They made slow headway over the rocky banks. Hope, tired with the day's exploring and hungry after her long ride and the somewhat slender diet of the past week, was sorry they had not gone the road, which, though longer, would not have taken such a length of time to travel. The boys were good scouts, yet it became evident that they had never followed the new line of fence before. Their horses slipped upon the sides of steep inclines which became more rocky and dangerous as they proceeded. Darkness increased rapidly. One horse in the rear fell down, but the rider was upon his feet in an instant; then they dismounted and led their horses, traveling along very slowly in Indian file. Some time later they found the wire gate, much to the girl's relief. It was then quite dark. The moon had risen, but showed itself fitfully behind black, stormy looking clouds. Without difficulty they discovered a trail leading somewhere, and followed it until they rounded a point from which they could see the light in the sheep-man's house. "Why, we're almost up to his _house_!" exclaimed Hope. "This isn't the way. We don't want to go there!" "I reckon we'll have to get pretty close up to it to find the road that goes to the other gate," said the soft-voiced twin. "How foolish we've been," sighed the girl. "Yep, a pack o' idiots," agreed Dave. "But it's too dark for anyone to see us--or notice us," she said with relief. "I think we might go right up to the house and look through the windows without anyone seeing us." "Let's do it," suggested Dave. "Well I should say not!" exclaimed the girl. "It's the last thing on earth I would do--_peek_ into anyone's window! I am not so curious to see the interior of _his_ house--or anyone's else." "I'll bet they're just eatin' supper," said Ned hungrily. "All the better," replied Hope; "there will be no one around to see us then. I wonder how much closer we'll have to go?" "Not much further," answered the soft-voiced twin wisely. "See, there's the barns, an' the road ain't a great ways off." He led the way, while Hope and the boy, Dave, followed close, and the youngest boy trailed along somewhere in the rear. They passed between the stables and the house, then, aided by the fitful moon, found the road, along which they made better time. Hope felt a great relief as they began to leave the house in the distance, though why, she could scarcely have explained. She said to herself that she was in a hurry to reach home, but as they neared the huge, flat-roofed sheep-sheds she slowed up her horse, which had gone on ahead of the others, and glanced back at her approaching scouts. The twins came up with her, then she stopped and looked behind. "Where's Ned?" she asked sharply, a sudden suspicion entering her head. "What's keeping him?" "He went up to the house to see what's goin' on," replied Dave. "I saw him start for that way."