said the commander to Charlie, who suddenly found a
trooper on each side of him. These took him lightly by each arm, while
a third seized his bridle.

"Sir!" exclaimed our hero, while the blood rushed to his forehead, "I am
_not_ an outlaw!"

"Excuse me," returned the officer politely, "but my duty is plain.
There are a good many gentlemanly outlaws about at present. You are
found joining in fight with a notorious band. Until you can clear
yourself you must consider yourself my prisoner.--Disarm and bind him."

For one moment Charlie felt an almost irresistible impulse to fell the
men who held him, but fortunately the absurdity of his position forced
itself on him, and he submitted, well knowing that his innocence would
be established immediately.

"Is not this man one of your band, Jake?" asked the officer quietly.

"Yes, he is," replied the man with a malevolent grin. "He's not long
joined. This is his first scrimmage with us."

Charlie was so thunderstruck at this speech that he was led back to the
ranch in a sort of dazed condition. As for Dick Darvall, he was
rendered speechless, and felt disposed to regard the whole thing as a
sort of dream, for his attempted explanations were totally disregarded.

Arrived at the house, Charlie and Jake were locked up in separate rooms,
and sentries placed beneath their windows--this in addition to the
security of hand-cuffs and roped arms. Then breakfast was prepared for
the entire company, and those who had been wounded in the fight were
attended to by Hunky Ben--a self-taught surgeon--with Mary and Buttercup
to act as dressers.

"I say, Jackson," observed Darvall, when the worthy ranch-man found
leisure to attend to him, "of course _you_ know that this is all
nonsense--an abominable lie about my friend Brooke being an outlaw?"

"Of course I do, Dick," said Jackson, in a tone of sympathy; "an' you
may be cock-sure I'll do what I can to help 'im. But he'll have to
prove himself a true man, an' there _are_ some mysteries about him that
it puzzles me to think how he'll clear 'em up."

"Mysteries?" echoed Dick.

"Ay, mysteries. I've had some talk wi' Hunky Ben, an' he's as much
puzzled as myself, if not more."

"Well, then, I'm puzzled more than either of ye," returned Dick, "for my
friend and mate is as true a man--all straight an' aboveboard--as ever I
met with on sea or land."

"That may be, boy, but there's some mystery about him, somehow."

"Can ye ex