steers are bedded down."

"Hold on a minute. Let's get this straight," interrupted Curley. "You
mean you found an underground passage at the bottom of the old well? Is
that it?"

Chunky nodded.

"And the opening was near the spring at the point of rocks just above
the herd?"

"Yes. But I had to dig out through a brush heap."

"Huh! Not such a terrible mystery, after all," sniffed Curley
contemptuously.

"How came that underground passage there? What's it for?" asked
Big-foot.

"Probably dug out in Indian times. I'll bet it has saved the scalp of
more than one old fellow. There's an opening into it from the church
somewhere, you can depend upon that. I'm thinking, too, that the well
was a bluff--that it wasn't intended for water at all. We'll smash the
mystery of the adobe church before we pull out of here to-morrow, see if
we don't."

"I come mighty near doing for one of them," added Big-foot Sanders
ruefully.

"Got anything to eat?" interrupted Stacy Brown.

"For goodness' sake, boys, take your fat friend over to the chuck wagon
and fill him up. He's like a Mexican steer--he'll bed down safer when
he's full of supper."

* * * * *

In the meantime, another scene was being enacted off at the Ox Bow
ranch--a scene that was to add still another chapter to the romance of
the trail.

Tad Butler was sitting alone in the darkness on the steps of the McClure
mansion. The boy, chin in hands, was lost in thought. Stallings had
carried Ruth Brayton in his arms all the way to the ranch where she had
soon revived.

After leaving her, the foreman and Colonel McClure had locked themselves
in the library, where they remained in consultation for more than an
hour.

"How is Miss Ruth?" asked the boy eagerly, when Stallings finally came
out.

"Better than in many months," answered the foreman. There was a new note
in his voice.

"I'm so glad," breathed Tad.

"Old man," began Stallings, slapping Tad on the shoulder, "come along
with me. We'll lead our ponies back to camp and talk. I presume you are
aching to know what all this mystery means?" laughed the foreman.

"Naturally, I am a bit curious," admitted Tad.

"It means, Pinto, that not only have you rendered a great service to Mr.
Miller and his herd, but you have done other things as well."

"I've mixed things up pretty well, I guess."

"No. You have solved a riddle, and made me the happiest man in the Lone
Star State. Mis