ot a bit of it," said Dick. "All of us were to blame, for we all
thought it was the right trail. The one question is: where are we,
and where is the right trail?"

"And a big question to answer, Dick," came from Sam. "For all we
know, we may be miles and miles off the road."

"No use of crying over spilt oil, as the lamp said to the wick," sang
out Tom. "I move we go on until we strike a ranch, or plantation, or
something."

"That is what we'll have to do, unless we want to go back."

"No going back in this!" shouted several, and then they moved forward
as before, but at a slower rate of speed.

It was truly warm work, and it must be confessed that all were more
or less worried. In the last town at which they had stopped, they
had met a number of undesirable characters, and one man had told Dick
that not a few outlaws were roaming around, ready to pick up stray
horses, or money, or whatever they could get their hands upon.

They were passing through a bit of sparse timber, when they heard a
strange tramping at a distance.

"What do you think that can be?" questioned Fred, coming to a halt,
followed by the others.

"Horses," suggested Hans.

"Sounds to me like cattle," said Dick. "But I don't see so much as
a cow, do you?"

"Nothing whatever in sight," said Tom.

As the noise continued, Sam's horse began to grow skittish and showed
some inclination to bolt.

"Steady, there!" sang out the youngest Rover. "None of that, now!"
and he did his best to hold the steed in check.

"Something is coming!" cried Tom a few seconds later. "Something
running pretty well, too!"

By instinct, all turned to the side of the trail, Sam taking a position
between a clump of trees and a big rock. Swiftly the sound came
closer, and then of a sudden a big and wild-looking steer broke into
view, lumbering along the trail at his best speed.

"A steer!"

"Look out, fellows, he is wild and ugly!"

"He looks as if he meant to horn somebody!"

So the cries rang out, and all of the boys drew further to the side
of the trail. As the steer came up, he paused and gazed at them in
commingled wonder and anger.

"He is going to charge--" began Tom, when, with a fierce snort, the
steer wheeled to one side and charged upon Sam and his horse at full
speed!

CHAPTER XIII

JIM JONES, THE COWBOY

To some of the boys it looked as if Sam and his steed must surely be
seriously injured, if not killed. The steer was large and powerful