to go a little further," he added, seeing how disappointed the
shipowner's son looked.

Placing the game over their shoulders, they reloaded their weapons and
continued on through the forest, taking a trail that seemed to have been
made by wild animals. Twice they had to cross a winding brook, and at
the second fording-place Dave, who was in the rear, called a halt.

"What do you want?" questioned Roger, as he and Phil turned back.

"I want you to look at these hoofmarks," answered Dave, and he pointed
up the stream a short distance.

All passed to the locality indicated, and each youth looked at the
hoofmarks with interest. They were made by a number of horses, probably
six or eight, and though the marks were washed a little, as if by rain,
they could still be plainly seen.

"Do you think they were made by the horses that were stolen, Dave?"
questioned Phil.

"I don't know what to think."

"The horse-thieves might easily have come this way," said the senator's
son. "They would be more apt to go away from the ranch than towards it."

"Maybe they stopped here during the big blow," said Phil.

"I think you are right, for here are marks where the animals were tied
to trees," went on Dave. "I wonder--well, I declare!"

Dave stopped short and picked up a bit of a leather halter lying on the
ground. It was of curious Mexican design, having a light leather thong
entwined in a dark one.

"I don't know that I have ever seen a halter like that before," mused
Roger, as he took the bit of halter from Dave, and then passed it to
Phil.

"I have," answered Dave.

"So have I!" cried the shipowner's son. "Link Merwell's horse had one
on, the day we met on the trail!"

"Just what I was going to say," added Dave. "I noticed it particularly."

"Then this must belong to Link," came from the senator's son.

"Perhaps not," answered Dave, slowly. "There may be other such halters
around. We'll have to give Link the benefit of the doubt, you know."

"See here!" burst out Phil. "You may think as you please, but I have
always thought that Link had something to do with the taking of our
horses."

"Do you think he would deliberately steal six horses, Phil?"

"Well, maybe not deliberately steal them, but--but--I think he took
them, anyhow."

"He may have taken them intending to drive them to our ranch, and
perhaps the horses got away from him in the storm," suggested Roger.

"That may be true--it would be just like one of Li