"No, they didn't stop here long," declared Yellin' Kid. "They passed on, an' that's what we got to do." "Might as well stay here and have grub, now we're dismounted," suggested Nort. The idea was voted a good one, and was soon put into operation. They ate and talked of what had passed and what lay before them. Of the latter they could only conjecture, but it is safe to say that not one of them in his wildest imagination ever conjectured such an ending to their trailing as actually occurred. "Well, let's get on," called Bud, when appetites had been satisfied--that is all but those of the horses. There was no grass for them, though they did manage to drink some of the water from the boiling spring where it had collected in little pools, and had cooled. But this would never have sufficed for hundreds of cattle. Once more they were on the way, and shortly afterward they left the grim and rocky defile for a more fertile region, where there was grass for the animals. But they were still down between a range of high hills which towered on either side. The trail twisted and turned, this way and that, winding back and forth. But ever there was to be seen, here and there, signs that the herd of cattle had been driven this way. Faint the signs were, at times, and at last they disappeared altogether. "Where have they gone?" asked Nort. "Looks like they dropped down a hole, but there isn't any hole here," said Yellin' Kid. "Oh, we'll pick the trail up later on," suggested Bud. But even as they started off once more Bud, who had just consulted a compass he carried, uttered a cry of amazement. "What's the matter?" asked Slim. "We're going the wrong way," declared Bud. "We're heading north instead of south. We're all turned around! Something's wrong!" CHAPTER XX A SURPRISE Some of those in the rear, who had heard Bud's exclamation, but who had not clearly heard what he said, came crowding up. Among them was Snake Purdee, and his eyes sparkled with hidden emotion as he inquired: "Did you see any rattlers? This is just the place for 'em!" "Yes, we came acrost a nest of baby ones what had lost their mother, an' they're countin' on you t' bring 'em up on th' bottle!" laughed Slim. The men, more or less, poked fun at Snake because of his great fear of reptiles, and Slim could not forego this chance. But Snake understood the game, and realized that he had nothing to fear. He shot a look at Slim, however, which indicated that there would be an attempt, later, to get even. "What's wrong?" asked Slim, for in his endeavor to play a joke on Snake he had not paid much attention to what Bud was saying. "We're all turned around," spoke the western lad. "All in a maze. We started out, heading south, and we've kept, generally, to that direction ever since. But now we're heading back north. Looks like we'd lost the trail."