"Well, Miss Tilly, 'tain't likely I could show you one if you did. I
don't always keep 'em so handy! And now I reckon we'd better hit the
trail for the Six Star, and be right lively about it, too," he added,
"or we'll be having Mis' Kennedy out here herself on a broncho after
ye!"

Half an hour later a white-faced, teary-eyed little woman at the Six
Star Ranch was trying to get her joyful arms around six girls at once.

It was the next morning, and just before Mr. Tim's predicted storm
broke, that the girls found the injured man almost hidden in the tall
grass near the ranch house. They had gone out for a short ride, but had
kept near shelter owing to the threatening sky. Tilly saw the man first.

"Genevieve, there's a man down there," she cried softly. "He's hurt, I
think."

Genevieve was off her horse at once. The man was found to be breathing,
but apparently unconscious. He lay twisted in a little huddled heap,
with one of his legs bent under him. He groaned faintly when Genevieve
spoke to him.

Genevieve was a little white when she straightened up.

"I think we'll have to get a wagon, or something, and two of the boys,"
she said. "I'll ride back to the house if some of you girls will stay
here."

"We'll all stay," promised Cordelia; "only be quick," she added,
slipping from her pony's back, and giving the reins to Bertha. "Maybe if
I could hold his poor head he'd be more comfortable."

Cautiously she sat down on the ground and lifted the man's head to her
lap. He groaned again faintly, and opened his eyes. They were large and
dark. For a moment there was only pain in their depths; then, gradually,
there came a look of profound amazement.

"Where am I?" he asked feebly.

"Sh! Don't talk. You are on the prairie. You must have got hurt, some
way."

He tried to move, and groaned again.

"Please be still," begged Cordelia. "You'll make things worse. We've
sent for help, and they'll be here right away."

The man closed his eyes now. He did not speak again.

It seemed a long time, but it was really a very short one, before
Genevieve came with Carlos and Pedro and one of the ranch wagons. The
man groaned again, and grew frightfully white when they lifted him
carefully into the wagon. Then he fainted. He was still unconscious when
they reached the ranch house.

CHAPTER XIV

A MAN AND A MYSTERY

August came. The first few days of the month were particularly busy ones
as some of the boys were