met
something just as bad."

Presently the boys came to a spot where the river wound around the hill,
and beyond this was a broad stretch of plains, apparently many miles in
extent. Far to the southward they could see some tall timber.

"The Bimbel ranch must be somewhere in this vicinity," declared Jack.

"Yes, and the Bangs place can't be so very far off," returned Fred.

But distances in the open air are deceiving, and the boys rode along over
the plains for the best part of an hour before they reached a spot where
the trail branched in several directions. Here they came to a halt,
wondering which way to turn next.

"It's too bad they don't put up a few signboards out here," grumbled
Randy. "How is a fellow going to know where he's heading?"

"I suppose the natives know these trails just like we know the main
streets of New York City," answered Jack. "And that being so, they don't
need any signboards."

Jack had consulted the rude map given to him by the ranch foreman, but
this did not seem to have upon it the forks of the trail.

"I suppose those cowboys would know at once which was the main trail and
which were only side trails," said Gif.

The boys were still uncertain which way to turn when Fred set up a cry of
amazement.

"Here comes an auto, boys! What do you know about that?"

"An auto!" several of them repeated. "Where?"

The youngest Rover pointed with his finger, and there, to the
astonishment of every one in the party, they beheld a small touring car
coming across the plains at a speed of twelve or fifteen miles an hour.
It was running in a curiously haphazard fashion.

"What a way to run an automobile!" ejaculated Randy.

"Maybe the driver is getting out of the way of holes," answered Jack. And
then he added quickly: "There isn't any driver!"

Completely mystified, the boys stared at the oncoming automobile. For a
moment it seemed heading directly for them, but suddenly swerved and
started off across the plains in another direction.

"It is empty!" ejaculated Andy. "It's running by itself!"

CHAPTER XXIII

JARLEY BANGS

"What do you know about that!"

"Who ever heard of an automobile running around by itself?"

"It's gotten away from somebody," came from Jack. "Just look at it
skating over the ground!"

"Come on! Let's stop the blamed thing!" shouted Andy, and started off on
horseback after the runaway car.

"You'll have a sweet job catching that auto," declared his t