having carried with them some food. Water they could get from one
of the several concrete troughs that had been installed, the
fluid coming through pipes from the reservoir.

"Here's where they killed the steer, or yearling," Bud said,
pointing to a heap of bones.

It was all that remained from the feast of the buzzards.

"And here's where they started to drive off the cattle,
evidently," added Nort, pointing to where a plain trail, made by
the feet of many animals, led away from the ground that was more
generally trampled by a large herd.

"Let's follow it," urged Dick. "We want to see when it gets to
the disappearing point"

"That's right!" chimed in Bud.

They urged their ponies slowly along the trail left by the
rustlers. It seemed to go down the valley to the place where the
hills lowered on either side to form a sort of pass. It was in
this pass that the two cowboys said the trail was lost.

"We've got some distance to go, yet," observed Bud, as they
paused to look and make sure they had not lost the trail.

"And, after all, maybe we'll only find the same thing Snake and
Kid did--nothing!" said Nort.