own native Rockies, the boys would pay the debt with interest.

From the loot found in the hut of the bandit chief, Dick had recovered
his watch and money and clothes, and declared that he felt like a human
being again for the first time since he had been trapped by the guerilla
band on the morning before.

They shuddered, as, on their way through the camp, they passed the bodies
of the snakes, still tethered to the posts. They lay, quiet enough now,
like the human fiend whose venom had been as dangerous as their own.

"The snakes and the Tiger," mused Bert. "They both lost out."

But now the cavalry were mounted and ready for the start. The horses of
the guerillas had been released from their hobbles, and were led by ropes
behind a number of the soldiers. One was assigned to Dick, while Melton
and the boys mounted three, that they were to use temporarily, until they
had recovered their own that had been left further down the trail.

As they were gathering up the reins, Bert felt a touch on his leg. He
looked down and saw the Chinaman, who in the hurry of preparation had
been overlooked.

"Great Scott!" he exclaimed. "The Chink! We forgot all about him."

The poor fellow's eyes were full of dread at the thought of being left
alone in the wilderness.

"Of course we'll take you along, John," Bert continued, "though I don't
know what on earth we'll do with you. But we'll settle that later on."

Dismounting, he gave the Chinaman a leg up on one of the led horses. The
Oriental had never been on a horse in his life, and he made a comical
figure, as he bobbed up and down. After threatening to fall off at any
moment, he finally abandoned all effort to sit upright, and, leaning
forward, threw he arms around the horse's neck and held on for his life.

"It's rather hard lines," laughed Dick. "But when he thinks of what he's
getting away from, I guess he won't worry much about getting shaken up a
little."

Soon they reached their own horses, and were proceeding to make the
exchange, when they remembered the sentry who had been captured on that
spot. They looked at each other with a little touch of perplexity.

"We can't leave him there to starve," said Tom. "On the other hand, if
we remind the captain, he'll simply send one of his troopers to put a
bullet in him."

"He's our captive," said Bert, "and I guess we'd better tend to this on
our own account. We didn't actually promise him his life, and no dou