continued until they finally found themselves surrounded by hills,
narrow draws and broad, rocky gorges.

"Young gentlemen, I think we had better halt right here. We shall be
lost if we continue any farther," decided the Professor. "This is a
nice level spot with just enough trees to give us shade. I propose
that we dismount and make camp."

"Yes, we haven't had the tents up since we were in the Rockies,"
replied Ned. "We shall be forgetting how to pitch them soon if we do
not have some practice."

On this trip, besides their small tents, the Pony Riders had brought
with them canvas for a nine by twelve feet tent, which they proposed
to use for a dining tent in wet weather, as well as a place for
social gathering whenever the occasion demanded its use. They named
it the parlor.

In high spirits, the lads leaped from their ponies and began
removing their packs. Stacy Brown began industriously tugging at the
fastenings which held the large tent to the back of the pack pony.

'I can't get it loose," he shouted. "What kind of hitch do you call
this, anyway?"

"Young man, that's a squaw hitch. Ever hear of it before?" laughed
Tad.

"No. What kind of hitch is a squaw hitch?" asked Chunky.