Not long did it take their pursuers to discover the place where the three had eaten and then to find the direction in which they had departed. "What's the use of following any farther, Gus?" demanded one of them. "So long as they have ridden to the south, and there are only three of them, anyhow, we are in no danger." But with a blind obstinacy the leader of the cattle thieves persisted in continuing the pursuit, and set the pace at a fast gallop. In due course of time, as the boys before them, they discovered the glare from the camp fire. "We'll ride into the mountains, dismount and then find out who it is that has the fire," declared Megget. "You're playing with trouble, Gus," protested his companions. "From what I know of Wilder, he won't let a bunch of his cattle be lifted without doing something. That may be his fire." "All the more reason why we should go to it--to make sure," snapped the leader of the raiders. "Wilder is a fool or he wouldn't leave his herd unguarded at the Witches' Pool." "You'll find he's smarter than you think. I'll bet all my share of these raids will come to that the only reason the herd was alone was because his whole outfit is on the trail from the bottoms," asserted another. "Well, the boys can take care of 'em if they are. I said I was going to find out who built that fire, and I'm going to." And without more ado, the leader of the raiders dashed into the woods. Riding cautiously among the trees until he thought he was about back of the fire Megget gave the word to dismount. A short distance to the south and above them was a ledge from which they would be able to command a view of the camp fire, and rapidly the raiders made their way to It. What they saw when they reached the top and gazed down caused them to exclaim in amazement. The cowboys were saddling their ponies, and instead of the three men they had expected to discover, Megget and his companions saw a dozen. "That's the Half-Moon bunch!" declared one of them. "There are too many of them," asserted another. "We're in a pretty mess now. Those three men we followed have evidently informed them of finding our trail and they are starting to pick it up." "Don't you worry about that," growled Megget. And before his companions were aware what he intended to do, he uttered the calls that caused the ranch owners and cowboys to start out into the prairie. Eagerly the raiders watched them disappear and Megget chuckled: "I thought I could fool 'em. It's easy when you are above any one." And then he added: "You'll wish you had never started after me, Wilder!" Wondering at their leader's meaning, his fellows had no chance to ask, however, for even as he spoke Megget was descending from the ledge. Arriving at the camp fire, he glanced about for a few moments, then sent his men for the horses.