nd his shoes. He ran for the yard again, dropped on a bench, in
mock exhaustion; and there the others joined him; and the fun, for the
time being, came to an end.

"We are going to the railroad station this afternoon with papa," said
Belle. "Want to go along?"

"Will a duck drink ice-cream soda!" cried Roger. "Of course we will go
along."

"Then you had better get ready now--for we are to start directly after
lunch."

"Anything special at the station?" questioned Dave.

"Papa is going to see a man about some horses. He wants to buy a few
more good ones, if he can."

"It's a pity we can't find out what became of the others," went on Dave.

It took the girls some time to prepare for the journey to the railroad
station, so the start from Star Ranch was not made until after two
o'clock. Mr. Endicott rode in advance, and the young folks paired off in
couples after him.

When they got to the bridge Dave was much surprised to see a couple of
men at work repairing the structure. They were putting down some
planking that was bound to last a long while.

"Mr. Merwell must have opened his heart at last," said Dave, to the
railroad president.

"Not at all, Dave; I am having this work done," was Mr. Endicott's
reply.

"But I thought you said it was up to Mr. Merwell to keep this bridge in
repair."

"So it is, but as he won't do anything, rather than have a quarrel, I am
repairing it myself."

"Do you think he wants to sell out? Maybe that is his reason for not
spending money in repairs."

"He will sell out, but his price is very high--too high to suit the man
who wants to buy."

Leaving the vicinity of the bridge, the party continued on the way to
the railroad station. The train was not yet in, but it soon arrived and
on it came the man Mr. Endicott wished to see. From the train also
stepped Hank Snogger. The ranch hand had evidently been to a barber in
the city, for he was shaven and his hair was closely trimmed.

"He looks like quite a different person," remarked Belle. "He always
wore his hair long and straggly before."

"Yes, and he wasn't any too clean," answered Dave. "Now he is well
washed and brushed."

Hank Snogger walked around the station on an errand, and then came up to
where a horse was waiting for him. As he did this he passed quite close
to the boys and girls and gave the former a cold stare.

"Do you know, I feel sure I have seen somebody that looks like him,"
said Dave in a whisper. "I sa