wed the others, nearly causing
its stiffened rider to fall off.

Every few moments the captain would utter his owl-call, which would
be answered by other similar calls pretty much all around the compass.
In this way the Rangers were able to locate each other's positions,
thus avoiding shooting each other.

The shots of the enemy were now scattering.

It was only occasionally that McKay was able to determine that one of
the bandits had fired a gun. How he could tell the difference
between the rifles of friends and foe was a mystery to young Butler.
Ere long the Rangers had narrowed down their circle until they were
able to see each other. For the past twenty minutes, they had been
stalking cautiously. Now they paused, after having exchanged signals.
Deep growls were heard on all sides.

"What does it mean?" questioned Tad.

"It means those fellows have given us the slip again," grunted the
captain. "They've managed to slip through our lines somehow. Well,
never mind, we'll get them one of these times. I thought we had them
pocketed this time so there would be no escape."

Tad had thought so, too. He was convinced that there was more to this
escape than even the Ranger captain realized. The boy did not wish
to make suggestions so he kept silent. Yet he determined to make an
investigation on his own hook on the following morning, provided they
were anywhere in that vicinity.

There was nothing more that the Rangers could do. Their prey had
eluded them, disappearing as suddenly as if through a hole in the
earth. It was the first time that such a thing had occurred to
Captain McKay and his failure bothered him, but he presented a smiling
face when, after having withdrawn a mile or so, the men went into
camp for the rest of the night, building up a campfire and putting
out a heavy guard to prevent a surprise during the night.

"Don't you think the rascals have a hiding place there where they
evaded us so neatly?" asked Tad, upon getting the captain's ear.

"There is no hiding place there. I know the locality well," was
the terse reply.

"But surely they could not have got through your lines," objected
the boy.

"Yet they did. That's all there is to it."

Not a man of the Rangers had been hit, nor was it believed that any
of the enemy had been wounded. Night shooting at skulking figures in
a forest is uncertain work. Tad realized a sense of thankfulness
for this. He was not anxious to see bloods