y. Well, will you look at that roof!" The Kid indicated another
out-house. Its roof was turned directly around, so that the back was
where the front should be. Not a board on it was broken.

"Looks like a crazy-house down at Coney Island!" laughed Nort. "Dick,
I thought you were going to see about eats? I'm starved."

Dick walked toward the kitchen. Before he got there the aroma of
cooking bacon told the waiting cowboys that the Mexican was still on
the job.

"Must have the whole place full of food by this time," Bud commented.
"Think I'll take another look around, Kid. Billee, you want to come
along? I just want to make sure we haven't missed anything."

The two set off on a tour of inspection. It was growing dark now, and
it would soon be too late to repair that night anything that was
damaged.

"Guess we haven't lost much," Bud said to the veteran rancher. "We're
pretty lucky, eh, Billee?"

"Sure are! We'll just look around the corner of this building,
however, and then go back. I'm sort of hungry myself."

"Me too. Hope that Mex has--" Bud broke off suddenly. He peered hard
at the earth in the shadow of the shack. Then he walked swiftly over.

On the ground lay the body of a man, face down. Bud grasped him gently
by the arm and turned him over. On his forehead was a long cut, from
which blood was flowing. Bud looked sharply at his face, then started
back in surprise.

"Well, I'll be jiggered!" he said slowly. "It's Delton!"

CHAPTER X

BUD FINDS A NOTE

Billee Dobb approached deliberately and gazed long and earnestly into
the face of the recumbent man.

"So that's Delton, is it?" he said. "He sure took a funny way to come
back. Wonder if he's--" the rancher stooped swiftly and laid his hand
on the breast of the man. "Nope! Still living. We'd better get him
to the house soon as possible. Grab hold there, Bud."

Lifting him as gently as they could, so they might not cause the blood
to flow more strongly, they carried the injured man toward the ranch
house. They laid him on the couch in the living-room, which was known
as the "parlor," and generally reserved for funerals.

"I'll get some water and bandages--if I can find any," said Bud when he
had disposed of his burden.

"That white shirt of the Kid's will do," Billee suggested as Bud made
for the door. "He's got it rolled up in his saddle pack."

The man on the couch seemed to be breathing more strongly now.