There was a clatter of hoofs at which Jack and Nat turned their heads. If they expected to see some one coming to rescue them they were disappointed, for all they beheld was John, swinging his horse around on the trail and making off at top speed. "Come back!" yelled one of the men, making a move as if to reach for his gun, but at this Jack wiggled so he had to give all his attention to the captive youth. "I'll come back--" yelled John, and the rest of what he said was lost in the clatter his horse made as it sprang over stones. Then John disappeared around a big ledge of rock. "Never mind," said one of the men, whom his companion had addressed as Nate. "We don't need him." "Guess not, Sid," was the reply. "We've got the main ones. He don't count." "What do you mean by this?" burst out Nat, who, as was Jack, had been so surprised by the sudden turn of events that he did not know what to say. "Who are you, anyhow?" "Now, don't get excited, sonny," spoke Nate. "This is a high altitude, remember, and you might bust a blood vessel. That would be too bad." "Yes, the fewer questions you ask the better off you'll be," put in Sid. "If my uncle hears of this you'll suffer for it," Nat went on. He thought the men might be cowboys out for a lark. "Don't worry, your uncle will never hear of it," Nate replied. "Now I guess we'll travel." There was nothing to do but to obey. The boys were fairly tied on their horses, so quickly and so deftly had the men used their ropes. "Did you get the rings?" asked Nate of his companion. "Almost forgot it," replied Sid. "I'll do it now." Before Jack was aware what the man was up to he had grabbed from his finger the curious moss agate emblem. "Here's one," exclaimed Sid. "Now for the other." He looked at both of Nat's hands. "Where's your ring?" he demanded. "Never had one," said Nat defiantly. "No fooling now, give it up or you'll be sorry." "I tell you I haven't got any," Nat replied impatiently. "You're up the wrong tree." "Give me that ring or I'll--" began Sid, when his companion broke in with: "Never mind now. It's getting late and we don't want to be caught out here at night. Bring him along. I guess we'll find a way to make him talk." Then, having seen that their captives were securely bound, the men attached long ropes to the bridles of the boys' horses, and led the animals back down the trail. The two men were some distance in advance, and, as the boys rode side by side, they had a chance to converse in low tones without being overheard by their captors. "Are they brigands, like you read about?" asked Nat. "Not much," replied Jack. "I think they are the same men who chased poor old Mr. Lantry, and shot him. I'm sure they are some of the bad men who tried to get my father, or else how would they know about the rings?" "They didn't get one from me," spoke Nat. "They must have made a mistake and got me instead of John. I say, Jack, you don't s'pose he's in with the gang, do you?"