The ponies were panting now, but still they kept up their tremendous speed. The ground seemed to fly from beneath their feet. Nearer and nearer they came to the spot where the cows were herded. It could not be more than two miles more. Neither boy spoke, concentrating his energies for the race against time. In the distance Shock Mountain arose, huge and weird in the moonlight. Not far now! They could almost see the black blot of the herd of steers as they stood in the lee of the mountain. Teddy craned his neck forward, peering ahead intently. Another half mile, and they would be there. The valley wherein the cattle were grazing came into view. “Guess we’ll make it!” Roy shouted. “Here’s where Peterson said they were! Can you see ’em? Can you--” Then they topped a rise, and the whole landscape spread out before them, every object plainly visible. The moon-lit scene was as light as day. Teddy’s eyes swept over the valley. Were they on time? He gave a groan and drooped over his saddle. Their race had been useless. There was not a sign of the six hundred head! The rustlers had beaten them! CHAPTER XXIV THE TRAIN OF EMPTIES When one has counted so heavily on something, has worked desperately for it, the moment when one realizes failure seems so definite, so unrelieved, that the world spins on unnoticed. Teddy and Roy sat in their saddles, staring down into the valley, despair written in every line of their faces. “Too late,” Teddy stammered. “We’ve lost. They’ve started the drive. Even if we could catch them, what would be the use? They’d never abandon the cattle now without a fight. And what have we got to fight with? Roy, we’re done! We’re done!” Roy nodded miserably. “Looks like it. By the time we got help it would be too late. We’re miles from our camp now. Let me think. We’ve got to do something. But what? They’ll take the cattle to the Jarmey place. Think, Teddy! Think!” “The Jarmey place!” Teddy fairly shouted the words. “We’ll have to head for there! Now we’ve got it--our one chance! Can we find it, Roy?” “We’ll find it,” Roy answered grimly. “I know, from what Pop told us, the general direction. Once we get there--” “We’ll think of that later,” Teddy interrupted. “The thing to do is to reach those empty cars before they load the cattle. Golly, we’re sure giving these broncs of ours a workout! But they’ll stand it, I reckon.” “Hope so,” Roy murmured, patting Star affectionately. “We can’t afford to let ’em rest now--we’ve got to go on.” He swung the pony about and headed away from the valley, Teddy following. It was not possible to force the horses to the speed they had showed on the ride over. They were covered with foam, and the tiny nerves in their backs were twitching from the effort they had made.