out. "Didn't he come in on the wagon?"

"It's Bud Cashaw," murmured one of the men. He raised his voice.
"Your old man is in the house with Sack Todd."

Tom turned toward the ranch proper and was close to a door when it
opened and Sack Todd came out and faced him. At a distance behind
the man was James Monday.

"Hullo, pap!" sang out Tom. "You forgot that letter from that train
hand--or maybe you didn't see him."

The government official stared at Tom, wondering who he could be.

"What letter?" demanded the ranch owner quickly.

"Here it is," answered Tom, and brought it forth. Sack Todd ripped
it open quickly and scanned its contents. It was short and to the point:

"Look out for government detectives. They are on your track. One is
named James Monday. There is also a fellow named Rover--beware of
him.--NUMBER 9."

Utterly unconscious of what he was doing, Tom had played directly
into the hands of Sack Todd and his evil associates.

CHAPTER XXV

IN WHICH TOM IS EXPOSED

"Boy, who gave you this letter?" demanded the owner of Red Rock ranch,
after he had read the communication through twice.

His look was a stern one, and his gaze seemed to bore Tom through
and through. Yet the lad did not flinch. He felt that he must play
his part to the end.

"Feller give it at the house fer pap," he drawled. "Pap, he fergot
to bring it. So I hustled off to do it."

"Humph! A nice way to treat a letter of importance," muttered Sack
Todd. He gave Tom another close look. "Who told you your dad was
coming here?"

"Oh, I guessed that," drawled Tom.

"Come in the house. I must question your father about this."

"I didn't mean no harm, Mr. Todd!" cried the youth in pretended alarm.
"Ain't it all' right?"

"Yes. Come in."

Sack Todd pushed Tom toward the doorway of the ranch, and the youth
went inside. He looked around for the government official, but that
individual was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is Bill Cashaw?" asked the ranch owner of two men who were
present.

"I don't know--getting something to drink, I reckon," answered one
of the men. "He was standing around a minute ago."

"Sit down here," said Sack Todd, turning to Tom and at the same time
motioning to a chair. "I'll be back in a minute."

He disappeared through a doorway and the fun-loving Rover sat down.
He was in no easy frame of mind, for he could plainly see that the
letter had disturbed the ranch owner greatly and that the man was
suspicio