, and
at this remark Spouter's father looked real pleased.

"Hurrah for Big Horn Ranch!" shouted Randy, waving his cap. "Come on if
you're ready."

"Don't work your horses too hard at the start," cautioned Joe Jackson.
"It's a good five miles to the ranch, and part of it is rather tough
climbing."

"If it's tough climbing how is the automobile going to get there?"
questioned Jack quickly.

"Oh, they'll go around by the river road. But that is eight miles longer.
We'll take the hills."

"Then maybe we can get there first after all!" broke in Fred.

"Well, we can try, anyhow," answered the foreman of the ranch. "Do all of
you boys know how to ride?"

"Sure we do!"

"Then forward it is!" And away rode the foreman with Jack and Spouter on
either side of him and the others following close behind.

CHAPTER XX

AT BIG HORN RANCH

The way lay along a flat stretch of prairie bordering the river, and then
up into the hills. The brushwood in the immediate neighborhood was
scanty, but in the distance they could see some scrub timber backed up by
a stretch of forest. Far to the westward they could see the distant
mountains over which the sun was now setting.

"Come on, you fellows, come on! Don't lag behind!" shouted Spouter, and
set off at a brisk pace along the well-defined trail leading to the
ranch.

Joe Jackson, having seen that all of them could ride well, was quite
willing to let them set their own pace.

"Only look and see where you're going!" he shouted. "And remember at the
split in the trail to take the one on the right." And then he allowed
them to plunge on ahead, but kept his eyes on everything they were
doing.

[Illustration: "OFF TO THE EASTWARD YOU CAN SEE A BIT OF OUR RANGE."
Rover Boys at Big Horn Ranch (Page 205)]

Two miles from the station the boys found they had quite a climb, and
here they were forced to slow down. A little later they reached the top
of the first hill.

"There off to the eastward you can see a bit of our range," said the
ranch foreman, pointing with his finger. "And those cattle yonder are our
cattle."

By the time they reached the foot of the first hill the sun was setting
beyond the mountains in the west and the long shadows were creeping
across the trail and over the forest beyond.

"This must be some dark trail at night," remarked Jack.

"Dark as a tunnel," answered Joe Jackson. "You have to carry a lantern or
a flashlight when you try to ride it after