e better kept to themselves according to Tad Butler's reasoning.
Then again there was a faint suspicion in the mind of the Pony Rider
Boy, that he could not clearly explain to himself. What did strike
him as peculiar was that so much of the Rangers' movements should be
unknown to their commanding officer. McKay had ever since coming into
their camp been seeking information. Still, as he had said, he had
been away. Tad knew that the Rangers took long rides, sometimes
hundreds of miles, using relays of horses and making almost as good
time as they could have done going by trains.

The lad decided that he was unduly suspicious. Suddenly, as McKay
was talking, a shot sounded somewhere off on the plains. The Ranger
sprang to his feet, his eyes darkened.

"Is---is something wrong?" stammered the professor.

"There may be. I must investigate. You will say nothing about having
met me," commanded the stranger sternly.

"Certainly not, certainly not."

"I will bid you good day. I'll see you again when I may have something
more to say."

With that McKay ran to his pony, and leaping into the saddle tore
through the brush at a perilous pace. Tad observed what the others
failed to see. He noted that the Ranger had returned in the direction
from which he had come, rather than riding off toward the direction
from which the shot had sounded. This struck Tad as a peculiar thing
for a Texas Ranger to do.

"That's queer," muttered Butler.

"What is queer, Tad?" questioned the professor.

"The way he went."

"His leave taking was rather abrupt. But we know that is a way these
Rangers have. Besides he thought there was trouble in the air,"
guessed the professor.

"Yes, but then why did he run away from it?" urged Butler.

"That's so, he did go the wrong way," wondered Ned.

"Maybe he's going to take a roundabout course," suggested Stacy.

"Exactly. You do think now and then, don't you?" smiled the professor.
"However, it is not for us to criticize. Captain McKay knows his
business perhaps much better than do we. And now, if you are ready
we had better be on our way. We have lost no little time here."

The packing up was not a long job for not much of their equipment had
been unloaded. The rest of the day passed uneventfully, the Pony
Rider Boys continuing along the range of mountains.

About five o'clock they decided to make camp in a valley, beside a
stream of clear, cold water. The place was thickly