et go!" shouted the guide. "The little fool! Doesn't he know enough
to come in out of the wet?"

"You'll find he doesn't, sir. Your troubles have only just begun.
You'll be demanding an increase of wages before you have followed
Stacy Brown for a full twenty-four hours," prophesied Ned.

In the meantime Tad had reached the Professor, regardless of the
flying hoofs about him. With his rope the boy drove the animals off
just in time. Somehow they seemed to have taken it into their heads
that the Professor was responsible for their having been disturbed
and they were opening their hoof batteries upon him. They gave way
before the resolute young Pony Rider almost at once. They recognized
that this slender young plainsman and mountaineer was unafraid.

The Professor was weak in the knees by the time he had been led out.

"I didn't know you were in there," apologized Nance.

"Where's Stacy?" was the Professor's first question.

"He's gone by the air line," answered Walter.

While all this had been taking place Chunky had continued in his mad
flight for a short distance. He had a long hold on the rope by which
the mustang was hauling him. The wary beast, espying a tree whose
limbs hung low, changed his course and darted under the lowest of
the limbs. Its intention was plain to those who knew the habits of
these gentle beasts. The mustang intended to "wipe" the Pony Rider
boy free of the line.

Just before reaching the low-hanging limb the pinto darted to one
side, then to the other after an almost imperceptible halt. The
result was the rope was drawn under the low limb. A quick leap on
the part of the mustang, that exhibited almost human intelligence by
this manoeuvre, caused Chunky to do a picturesque flop over the limb,
falling flat on his back on the other side. This brought the mustang
to a quick stop, for the rope had taken a firm hitch around the limb.

The sudden jolt and stoppage of his progress threw the mustang on his
nose, where he poised for a few seconds, then he too toppled over on
his back.

The owner of the herd was screaming with, merriment, Jim Nance was
slapping his sides as he ran, while the Professor was making for the
fat boy with long strides.

Tad reached Stacy first. The fat boy lay blinking, looking up at him.
Stacy's clothes were pretty well torn, though his body did not seem
to be harmed beyond the loss of considerable skin.

"Let me have that rope," commanded Tad.

"N