“May not be necessary?” repeated Mendoza. “If we go away and leave the kid here, he’ll chase over the hills until he finds some one to tell what we’ve done and which way we’ve gone. If we leave this boy, Jimmie, flying about in his machine, he’ll never rest until he tells the officers where he left us, and all about us. In order to protect ourselves, we’ve got to keep them quiet. Are you going to weaken now?” “I’ll do whatever is necessary when the time comes,” replied Phillips. Mendoza seemed satisfied with this, and the two men walked back to the fire and, notwithstanding the treachery in their hearts, engaged in friendly conversation with the boys. Between that time and dark they brought out their bear steak again and clumsily broiled great slices over the fire. They also cut large quantities of bread into slices and made sandwiches. They even made large quantities of coffee and bottled it up in milk jars with patent tops in which the boys had brought a supply of the lacteal fluid. The boys regarded them curiously as these liberties were taken with their provisions, but Phillips explained that he had many miles to travel during the next two days, and would not be within reach of his base of supplies. Mendoza was not so careful to quiet the suspicions of the lads, and his brusqueness was one of the things which put them on their guard. “Those fellows are getting ready to jump out!” Jimmie insisted as he walked away from the fire with his chum. “Well, we can’t help it if they do start away!” Kit responded. “We might shoot,” Jimmie went on, “but that is a game two can play at, and it might not be a profitable one for us.” “I wouldn’t like to do that, anyway,” said Kit. “I’ve got a notion,” Jimmie went on, “that these fellows want to get away in the machine to-night. They probably believe the story I told about the chief ranger, but, still, they doubtless want to beat it while the beating is good.” “I don’t believe they can run the machine,” argued Kit. “I don’t believe they can, either,” answered Jimmie. “But they know that I can,” he added significantly. “They wouldn’t take you along!” Kit replied. “They would take me along while they could use me,” answered Jimmie, “and that would be the last of yours truly. Those fellows are cold-blooded murderers! I wish the other boys would come!” “I’m afraid something has happened to them,” Kit replied soberly. Twilight fell as the outlaws planned murder and the boys planned capture. As the latest finger of light touched a summit to the southwest an aeroplane was seen slowly moving toward the valley. It was plain even to the outlaws that she was seriously crippled. As for the boys, they watched her interestedly until a mass of clouds from the ocean settled down over the mountain top and shut her from view. “That’s the fellow that give us the run to-day!” laughed Jimmie. “You mean the man who told you about the chief ranger?” asked Phillips.