ut don't breathe a word of this to any one till we've got
something more to go on. Keep your eyes wide open and see too if you can
pump anything more out of Chip about that steer. I'll think it all over,
and after dinner we'll get together and fix on some plan to get after
those infernal scoundrels."

Sandy took his departure, and Mr. Melton was left alone with his problem.
That it was a perplexing one was evident from his knitted brows and air
of intense concentration.

With the exception of Mrs. Melton and Bert, he was alone in the house.
The other boys were absent, having started out soon after breakfast.
Dick and Tom had gone off with Buck to have a little experience in
"riding herd." Bert, who had intended to go with them, had found it
necessary to go to town to make some purchases. He had just finished his
preparations and brought his horse to the door, in order to say good-by
to his host before starting. At the first glance he saw that something
had disturbed Mr. Melton's usual composure.

To his anxious inquiry as to whether anything was wrong, the latter
responded by telling him the news Sandy had brought, carefully
refraining, however, from mentioning his suspicions about the half-breed.

"Of course, it's nothing very important in one way of looking at it," he
said. "The mere fact that I've lost a few head of cattle doesn't worry
me at all. They might take a thousand and I wouldn't miss them. But those
rustlers are the rattlesnakes of the West, and no man steals from me and
gets away with it until I'm weaker and older than I am now. I suppose the
fact is that my pride is hurt more than anything else," he smiled grimly.
"I'd rather flattered myself that I'd built up a reputation in these
parts that would keep those vermin at a distance. It galls me horribly
that they should have the nerve to come up and rustle my stock right
under my very nose. But if they think that they are going to get by
with it, they have another guess coming," and into the eyes of the old
warhorse came the look that Bert had learned to know in Mexico.

"Are you going to organize a force and go after them?" asked Bert
eagerly.

Mr. Melton's eyes twinkled.

"Hit it right the first time," he said. "I suppose I ain't far out in
guessing that you'd like to go along."

"You bet I would," replied Bert emphatically.

"Well, we'll see about it," answered his host. "But you'd better get
along now if you expect to be home before dark. You'