gang'. He believes thoroughly in the old theory that 'he
travels fastest who travels alone'."

"So they pinched you for being associates of ours, did they?" asked the
other outlaw.

"That's what they said," replied Tommy.

"And that was the truth, too!" roared Katz.

"You seem to know all about these boys, and they know all about you.
You've been seen at their camp, and one of the boys at the camp stole my
property, too!" he went on with another roar of indignation.

"Chester stole his official star!" chuckled Tommy.

"That's a pious notion, too?" laughed the outlaw. "Have you got a star,
too?" he asked, stepping up to Cullen. "If you have, hand it over. I
don't think you're fit to wear a police badge!"

Cullen handed his star over with a scowl, and the outlaw passed it to
Tommy. The boy put it in his pocket with a grin at the detective.

"Did you fellows have the nerve to come in here after us?" asked the
robber.

"We came in after an escaped convict," was the reply.

"Did you get him?"

"Not yet, but we will get him."

"Well, I'd advise you both to go back home before the escaped convict
comes up and steals your necktie. You're not large enough to be out
alone after dark."

"We're going to take that escaped convict back with us," Katz boasted.
"We'll get him if we stay here a year."

"We'll give you two days to get him," grinned one of the outlaws. "We'll
turn you loose for two days. If you catch him in that time and get out,
very well. If you don't catch him in that time, you'll get out anyhow.
You stiffs are attracting altogether too much attention to this part of
the country. It's getting so an honest train robber can't get a good
night's sleep."

The outlaw pointed to the gulch below and motioned for the fellows to
move along. They started but looked back pleadingly.

"Can't we have our guns?" Katz asked.

"And our badges?" pleaded Cullen.

"No," replied the outlaw. "You might injure yourself with the guns, and
the badges are no good anywhere outside of Chicago. If you don't get out
right now, we'll handcuff you to a tree and let the bears feed on you.
You don't look good to us anyway."

"Look-a-here," Tommy said to the two outlaws as the detectives
disappeared down the gulch. "Do you know that every person in the state
of Wyoming will be believing that we really belong to your crowd if this
thing keeps up? We're much obliged to you for bluffing the cowboys last
night, and getting us out o