As Roy bent over the ground, Mob’s hand fell to his gun--then came slowly away. He had seen the firelight glitter on metal at Roy’s side--and guns in holsters do not reflect light. Chin in hand, he stood contemplating the youth. “Got it!” Roy exclaimed suddenly, and straightened. He held an object in his hand. “Found it hidden under a stick. Lucky, hey?” “It is lucky,” Bill said quietly. “It would have been too bad for you to come all the way back and then not find the knife.” “I’ll tell a maverick it would!” Roy answered easily. If the Lefton brothers had expected him to show embarrassment at the pointed statement he was disappointed. “Well, I’ll be getting along. Thanks for helping me.” “Sure you got everything now?” Mob asked truculently. “Yore hat? Belt? Ain’t lost yore pants, have you?” “Don’t think so,” Roy answered seriously. “Nope, I’m sure I haven’t. But thanks for asking. Hold still now, bronc, while I climb up. Right. So long!” There was no reply. Chuckling, Roy rode off into the night. He found Teddy easily, and together the two boys started homeward. After some moments Teddy inquired: “Find it, Roy?” “Uh-huh.” Silence, except for the hoof-beats of their mounts. Then, Teddy: “Nice night, isn’t it?” “Wonderful!” “See here, you secretive bronco-buster, if you think I’m going to ask all sorts of silly questions--” “All right, laddy!” Roy burst out laughing. “All I needed was coaxing. Now you tend to your knitting and I’ll tell you the story of my journey to Walla-Walla land. I arrived all safe and sound, and stood on the door-step a moment before ringing the bell. Voices came to me from an open window.” Suddenly he became serious. “Teddy, what has the Jarmey place got to do with autos? Are there any cars kept there?” “Cars? Not that I know of. Unless you mean freight cars. There’s a siding near there, you know.” “Freight cars! Golly, I never thought of that! Cars! Well, yes, they might be freight cars. Anyway, that’s what the voices were talking about. Cars and the Jarmey place and something about an eight mile run. And--oh, yes, cattle. Six hundred head.” “Who said that?” “Jerry Lefton. Can you figure out what he may have meant?” “Not me. We’ll see what dad has to say about it. Got your badge on?” “What badge?” “Detective.” Roy chuckled and urged his pony on. As they rode into the ranch yard, past the bunkhouse, Nick Looker called to them: “You fellers must have been puttin’ up a new fence.” He came closer, and they waited for him. “What happened to Flash? Fall?” “Not quite,” Teddy answered. “He stuck his leg in a hole at a very embarrassing moment. We almost had supper with a pack of wolves.” “Wha-a-a-at?” “Fact! We met a whole gang of ’em. You and Gus had better do a little hunting in the morning.” And the story was told.