t to eat."

"Maybe some of it is good," returned Andy.

"Do you want to sample it and make sure?" questioned Jack, with a grin.

"Not on your life! I wouldn't want that burning taste in my mouth again
for a hundred dollars."

The boys threw the highly-seasoned cake and the doughnuts away, repacked
what was left of the other food, and then continued on their ride. The
trail led through the patch of timber and then over some rather rough
rocks and through some brushwood. Among the rocks they found a spring
where the water was clear and cold, and here they had a most refreshing
drink and watered their horses.

"It's queer this spring is away up here on the top of the hill," remarked
Spouter. "That water must flow underground from the mountains yonder."

"What a lot of underground streams there must be!" returned Fred.

While moving along those in the lead had kept their eyes open for more
snakes. But no reptiles appeared, for which they were thankful.

"But I'm sorry we didn't see some sort of wild animals," said Randy, in
speaking of this. "I thought sure we'd see a bear or a deer or something
like that."

Even birds seemed to be scarce in that vicinity, and the only sound that
broke the stillness as they advanced was their own voices and the clatter
of the horses' hoofs on the rocks.

The trail was a well-defined one, and they could see that it had been
used only a short while before.

"Half a dozen horsemen have been this way within the last few hours,"
declared Gif. "Most likely they were on their way to Bimbel's ranch."

"I wonder if that man Haddon has gotten here yet," said Jack.

"More than likely," answered Fred. "If you'll remember, those men didn't
expect to stay in Arrow Junction very long."

"I'd like to know more about that chap, and know exactly how he's mixed
up with Brassy Bangs," went on the oldest of the Rover boys.

"I guess we'd all like to know that," put in Randy.

Presently they came to a turn of the trail. Here they could see across a
wide stretch of prairie to where there was a collection of low buildings,
seven or eight in number. To the rear of the buildings was a corral for
horses.

"It doesn't look much different from lots of other ranches," said Fred.

"Do you want to go any closer to it?" questioned Gif.

The boys talked the matter over, and while Andy and Randy were rather
curious to get a more intimate view of the place, the others decided that
they would not ride any