same outfit that the boss and the Long Bow crowd chased. They got
over the Border, I understand," said Steve.

Walter and the girls talked this mystery over by themselves. It
puzzled them vastly.

They had come up here to hunt for the Mexican bandit's treasure;
and here they had run into a gang of outlaws just as bad as the old
Lobarto gang that had been such a scourge to the country six years
before.

"I believe the single Mexican you girls saw at the bears' den
belonged to this gang that started the cattle stampeding," Walter
declared.

"It must be true," agreed Rhoda.

"Then what shall we do? Don't you think you girls had better go
back to the ranch house and postpone treasure hunting until the
Mexicans are rounded up?"

"And let them find Lobarto's treasure?" demanded Bess. "Maybe that
is what they are after."

"Bess says something sensible, that is sure," Rhoda broke in. "I
hate to think of any of those mean Mexicans getting the hidden
wealth."

"Just think of poor Juanita and her mother," Nan said, agreeing
with her girl friends. "These bad Mexicans will never give back any