taken by another Greaser, even less prepossessing in
appearance, and apparently of less intelligence, but with as evil
intentions. He scowled at the boys, and squatted down at the entrance
to the canvas shelter.

"Here's where you're going to stay, though you can have the freedom of
the camp if you promise not to try to leave," said Silas.

"We won't promise!" declared Nort.

"Not on your life!" added Dick, warmly.

"Then stay here, and there'll be trouble if you try to leave,"
threatened the man, who seemed to be a dried-up specimen of a museum
attendant, which character, so Nort said afterward, he forcibly called
to mind.

He spoke something, evidently in Spanish, or the Mexican variety of
that language, to the fellow who had replaced Del Pinzo, and the man,
who was making himself comfortable at the entrance of the tent,
murmured:

"_Si, senor_!"

"Which means he'll do as he was told," spoke Nort to Dick in a low
voice as Silas passed out. "Stick us with his knife or jab the
business end of his gun in the small of our backs."

"We mustn't give him the chance," spoke Dick.

"I should say not! We'll get away before he knows it."

The brothers spoke together in low tones, but loudly enough for the
guard to hear. However he showed no interest in what they said, from
which they concluded he either understood no English, or pretended not
to.

"But we won't take a chance," decided Nort. "We won't discuss anything
we don't want him to overhear. It's likely they thought they could
fool us by putting in a man we would evidently think couldn't
understand our talk."

"I get you," said Dick, briefly. "But what do you think of those
cattle?" and he nodded toward where could be heard the noise made by
camp attendants driving the Diamond X steers whither they were wanted
to go.

"Just what I've been thinking all along," declared Nort. "This outfit
is a bunch of high-class cattle thieves!"

He shot the words out forcibly, and looked keenly at the Greaser guard
to see if they made any impression on him. However, the Mexican was
either a perfect actor, or he did not understand what was said, for he
gave no sign, and appeared to be in a brown study as he sat hunched up
on the ground at the flap of the tent.

"Wonder what's going on?" mused Dick, as the noise increased, the
shouts of men mingling with the snorting and bellowing of cattle. "I'm
going to take a look."

He stepped forward to part the flaps of