“Don’t like it,” grumbled one. “Well,” said another, the youngest in the party, “I think they’ve got the best of the argument. Here they are, just as they agreed to be. They haven’t gone to any detectives, and it’s our business now to hand over the goods——” Patsy was greatly interested, wondering whether this young man would persuade the gang to his way of thinking, when, without the least warning, strong hands were laid upon him. He turned like a flash at the first touch. His hand raised the revolver that he had been clutching from the moment when he lay down behind the rock. But there was no use in firing it. The bullet wouldn’t have hit anybody. His assailants had every advantage of him. He had been caught by both feet and yanked backward. Others had grabbed him by the arms. Still another dropped a noose over his head and pulled it tight. A little more strain on that rope, and the detective would have been choked to death. In much less time than it takes to tell it, they had him with his hands securely bound behind his back. The detective was helpless. And up to this moment, nobody had said a word, and no sound of the capture had reached the ears of the men in the ravine. CHAPTER VI. PATSY IS FORCED TO SLEEP. When they had him bound to their satisfaction, Patsy’s captors laid him on his back and looked him over. He saw, too late, how it had happened. Close to the rock was a thick bunch of bushes. His judgment had been perfect, for it had taken him to the exact spot where there was an easy way down to the gulch. It was the way these men always took to get there. But, unluckily for the detective, they had posted sentinels at that spot. His captors had been within reach of him from the moment he arrived. Why they had not attacked him at once could only be guessed. Probably they were so surprised that they didn’t know what to do at first. And maybe they thought he might be a prospector, or anybody but a detective, who would go away as soon as he had taken a look. “Wal, by gosh!” muttered one who seemed to be the leader of the sentinels, “I reckon this’ll make some difference with what they’re jawin’ about down thar.” Patsy tried a bluff. “I’d like to know what you mean,” he began, indignantly. “I haven’t done anything to you——” “And we won’t do a thing to you,” interrupted the leader, harshly—“oh, no! we won’t tech ye! Pick him up, boys.” Two of the men took Patsy on their shoulders, and they went stumbling down the side of the gulch. Snell and the others looked up in the greatest surprise when they heard the sentinels coming. All the men got to their feet, for some had been sitting, and guns were shown freely. “What ye got thar?” demanded the chief of the gang. “A spy,” replied the leader of the sentinels. “Find him up thar?” “Yes—behind that rock. He crep’ up jest as ef he knowed thar was suthin’ to see below.” “The skunk!”