The other scouts approved of what Ned was doing, as their manner of nodding at different times indicated. They knew that their leader was equal to running things, even though he might not know so much about the working of a cattle ranch. And in times gone by they had seen him pitted against what seemed to be overwhelming odds, to win out in the end; so that they had unbounded confidence in whatever he started to do. The rancher's wife left them for a minute, and presently came back to say that she had sent out the Chink cook, Chin-chin Charlie, to find Chunky, and tell him to come right to the house on important business. "We'll get this working pretty soon, I think," Jack declared, with animation. "And they'll just have to hunt up some broncs for the lot of us to straddle, too," added Harry. "Tell me about that," chuckled Jimmy. "How glad I'll be to mount a fiery charger and dig me heels into his flanks, after all this terrible walkin' the lot of us have been doin' lately. I do be wishin' Chunky'd hurry. If he's gone off now, and couldn't be found at the bunkhouse, we'll be in a nice pickle, sure." "Don't worry, because I think he's coming," Ned told him. Just as he said, this lanky puncher came up on the verandah of the ranch. He was quickly put in possession of the facts, and expressed himself in forcible terms concerning the alleged treachery of Ally Sloper and his four allies. "I c'n put a hand on the hull blooming lot," he declared, "because it happens as how that same Ally has been keepin' company with jest four punchers. They are Lefty Louie, Coyote Smith, Bob Caruso that the boys calls Robinson Crusoe, and Tinplate George--all clever punchers, but mighty slick articles at that. If Miss Haines sez as how we take our orders from you, Ned, just give the word, and you'll see them warts arounded up like grease." "Oh! well, we ought to go to extremes only as a last resort, I think," said Mrs Haines, who dreaded lest there be some shooting in making the arrest, and that some of the boys who were her favorites would get hurt. "Ned has a plan that might answer the same purpose. Tell him about it, Ned, please." So the scout master unfolded his scheme. "How many herds are there on the range just now, Chunky?" he asked. "Four, all told, with a smattering of others that don't 'mount to much." "Suppose, then, you make me out a list of the punchers, so that there will be one of these suspects with every bunch, not counting Ally Sloper," Ned continued. "Hello! I'm beginnin' to tumble to the game and, let me say, it fills the bill first-class," was the quick comment of the lanky one.