“Not a trace. Looked like a spite job to me. Bug Eye said the same. If he ever catches the gang who held him up, he’ll spite ’em!” “Did he go back to the 8 X 8?” “No; he’s asleep in the bunk-house. He wants to have another look for the thieves, I guess. If his boss thinks it’s the same gang that stole his cattle, he’ll let Bug Eye search all he wants to--and maybe help him. I’ve got a hunch that something is bound to break soon. The people around these parts are pretty sick and tired of having those roughnecks play fast and loose with their property.” “You said a mouthful! Come on! Let’s hit the deck. We’ve got plenty to do.” “Think we ought to have another go at the dance tonight?” “Not me! Anyway, the evening dresses of Nell and Ethel are lost, and so they won’t be so keen for it. We’ll just let it slide. Things are going to be pretty lively here from now on. There won’t be much time for dancing.” Springing from his bed, Roy walked to the bathroom and doused his head and face with cold water. Teddy did the same, and after “slicking up” a bit the two boys made for the yard. Mr. Manley was standing talking to Nick Looker when Roy and Teddy approached. “Roy,” his father called, “c’mere a second, will you? Want to ask you some more about that scar-faced friend of yours. Whereabouts in Harver’s Gully did he take you?” “Well, there’s a grove of quakermasts down on the near side of the river. If you keep on going, you’d come to a small rise, from which you could see for a good distance on either side. I rode over there only last fall.” “Yore dad said you had an idee the rustlers hang out around there,” Nick stated. “That so, Roy?” “I don’t know whether it’s so or not, Nick; but that’s what I think. As I told dad, Froud seemed kind of sorry he’d brought me to the gully. Then he ducked as soon as he could without waiting to fight it out with me, though I winged him in the arm after he’d nicked me here,” and Roy pointed to his ear. “He’s got to have that arm of his treated some place, or he’ll get poisoned. The nearest doctor is over at Hawley. Say, I think I’ll--” “Telephone to him to hold a man with a wounded arm?” Teddy interrupted. “I thought of that, too. Go ahead, Roy. Myself, I don’t figure much on getting Froud that way. But it won’t do any harm to try.” Mr. Manley said they would wait there while Roy telephoned. When the boy returned his face bore a disappointed look. “Doc said he’d been there early this morning and gone,” Roy declared. “We might have had a chance if I had called up sooner. Well--”