and placed them in the pantry.

"It's nothing more than some of their tricks, Hop Lung," said Mrs.
Powell. "They had no right to play such tricks, and I'll call them to
account for it. But you had better pick up the fish which you threw
outside. They're too good to be thrown away."

"Hop Lung flix bloys, play flishee tlick," answered the Celestial. And
then a little later he set about preparing supper.

The boys did not think it wise to return to the house just then, and so
wandered off to the stable where the ranch horses were kept.

"It was certainly a rich joke," remarked Fred, with a chuckle.

"I'll bet Hop Lung will have it in for us for that," returned Randy.

And Hop Lung did have it in for them, as they were to learn in the near
future.

CHAPTER XXII

A HORSE AND A SNAKE

During the days which followed at Big Horn Ranch the Rover boys and their
chums asked Joe Jackson if he knew Bud Haddon and the other men who had
been with him.

"Yes, I know Haddon," answered the foreman of the ranch. "He used to work
for Bimbel on a ranch on the other side of the river; but I think he left
there several months ago."

"Well, if he did, I rather think he's going back," answered Jack. "Can
you tell us anything about him?"

"Oh, I imagine he's as good as the average fellow around Bimbel's place,"
answered Joe Jackson. "You see, none of our crowd have much to do with
that outfit. Bimbel is a hard fellow to get along with, and some of the
men working for his outfit have rather shady characters." The foreman
looked at the boys curiously. "How do you happen to know the fellow?"

The lads had come to like the foreman very much and felt that they could
trust him thoroughly, so they told their story in detail, to which
Jackson listened with interest.

"Looks to me as if Haddon was trying to blackmail that kid Bangs," was
his comment. "That is unless there was something in the talk about that
barn being burned with the horses. It's just possible that fellow Bangs
had something to do with it and Haddon was making him pay for keeping his
mouth shut."

"Do you know anybody by the name of John Calder whose barn burned down?"

"No. That couldn't have been anywhere around here or I certainly would
have heard about it. But there's one thing I do know," added the foreman
suddenly. "There's a man named Jarley Bangs who owns a ranch on the other
side of the river--a small place next to the one run by Bimbel."

"Jarley