ment--and the latter had given the half-breed money.
Had Bert known the additional fact that Pedro had been riding herd in the
section where a large drove had recently disappeared, the conclusion
would have been irresistible that he and the stranger had been in league
to "rustle" Melton's cattle. But even without this last fact, the
evidence was strong enough. All of these happenings, taken together,
pointed unerringly toward the identity of one at least of the rustlers
and gave the clue to the mystery.

His first impulse was to follow the fleeing murderer and either try to
capture him or find out the rendezvous of the gang to which he belonged.
But when he ran out to his horse, the fugitive had vanished, and there
was nothing in the dusty road that gave any inkling of the direction he
had taken.

Pursuit being impossible, there was but one thing left for him to do. He
must get back to the ranch at once and reveal all he knew or guessed of
the conspiracy. Pedro, at any rate, would be within reach, and a
judicious application of the "third degree" could probably wring from
him enough to put them on the track of the rustlers and bring the gang to
justice. And his blood tingled at the thought of the fight that was
probably coming, for the rustlers, brought to bay, would not surrender
tamely. It was better to die from a bullet than dangle at the end of a
rope, and they would battle with the fierceness of cornered rats.

He untied his horse, sprang into the saddle and set out for the ranch.
His horse had had a good rest and was full of running, especially as his
face was turned homeward. But, despite his own impatience, Bert subdued
his mount to a trot that he could keep up indefinitely, and gave himself
up to reviewing the stirring scenes from which he had just emerged.

He was passing through a patch of woodland, from which a deep gully
diverged to the right, when he heard the whinny of a horse. Instantly he
clapped his hand over the nostrils of his own mount to keep him from
answering. Then he slid to the ground, tied a rope around his horse's
jaws to keep him quiet and secured him to a tree. On hands and knees he
crept forward through the underbrush in the direction of the sound. He
reached the bank of the gully and peered over.

A little brook ran over the stones at the bottom of the gulch. Stooping
over it was a man with his back toward him. A horse was picketed near by,
contentedly munching the grass that grew thi