"I can't answer your first question, for I don't know myself," answered
Bob. "I was sent out to follow a new trail we found just after you sent
up that smoke. What was the meaning of it?--Carey, climb up to the top
of that sandhill and tell us if you can see anything."

"Lieutenant Earle sent up that smoke to let the captain know that he was
about to send him some news," replied the horseman; "and I don't see why
the captain didn't send up a reply, for I don't know where to find him."

"I will point out his position as near as I can before you leave us,"
said Bob. "Is that news of any importance?"

"I should say it was," exclaimed the courier. "We've struck it hot, I
tell you. On the banks of a little stream we found somewhere off in that
direction--"

"Look here, Aleck!" exclaimed Loring; "I thought that canteen of yours
looked as though it had been dipped in water not so _very_ long ago. Why
don't you pass it around? We haven't got a drop left."

"Is that so?" said the courier, who promptly unslung his canteen. "You
are welcome to it, but touch it easy, so that everybody can have a
taste, and don't forget to save some for Carey.--As I was saying, on the
banks of that stream the scout discovered the tracks of little boots."

The troopers all uttered exclamations when they heard this, and Loring
was so anxious to hear more that he forgot he was thirsty, and after
holding the canteen in his hand for a moment passed it to a comrade
without tasting of its contents.

"Mr. Wentworth acted as though he thought he ought to go with Lieutenant
Earle's squad, and when he hears that he will be sorry that he stayed
behind," observed Bob.

"Won't he, though!" said the courier.

"I suppose there is no doubt that the tracks were made by his boys?"
said George.

"None whatever. How could there be? The Indians have no other prisoners
with them."

"They have none that we know of," said George. "But as they visited
other ranches, they may have taken other boys captive."

"How do you know that they did visit other ranches?" demanded the
courier. "Mr. Wentworth didn't say anything about it in my hearing."

"Nor in mine, either," replied George. "But he did say in my hearing
that he had lost not more than half a dozen horses, and the trail shows
that they have more than fifty with them."

"Well," said the courier, looking down at the horn of his saddle in a
brown study, "if that's the case, the Indians may have--No, they didn