g got back at in some way.

"The Indians are being blamed for it; so are some of the wilder
element who have cattle ranches and lots of live stock to feed. Easy
way to fatten your animals, eh, Phil!

"If we could lay the man by the heels who ransacked your place, we
might be able to get a clue to the others."

Phil shook his head. "No,--I don't think so!" he answered.

"Well, old man Morrison of the O.K. Company is a decent head and these
continual robberies are bleeding him white. He told me all about it
this morning.

"I have made arrangements to quit the Court House for a while and take
a job with him as warehouseman, just to see what I can fasten on to."

"Won't they get suspicious if they know you are on the job?"

Langford laughed. "Good Lord, no! I have been in a dozen jobs in this
town in as many months. Besides, nobody ever thinks of me as a
Sherlock Holmes. I'm just languishing for a little excitement
anyway."

"You won't forget then to call me in to lend a hand if there is any
scrapping going?" said Phil.

"Would you really come in on it?"

"You bet!"

"All right! This old burg will have something to wake it up one of
these days."

Their attention was distracted by the rattle of gravel on the window
at which they were sitting. Langford shook his fist at a disappearing
figure.

"Who was that?" asked Phil.

"Don't know! Looked like Smiler, the dummy kid. Queer little devil!"

Phil jumped up.

"Maybe he's got some information for me. Wait here! I'll be back
directly."

Phil went outside slowly and round the corner of the building to the
back-yard. Sure enough, as soon as no one was in sight, Smiler darted
up to him. He was all excitement and kept pointing to a clump of trees
down a side road.

"Did you find the man with the lame horse?" Phil asked.

Smiler nodded and grinned with pleasure, catching Phil by the coat and
leading the way cautiously to where stood the brown mare with the
white patch over her eye. She was tethered to a tree, well hidden from
view of the road.

Phil examined her legs and saw at a glance that she favoured her left
fore foot. A look showed him that some gravel had worked up into an
old sore.

Phil pulled the strings of a bag that hung from the saddle. The first
things he came across were his own spurs. He took possession of them.

Meanwhile, Smiler was watching with deep interest.

"Where's the man, Smiler?" asked Phil.

The boy grinned and nodded his h