It turned out that what the dejected Skinny had said was the truth. Even the ponies that had not taken part in the chase of Ally Sloper were found to be showing plain signs of being sick. There could be no doubt but what the sly fox had laid his plans carefully, and also found an opportunity to carry the same out. He must have managed to give each broncho something in his feed that would within a certain time weaken him, especially if subjected to any violent exercise calculated to start the animal sweating freely. Those who had pursued the fleeing puncher had kept their own for a short time, and then noticed that no matter how they urged their mounts on they were being slowly distanced. The extravagant gestures of derision on the part of Sloper also aroused suspicion; and when their ponies began to show unmistakable signs of playing out, what seemed to be the truth dawned upon them. "It was a mighty clever ruse, I'm thinking," Jack remarked, as he and his chums went out to see the sick ponies. "Are they poisoned and will they all die?" Harry asked one of the punchers, with keen regret in his voice, as he watched the actions of the sick animals. "Oh! we reckons it ain't so bad as that there," replied the cowboy, "they been locoed with some weed that Ally, he must a carried around with him, meanin' to use the same when the right time came along. But Miss Haines she give us some stuff outen the Kunnel's medicine chest, 'case, yuh see, he's somethin' o' a vetranary surgeon; and they seem to be pickin' up a bit a'ready." An hour later the expected party was discovered heading for the ranch buildings, but not a solitary puncher went circling out to meet them. This fact must have given rise to considerable wonder on the part of the two stockmen, who knew the ways of cow punchers so well. Their astonishment was unbounded when they arrived at the stockade and saw the herds penned up. First of all, they greeted the scouts warmly. As Harry was the representative of his father, whom the stockmen hoped to induce to join them in putting more money into their enterprise, so as to enlarge the scope of their business, it was only natural that he should be shown the utmost consideration, in order that a favorable report be taken back when he returned home. But then Harry was the nephew of both stockmen, so to speak, and they would have welcomed him warmly for that fact alone. When they heard all that had happened and how the lucky finding of the dead homing pigeon with its telltale message had betrayed the plans of the conspirators, they could hardly express their feelings toward the scouts. Of course there followed the hasty moonlight ride out on the range, the round-up of the cattle that was not ordered, the fight with the rustlers, and last, but not least, the clever way in which Ally Sloper had made his escape so as to avoid facing his late employers.