ped. The danger had come upon them so suddenly, so
utterly unexpectedly, that it had caught them absolutely unprepared.
They had not even a rifle with them on the mesa summit, and it was now
too late to risk exposing themselves by descending for weapons. There
was nothing to do, it seemed, but powerlessly to await what destiny
would bring forth.

"You boys get back to the altar. You can act as company fer the
profusser, and it will be a snug hiding-place in case of trouble,"
whispered Pete. "I wish to goodness we'd brought the stock up inside
the mesa, and then those fellows might never have discovered we were
here. I don't see how they can help it, as things are, though."

"They'll be bound to see our footmarks in the assembly hall," said Jack.

"Not bound to, lad," rejoined Pete. "You see, they may be only going
to make this a watering-place fer their stock, and then press right on."

"Press right on across that rocky range yonder?"

"Hum," resumed Pete, "that's so. They couldn't very well get that
wagin across that, could they?"

"Whatever do you suppose they've got a wagon for, at all?" asked Jack.

"I've got my own ideas, lad, and I'll find out afore long if I'm right.
Now, you and the other boys get back in that altar. If it gets too hot
here, I'll jump in and join you. If the worst comes to the worst, we
ought to be able to lay hid in there fer a while."

"In the meantime what are you going to do?"

"Keep my eyes and ears open. There's something mighty strange about
this whole thing."

The boys knew that obedience to Pete's commands was about the best
thing they could do at the moment, so they hastened to conceal
themselves within the altar, which afforded a comfortable hiding-place,
even if it was a trifle hot. The poor professor was in great pain from
his ankle, but Jack, after as able an examination as he could give the
injured member, was unable to find that it was anything more than a
severe sprain.

It did not take the professor long to become acquainted with what had
happened within the last fifteen minutes, and, in his anxiety over the
outcome of their situation, his pain was almost forgotten.

"If we only had the rifles," he breathed in such a savage voice that
had the circumstances been different the boys could have smiled at the
odd contrast between his mild, spectacled countenance and his
bloodthirsty words.

It seemed hours, although in reality not more than half an hour
el