"I'm on," he said. "Mum's the word till you lift the embargo, Ned. But it begins to look like we might have some interestin' happenings ahead of us, from what we know about this Clem Parsons, and what we guess is agoin' on between the ranchers and the cattle rustlers. I thought all the froth had blown off the top, after we quit that Death Valley, but now I'm beginnin' to believe we're agoin' to scratch gravel again right smart. Which suits Jimmy McGraw all right, because he's built that way, and never did like to see the green mould set on top of the pond. Keep things astirrin', that's my way. When folks go to sleep, give the same a punch, and start something doin'." "Well," said Harry, looking up from his work close by, "if you have a few more narrow squeaks like that one to-day up on the mountain trail, it won't be long before they plant _you_ under the daisies," but Jimmy only laughed at the warning. CHAPTER V. AROUND THE CAMP FIRE. It was a lovely night, with the moon looking almost as round as a big yellow cart-wheel when it rose in the east, where the horizon lay low, with the level plain and sky meeting. Besides, it was not nearly as hot there on the plains as they had found it back where the sands of the Mojave Desert shifted with the terrible winds that seemed to come from the regions of everlasting fire, they scorched so. The scouts appeared to be enjoying themselves so much that even Jimmy, usually the sleepy member of the party, gave no sign of wanting to crawl under his brilliant and beloved Navajo blanket. Near by the three pack animals were tethered, along with the calico pony owned by Amos. They cropped the grass as though they could never get enough of the same. Everything seemed so very peaceful that one would find it difficult to imagine that there could come any change to the scene. Amos had joined the circle again, and once more the conversation had become general. Ned asked numerous questions concerning the ranch which they expected to visit, and in this way they learned in advance considerable about the puncher gang, some of the peculiarities of various members of the same, as well as the floating news of the region. When Amos was asked about the hunting he gave glowing accounts of the sport to be had by those willing to ride twenty miles or more to the coulies of the foothills, where a panther or a grizzly bear might be run across, and deer were to be stalked. "How about wolves?" Jimmy wanted to know. Jimmy always declared war on wolves. He had had some experiences with the treacherous animals in the past, and could not forget. There was a standing grudge between them, and every time Jimmy found a chance he liked to knock over a gray prowler. Amos shrugged his narrow shoulders as though he took very little stock in such cowardly animals.