ch of you is Tom?" asked Ted.

"I am," said one of them.

"You lie!" answered Ted. "I know you by your voice. You are not
Tom:--you are Bill."

"Yes, I'm Tom," said the other fellow.

"That's right," said Ted.

"Now, see here, Tom, if I give you the chance will you dig out of this
and escape? It won't be very long before you are caught, anyway, and you
know what that means."

"You bet I will," said the fellow, who had protested against the murder
of Ted.

"All right, I'll give you the chance. I'll take your friend in charge
myself. You can take down your hands, Tom."

The fellow was in a state of wonderment as he did so.

"Who are you, anyway?" asked the fellow called Bill.

"I am Ted Strong."

"Then it's all up. We're done for," said the train robber, in a resigned
voice.

CHAPTER XXIV.

TED HOLDS A PROFITABLE BAG.

Tom signaled to Ted to step aside, and, telling Stella to keep the other
fellow covered with her revolver, Ted accompanied him.

"Thank yer fer turnin' me loose," said Tom. "I've been tryin' ter get
away fer months, but couldn't. Here's a tip: They're goin' ter rob ther
Overland Express t'-night right out yon at that little station yer can
see from ther top o' ther rise. Ther loot is ter be hid near Bubbly
Spring until things blow over, but ther gang will come here. Thar's my
tip. Good-by. I'm off."

The fellow disappeared up the bank of the stream.

Ted bound the other upon the back of his pony, which he found not far
from the scene of his own downfall, and conveyed him to Green River,
where he placed him in jail, with instructions that he should be allowed
to communicate with no one.

Then he and Stella returned to the Billings ranch house.

"Say nothing whatever about our adventure," said Ted, as he and Stella
rode along discussing the matter. "I think there will be something doing
there to-night."

When they got back to the ranch, Ted simply explained their absence by
saying that they had ridden farther than they had at first intended.

Ted was introduced to the other guests, who had arrived in his absence.
There was Mr. Norcross, the banker, who looked a little sheepish when
Ted shook hands with him and acted as if he had never seen him before.
The man with the black mustache and the red necktie was Mr. Dennis
Corrigan, of Chicago, and neither he nor the boys appeared to have seen
him before. The young man with the pointed beard was Mr. van Belder, of
New York.

C