at's
a long ride up here from the cave. Frank started early this morning,
but he cannot arrive for another day. Suppose I go back and pick up
him and Roy Stone, and leave Tom to bring in the horses?"

Reluctant though he was to let his son depart so soon after regaining
him, Mr. Temple was persuaded, and Bob set off. Far down in Old
Mexico, back trailing over the route they had followed in entering the
country, he saw three horsemen leading a fourth animal, and on
approaching close, saw they were his friends.

Landing near them, Bob called an explanation of his mission. Roy Stone
demurred at the proposal.

"Much obliged for the offer," he said, "but I'll ride along with Tom
Bodine, if it's all the same to you. I'm in no hurry to get anywhere,
and you fellows will be having your own reunion at your ranch. Take
your chum with you, but leave Tom and me. We'll be in with the horses
sooner or later. Each of us will have a spare mount now, and it'll be
an easy trip. Anyhow, I never did like those airplanes."

"Same here," said Tom Bodine, staring with awe at the machine. "You
couldn't get me in that thing on a bet."

Frank, accordingly, relinquished the reins of his horse to Tom Bodine,
and with "good-byes" to his friends clambered into the airplane with
Bob. Roy Stone obligingly spun the propeller, an accomplishment with
which his association with Von Arnheim had made him familiar, and once
more the plane soared upward and headed across the border.

At the ranch that night it was a jolly party that gathered around the
board, with Mr. Hampton, Mr. Temple and the three boys. Gabby Pete,
talkative as ever, was bursting with desire for information about all
their adventures. He had prepared a surprisingly good dinner in honor
of the occasion.

Rollins alone was not present. When told of Mr. Hampton's impending
arrival, he had begged Mr. Temple to let him go to a distant oil well
for several days until Mr. Hampton could be informed in detail of his
treachery in the past and the reason for it. This Mr. Temple had
agreed to.

Back and forth across the table flew the conversation and, when the
meal was at an end, all continued to sit around the table until a late
hour.

During the weeks that followed Bob and Frank spent many enjoyable
hours rambling on horseback over the surrounding country and taking
more extended trips by airplane. The love for the country of which
Jack had spoken on arrival, seized them, too. The br