A line of outriders was established at once, and the herd pushed on, and for several days there were no evidences that any more of the cattle had been poisoned. They were nearing the river, as they could tell by the gradual sloping of the land to the east, and the flatness of the country. One afternoon about four o'clock Brock, one of the hired cow-punchers, came riding into camp as fast as his horse would run, and fell out of the saddle. He had been shot through the leg, and was almost insensible from loss of blood when he succeeded in getting in. When he was able to speak, he said to Ted: "I was riding picket about two miles off to the west. As I topped a hill I saw a body of men about a quarter of a mile away. With my glasses I saw that they were soldiers, and wondered what they were doing so far from a post, as there isn't one nearer here than Fort Felton." "Soldiers, eh?" asked Ted. "Cavalry or infantry?" "Cavalry." "How many of them were there?" "I should say about fifty." "Did they see you?" "They must have seen me, for I saw them brought to a halt, and remain that way for several minutes, while the officer was looking at me through his binoculars. After they had satisfied themselves as to what I was, they galloped to the north, and I soon lost sight of them behind the hills." "I wonder what troops are doing out here. I haven't heard of any trouble with the Indians, and there is no gang of outlaws this far north that it would take troops to subdue." Stella looked at Ted significantly, and he read her thoughts. Could it be that Lieutenant Barrows had been able to use his influence, or his cunning, to bring a detachment of troops so far away from the post to attend to his own personal affairs, while ostensibly on the government's business? He dismissed the thought, however, as soon as it was conceived. It appeared to be too ridiculous. However, they were all on their guard now. They realized that there were others on the range, and they were aware that a powerful and vindictive enemy was close at hand. "How did you come to receive the shot in the leg?" asked Ted, breaking the silence. "As I turned to ride to camp to report what I had seen, something moved down in the coulee. At first I thought it might be a wolf or coyote, but as I drove the pony into it a shot was fired, and it got me in the leg. I didn't wait for any more, as I did not know how many men there might be, and I deemed it wise to get to camp alive with the news." "The poisoners!" was Ted's brief comment. "They've got us pretty well hemmed in," said Ben. "They mean business." "Yes, but we'll break through, and beat them yet," said Ted, with conviction. But they were a long ways from being out of danger yet as they were soon to know. That evening Ted, accompanied by Stella and Hallie, rode out of camp. Ted wanted to spy out the land in advance to see if there were any signs of the troops and the poisoners.