was concerned.

"Got a knife, somebody?" sang out the struggling Colon, who was trying
to gain a sitting position, but seemed unable to control his limbs.
"They got me spliced up tight as anything here; and Gabe he didn't have
anything to cut me loose with, so he was chawing the knots to beat the
band when you showed up. We thought it was them fellers come back, and
it gave us both a little scare."

Fred was already at the side of the bound boy. He always kept the blades
of his knife as keen as possible; and once he found where to cut it did
not take him long to set Colon free from the pieces of old rope with
which the unfortunate youth was bound.

"Ow! it pinches like hot cakes!" grunted the late prisoner, as he was
helped to his feet, and doubtless found part of his limbs benumbed or
"asleep," as boys say.

"Tell us first of all, Colon, did they hurt you so you can't run
to-morrow?" demanded Bristles, angrily.

"Oh! I reckon it isn't nothin' much," came the reassuring reply. "Give a
feller a little chance to limber up; won't you? I'll feel all right in a
short time. But it was sure a rough deal for me, and some surprise too,
let me tell you, fellers. I never had the least bit of idea they'd jump
out on me like they did; and would you believe me, the whole bunch had
red handkerchiefs over their faces, so I couldn't tell who they might
be."

"But you heard 'em talk; sure you must; and recognized 'em by their
voices?" declared Bristles, eagerly.

But Colon shook his head in the negative.

"They were cunning about that, too," he declared; "and when they talked
any, it was so low I just couldn't get on to who they were."

"But how about Gabe here, looks funny to see him around. Haven't been
delivering meat to anybody away up here; have you?" asked Sid, with a
strong vein of suspicion in his voice.

"Why, he told me the boss had sent him up here to get a calf that a
farmer had for sale," remarked Colon, who was limping around, and
exercising both arms and legs so as to bring about a return of
circulation in his veins.

"A calf!" echoed Bristles; "well, what next, I wonder? But then they say
a poor excuse is better than none."

"Hold on," interrupted Felix Wagner; "you fellows looked at me like
nothing'd convince you I didn't have a hand in this business. But you
found out that the talk I gave you was straight, after all. Say, perhaps
what he tells is all to the good, too. Didn't Colon say the fellow was
tryi