mount."

"I'd rather lose my mount than to lose my precious life," answered the
fat boy surlily.

By this time the others were taking to their saddles. The faces of all
wore serious expressions. They had not looked for anything quite so
lively as this. It was not the first time the Pony Rider Boys had
smelled powder when the powder was being expended on them, but they
liked it none the better for past experiences.

Stacy's cheek was bleeding again. He was holding his handkerchief to
the wound and his face was a little paler than usual.

"Buck up!" commanded Ned. "You're not going to show the white feather,
are you?"

"No, it's a red feather I'm showing," wailed the fat boy.

"Forward!" ordered Butler. "Get up, Chunky!"

The party moved off, keeping close to the rocks, Tad now and then
casting apprehensive glances up to their tops. He was not wholly
satisfied that they were out of range of the bullets. The man who
had been firing at them, too, was practically a dead shot.

"Now spread out," commanded Tad after they bad reached the point where
he previously had halted. "Don't shout, but when I wave my hand, ride
fast for the hollow. I'll be all right; don't worry about me."

With that the lad galloped leisurely out on the plain, his back to the
mountains. It was a bold thing to do. Deep down in his heart the
Pony Rider Boy expected every second to bear a bullet scream over his
head, providing he was fortunate enough not to stop the bullet with
his body. Not a shot greeted his bold act.

Tad rode on, finally disappearing in the "hog hollow." A few moments
later he rode up the ridge, waving his hands for them to come on.
Professor Zepplin started out at once, followed by the others of his
party, Stacy this time well up toward the front of the line. For
reasons of his own he did not care to drag behind. If there was to
be any shooting he wanted to be as far away from it as possible.

The trip was made at a fast gallop and without incident, the party
reaching the hollow without having drawn a shot from the enemy.

"It is my opinion," declared the professor, "that, whoever our enemy
may be, he has discovered that he has made a mistake."

Tad shook his head.

"I don't think we would be safe in taking that for granted. He did not
see us, but he will be on hand before long. I'm going back there
before he does see us. If he starts any more shooting you all lie low."

"Where are you going?" dem