“I intend to show them the way to the coast—we shall probably bring up at Brownsville—and send them up north. But you will have plenty of time to communicate with us after we get out of harm’s way, and we can then decide what ought to be done Mr. Gilbert thinks Ned can come back after a while, but that Gus had better go home and stay there.” “I think so, too,” cried Ned. “I wish I had never seen him. If he hadn’t come here I’d never got into this miserable scrape!” “But what am I to do?” asked Uncle John, who seemed to have no mind of his own. “You’ll have to stay here until you have settled this matter, and then you had better follow us to the coast. Pay Mr. Cook for his cattle and give up the stolen horse, making the best excuses for Ned that you can think of.” “Where is the horse now, Ned?” asked his father. “I don’t know,” replied the boy. “He went off with the raiders. Hurry up, George! Don’t stop to talk any more!” “I am ready if you are. If the horse is gone you’ll have to pay for him, Uncle John. Ned will need some money to bear his expenses. I’ll be back in a minute.” George left the office and hurried to his own room. He stayed there just long enough to empty the contents of his money-box into his pocket, and was back again by the time Ned had received the money his father counted out to him. There was no leave-taking whatever; the boys were in too great a hurry for that. They ran through the hall, and found Jake standing on the porch holding three horses. Ned and Gus lost no time in getting into the saddle, but George paused a moment to listen. He could distinctly hear the sound of hoofs, but they did not seem to be coming toward the rancho. They were moving off to the right, and when George became satisfied of that fact, he told himself that Mr. Gilbert’s herdsman had purposely lost his way and was leading the pursuers out of their course. “That’s all right,” said he. “Now put out every light about the house, or close the shutters, to make them believe that you have gone to bed, and be as long in answering their hail as you can. We shall stop in Brownsville, Uncle John, and we shall expect you there in the course of a few days. Good-by! Easy, boys! We’ll go fast enough after a while!” Ned and Gus would have dashed off at the top of their speed and tired their horses out before they had gone ten miles if George had not checked them. The latter knew that they were comparatively safe now, and he breathed a good deal easier than he did while he was in the rancho. If the owner of the stolen horse had arrived while they were in the office, something unpleasant might have happened; but now that he and his companions were in the saddle there was little danger to be apprehended. The ranchemen could not compete with them in a fair race, for the horses they rode were weary with their day’s journey, while those on which the boys were mounted were fresh and vigorous. George explained this as they rode away from the house, adding: