e greeted him with a
fierce scowl, and, in a savage tone of voice, commanded him to cross his
arms behind his back. Frank obeyed, and the Ranchero, while he was busy
confining him, inquired:

"Do you remember what I said to you at noon?"

"About what?" asked Frank.

"About making scare-crows of you and your friends, if my messenger does
not return at daylight."

"I believe I do remember something about it."

"Then why did you advise your uncle to detain him? You must be tired of
life. You told Mr. Winters to send those rascally trappers up here, with
a party of men, to capture us."

"Now, see here, Pierre," exclaimed Frank, angrily, "Dick and Bob are not
rascals. They are honest men, and what they own, they have worked hard
for. They will be up here--you may depend upon that--and, if Dick once
gets his hands on you"--

"O, won't he shake him up, though!" cried Archie, from his blanket. "I
wouldn't be in Pierre's shoes then for all the money he will ever get
for us."

"You may make up your minds to one thing," said the chief; "and that is,
if so much as a hair of that messenger's head is harmed, you will be
swinging from some of these trees at sunrise."

"That is a soothing story to tell to a person who is trying to go to
sleep," observed Johnny.

"You can't make us believe that you would throw away sixty thousand
dollars," said Frank. "Be careful," he added, as Pierre, after confining
his arms with one end of the lasso, began to wind the other around his
ankles; "make those knots secure, or I may get away from you again."

"I'll risk that. Now, good-night, and pleasant dreams to you."

The robber lifted Frank in his arms, and laid him upon his blanket, as
if he had been a sack of flour, and then walked off, leaving his
prisoners to their meditations. Scarcely had he disappeared, when
Arthur, who had stood at a little distance, watching the operations of
the chief, came up, and, after regarding the three boys a moment with a
smile of triumph, inquired:

"How do you feel now? I hope you will enjoy a good night's rest. You see
I am at liberty." And he stretched out his arms, to show that they were
not confined.

"Of course," said Frank. "You ought to be; you are one of Pierre's band.
We are under obligations to you for what you have done for us."

"How did you find it out?" asked Arthur.

"Why, one of those Arabs you used to know in Patagonia, came up here,
and told us how you acted while you were in t