself. "We're likely to have
trouble with those fellows before the day is over. I'll put Bud next to
them, and have the boys watch them."

"Whom do you suppose I saw just now?"

It was Stella's voice, and she was standing at his elbow.

"Who?" he asked.

"Wiley Creviss."

"Is that so? I have been watching for him to come along. A lot of his
fellows are here, and they are sticking pretty well together. Where did
you see him?"

"I told Ben I'd take in his show even if no one else did, and I've kept
my promise. When I was in that biggest tent I suddenly came upon Creviss
in close conversation with the boss showman. When they saw me looking at
them they separated in a hurry, and Creviss left the tent."

"H'm! I wonde