ck," answered the detective. "Garrison delivered
the message to just the right party and I ran into the crowd just
coming away from the town. We have got nine men here, and all willing
to do their utmost to round up that Red Rock ranch gang."

It was soon learned that Watermelon Pete had been hit in the thigh.
The wound was not a fatal one, but it was destined to put the rascal
in the hospital for some time to come.

"You must follow that fellow who got away, and at once," said Dick
to James Monday, and then he told of what had happened during the
night and of where Sack Todd and his confederates were located.

Leaving his tired horse behind him, the eldest Rover mounted the
animal Watermelon Pete had been riding, and the whole party, minus
the negro, who was left to take care of himself for the time being,
started for the rendezvous of the counterfeiters.

"If you do any shooting, be careful and don't hit my brother Sam,"
said Dick.

"I'll warn the men," answered James Monday, and did so.

Dick was so tired he could scarcely sit up in the saddle. But he
longed to see Sam rescued, and so rode along as best he could.

As they neared the spot where Tom and his friends were in waiting,
they heard a faint shout and soon the fun-loving Rover appeared. He
had heard the distant firing when Watermelon Pete was hit and was
afraid Dick had been wounded.

"Good! good!" he shouted when he recognized Dick and the government
official and Fred. "This is the best yet. Now, I hope we can round
up that whole crowd."

They continued to advance, and as they did so they heard a firing at
a distance, in the direction of the counterfeiters' rendezvous.

"Something has gone wrong there," cried Dick.

Something had gone wrong, and to the advantage of the Rovers, as Dick
and Tom afterwards learned. Sam had been left to take care of himself
for a few minutes, and by a dexterous twist of his wrists had managed
to rid himself of the rope which bound him.

Watching a favorable moment, the youngest Rover slid behind a rock
and then began to run at his best rate of speed for another shelter
some distance away.

As soon as his flight was discovered some men went in pursuit, and
two shots were fired at the boy, one grazing his left shoulder, but
leaving only a scratch.

The counterfeiters would have continued to pursue the fleeing one,
but now a new alarm sounded out and a guard rushed up.

"A posse is after us!" called the guard. "We