nswered the wounded lieutenant, saluting. He had no
thought of quitting though he was painfully hurt.

Then Buck Tooth told what his taunts had forced from the captive
Yaquis, and the whole trick was plain to the experienced cowboys and
the troopers. Paz, fearing the result of keeping the captives with
him, had sent them away when he learned that his pursuers were near.

How he learned that fact was one of the mysteries. How the news
traveled, in that wild country, where civilized folk were often at
pains to get into communication with each other, will probably never be
known. But in some manner Paz had become aware of the closing in on
him of the soldiers and the cowboys and he had tried to forestall their
vengeance. But he did not reckon on the wiliness of Buck Tooth, whose
taunts had caused the truth to be blurted out.

So, while Paz and his renegades were being sent back to pay the
penalties for their uprising, Captain Marshall, with some of his picked
men, and the band from Diamond X got ready to move forward again. One
or two of the cowboys, who had been rather badly hit by bullets, were
induced to go back for treatment. An effort made to have Bud do the
same was met by a flat refusal.

"I've got one good hand!" the lad declared, holding up his left, "and I
can shoot an automatic with that after somebody loads it for me."

"We'll load!" offered Nort and Dick.

So the boy ranchers, like the Three Guardsmen "all for one and one for
all," stuck together.

"There's going to be hard work--and danger ahead of us," Snake had
said, and Captain Marshall bore him out in this.

"That's what we came for," declared Nort.

"Surest thing you know!" assented his brother, and Bud nodded his
assent.

So they moved forward again.

This time they were working toward a more certain object than when they
were out scouting around to pick up the trail of the Yaquis.

Now they must make their way back to where the party, with Rosemary and
Floyd as prisoners, had separated from the main body.

This was comparatively simple as regards tracing the way Paz and his
followers had descended the mountain into the valley of the plain where
the last fight and surrender had taken place. But when the trail of
Mike and his men was located--then would come the real test.

The way grew more rough as they proceeded back along the route taken by
the fleeing main body of Yaquis. It was an ascending trail, over a
path that was poss