idge of bone
on which it is almost impossible to ride, even when a blanket or two is
strapped on in place of a saddle. Only an Indian can manage to ride
along with but a blanket for a seat.

"Yes, we put one over on them all right," agreed Dick.

"The only thing about it is that they held us up," remarked Nort.
"We're several hours behind our schedule now."

"It can't be helped," spoke Bud, looking at a deep scratch on his
hand--a scratch caused by a glancing bullet. "We can't really do
anything toward rescuing Rosemary and Floyd until we strike the trail
of the Yaquis, and it's mostly guess work until then."

"But when we do locate them!" exclaimed Nort, as he gripped the handle
of his gun, "we'll let 'em see what a mistake they made!"

"You got rid of a mouthful that time, son," observed Yellin' Kid. And
then, lifting his voice he roared out:

"As I was ridin' on the trail,
My true love for to see.
I met a four-legged grizzly bear,
An' th' grizzly he met me!

"'Oh kind Mr. Bear,' I gently called,
'Move on!' but he shook his head.
So then I ups with my .45
An' fills him full of lead!"

Having gotten this out of his "system," Yellin' Kid seemed to feel
better. He smiled genially at the boy ranchers, and flapping his hat
down on the side of his pony sent the animal ahead in a cloud of dust
to join some of his companions in the lead.

Thus, making merry as possible under the circumstances, the outfit from
Diamond X resumed the trail, the more experienced cowboys looking here
and there for any "sign" that would indicate the presence or the
passage of the Yaquis.

As a matter of fact Snake Purdee did not expect to "meet up" with any
of the Indians for some time. He and Rolling Stone had talked the
matter over, and Rolling Stone had given the benefit of his experience
in trailing Yaquis.

"With them," said the new acquisition to Diamond X, "it's a sort of a
flash in the pan. They get excited for some reason or other, have a
war dance, a pow wow or some ceremony, and before they know it some
crazy leader has taken the trail with some of his friends, and they're
bent on shooting up some Mexican or American town, getting strong drink
when they can, and stealing everything they can lay their dirty paws on.

"That's when they're in the first rush of excitement, and I take it
that it was on a time like this the Yaquis took Miss Rosemary and
Floyd. Why they did this, instead of shooting 'e