they stood in this one spot for some time--either resting or
spying."

"What would they be spying on!" asked Dick.

"Search me!" frankly admitted Bud. "But since we had that water
fight I'm suspicious of everything. Those cigarette stubs are
fresh, and were dropped last night, or yesterday. None of us use
'em, and though some of our cow punchers do they haven't been
here lately enough to have left this fresh evidence. The stubs
are new ones."

"Well, maybe there was some one here last night," said Dick.

"I'm positive of it!" declared Bud. "Let's take another look at
the big door lock."

Even a close inspection, however, failed to disclose any signs of
the great portal, or its heavy padlock having been tampered with.
Nor were there any marks tending to show where an effort had been
made to force boards off the frame in which the door was set.

"Well, we'll just have to wait," said Bud, as he turned to go
back down to the tents. "Hello," he suddenly added, as he gazed
off up the valley. "Here comes somebody, riding like all
possessed, too!"

The boy ranchers watched the approach of the solitary horseman,
and, as he drew nearer Bud exclaimed: