u finish him off, Puller?" came from the negro. "Ain't
nobody else around."

"You're a fine rascal!" burst out Dick. "If you touch me, there is
going to be trouble."

"I reckon you'll come with me," said the white man harshly. "We ain't
goin' to run no risks, understand? If you put anybody on our trail--"
He did not finish. "Face around there!" he ordered.

"See here, do you think you are treating me fairly?" asked Dick. He
wished to gain time, so that he could think matters over and decide
what was best to do.

"I won't parley the question," growled the man. "Face around and do
it quick, if you want to save your hide."

There was no help for it, and Dick faced around. As he did so, he
caught the sounds of hoof strokes at a distance. Puller and Water-melon
Pete did not appear to notice them.

"Wait a minute, I dropped something," said the eldest Rover, and slid
to the ground. He pre-tended to search around. "Got a light?"

"What did you drop?"

"Something valuable," said Dick, but did not add that it was only a
harness buckle. He was straining his ears and heard the hoof strokes
coming closer.

"Well, hurry up and find it. We are not going to stay here until the
sun comes up," growled Puller.

A moment later, the sounds of horses approaching could be heard
plainly. Dick began to cough loudly, but the ears of the negro could
not be deceived.

"Listen!" he said warningly. "Hosses comin', suah as yo' is boahn!"

"Horses?" cried the white man. "Then we had better make tracks."

"Who is there?" cried Dick at the top of his voice. If they were
enemies, he knew he could be no worse off.

"Shut your mouth!" howled the white man.

"Hullo!" was the answering call, and in a moment several men dashed
up, all heavily armed, and accompanied by James Monday and Fred Garrison.

"Help!" called out Dick. "Don't let them get away!"

"They are not going to catch me!" growled Puller, and struck his
horse in the side. The animal bounded forward and was followed by
that on which the negro was riding. Scarcely had this been done when
a shot rang out and the negro fell from his saddle to the ground.

"Halt, in the name of the law!" cried James Monday to Puller, but
the man paid no attention. Several shots were fired at him, but soon
the gloom of early morning hid him from view.

"I'm more than glad that you have come," cried Dick to the government
official and Fred. "How did you get here so quickly?"

"It was mostly lu